Institut Barcelona Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), an inter-university research and education center in Barcelona, will host a conference on technology, employment, and basic income on May 25 and 26, 2017.
As IBEI summarizes the event, “In this workshop we begin with a dialog about technology and the potential for creative destruction or destructive creation regarding the well-being of the population particularly when it pertains to employment. From this preamble we then look at the notion of universal basic income as a potential solution to the disruptive market forces we face today. Experts will present recent research, experiments, and analysis about these efforts as well as look at the potential steps and alternatives that governments have and the steps that some of them have taken as they consider this solution.”
On Thursday, May 25, morning sessions will focus on technology and employment. In the afternoon, basic income will take center stage, beginning with a session on current and upcoming experiments. Sjir Hoeijmakers, Bru Lain (Basic Income Spanish Network), Jaime Cooke (RSA-Scotland), and Jurgen De Wispelaere (University of Bath) will speak about the trials of basic income and related policies that are being planned or conducted in the Netherlands, Barcelona, Scotland, and Finland, respectively. Additionally, Martha Garcia-Murillo, Daniel Navarro, and Ian MacInnes (Syracuse University, Pompeu Fabra University) will deliver a presentation on basic income and incentives.
Following the experiment session, Sergi Raventós (Red Renta Básica) will discuss possible mental health impacts of basic income, Daniel Raventós (Universidad de Barcelona) will address issues of financing, and Ian MacInnes and Martha Garcia-Murillo (Syracuse University) with talk about policy alternatives.
The first day of the conference will conclude with a showing and discussion of Zygmund Bauman’s film In the Same Boat.
On Friday, May 26, Luis Sanzo Gonzalez (Basque Department of Employment and Social Policy), Lluís Torrens (Barcelona City Council), Julen Bollain (Member of Basque Parliament of Elkarrekin Podemos), and Jose Noguera (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona) will speak on issues related to basic income and public policy in the Spanish context.
The conference will close with a roundtable discussion with all invited speakers.
More information about the conference, including a full schedule and registration information, is available at the Technology Employment and Basic Income page on IBEI’s website.
Photo (somewhere in Barcelona) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Luc Mercelis
