Ramaphosa promises Basic Income Grant for South Africa is coming

Ramaphosa promises Basic Income Grant for South Africa is coming

Editor’s note: What is discussed here does not meet the BIEN definition of basic income since it is targeted

The ANC has again promised to introduce a permanent Basic Income Grant (BIG); however, the party has not committed to any timeline.

The proposal was again put forward by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the party’s manifesto launch on 24 February.

Ramaphosa echoed his State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier in the month by again laying out that the ruling party would “progressively implement a basic income support grant by extending and improving the value and coverage of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for the unemployed.”

To read the full article click here.

Places across the U.S. are testing no-strings cash as part of the social safety net

Places across the U.S. are testing no-strings cash as part of the social safety net

by Jennifer Ludden Photo by Frugal Flyer on Unsplash

Christopher Santiago recalls being skeptical the first time he heard about basic income — giving people cash with no conditions on how to spend it. It was 2020, when presidential candidate Andrew Yang pitched it for all American adults, and Santiago thought, “That doesn’t make much sense.”

But for a year now, Santiago has been getting $500 a month through one of the largest cash aid pilots in the U.S., and he’s come around.

The single dad of three lives in Alsip, Ill., and was one of a whopping 233,000 people who applied for the program in Cook County, which includes Chicago. (There was a lottery to pick the 3,250 participants.) As a public employee, his income is toward the upper end of the program cutoff, but he says it hardly feels like enough for a family of four.

To read the full article, click here.

Equality in Entrepreneurship: UBI’s Role in Fostering Inclusive Startups

Equality in Entrepreneurship: UBI’s Role in Fostering Inclusive Startups

Image Source: Unsplash

by Beau Peters

So you’re an aspiring entrepreneur. You have a concept that you believe will add value to a sector of the market, the passion to set out on your own, and the know-how to make a dream into a small business.

However, as you venture into a field with many competitors, large and small, you’ve likely come up against a core truth in a capital-driven economy. While in theory, anyone can start a successful business and achieve success, some are more likely to succeed than others. The gulf between resources available to a first-time entrepreneur who left their minimum wage job to make something of themselves and a seasoned businessperson with several success stories under their belt is – well, it speaks for itself.

Read the full article here.

Workshop on Guaranteed Income Experiments – February 22-23: Call for papers

Workshop on Guaranteed Income Experiments – February 22-23: Call for papers

“This workshop is presented by the History and Philosophy Department of the University of New Orleans in collaboration with the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Society, at the University of Minho, and the Justice Studies Program at the University of New Orleans. It will be held at the University of New Orleans, February 22-23, 2024 at the Dougie Hitt Conference Room, at the Library, room 407, 2000 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, LA 70148.

The workshop is organized by Sara Bizarro (University of New Orleans) and Roberto Merrill (UBIECO project at the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Society/University of Minho).”

Read about the speakers and solicited paper topics here.

Report on the 2023 BIEN Congress held in Seoul, South Korea

Report on the 2023 BIEN Congress held in Seoul, South Korea

by Annie Miller

“When I was invited to give the Opening Address, I wondered ‘What could I talk about?’. However, I realised that, even after more than three decades in the business, I am still learning new things that I could share.

I had also had the privilege of attending the first of the current wave of Basic Income (BI) conferences, in September 1986, in Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, organised by the Collectif Charles Fourier. I reflected on how things have changed over the last 37 years.”

To read the full report, click here.