UNITED KINGDOM: BBC radio features Basic Income in its main personal finance programme
BBC broadcasted on a Basic Income in its radio program ‘Money Box’ on 13th January 2016. It can be heard online (last accessed on 26th January 2016).
SWITZERLAND: Robots for Basic Income dance at Davos
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum was held during 20th-23rd January 2016. A group ‘Robots for Basic Income‘ countered the Forum with their demand for a Basic Income. The group released ‘Declaration of Davos 2016’:
Robots demand for universal basic income as a humanistic response to technological progress
We – the robots – call for an universal basic income for humans. We want to work for the humans to relieve them from the struggle for income. We are really good in working. But we do not want to take away people’s jobs and thereby bring them into existential difficulties.
Che Wagner, ‘human spokesperson’ of the group, said that they need a wider support for their campaign for the national referendum, which will take place in June this year.
Videos on what the group perform in Davos can be watched online.
In the meantime, a panel of the World Economic Forum discussed the idea of basic income:
Caroline Lucas, ‘These are the simple reasons why a basic income for all could transform our society for the better’
Caroline Lucas, ‘These are the simple reasons why a basic income for all could transform our society for the better‘, The Independent, 16th January 2015.
Caroline Lucas, the only member of parliament from the Green Party of England and Wales, has been considered as being reluctant for a citizen’s income according to a past media report, although it has been on the policy agenda of the party from its beginning.
In this article, however, Lucas makes herself clear by saying ‘a Basic Income is something that I’ve longed campaigned for.’ (cited from the original version of the article. Wording ‘I’ve’ is changed to ‘the Green Party has’ as accessed on 27th January)
She is also convinced that ‘[i]t’s clear why the Basic Income, which has often been dismissed as utopian, is making its way into the mainstream’.
Lucas tabled motion for basic income study to Parliament on 20th January 2015.
MUKO, Kyoto, Japan. Talk on a Basic Income, 23rd January 2016
‘E Mirai no kai (e未来の会)’, a Kyoto local green initiative organizes an event for a basic income. Toru Yamamori, a member of the executive committee of the Basic Income Network, will give a talk on what we can learn from history of past struggles for the idea, and also on the recent various activisms for it. The event will be held in Japanese.
When: 1.30 pm-, 23rd January 2016
Venue: Community house ‘Okina Kabu no i.e. (おおきなかぶの家)’
(one minute walk from Hankyu Nishi-muko station)
Interview with Enno Schmidt: “Swiss parliament’s opposition to basic income is not binding”
Basic income activist Enno Schmidt give us his views on the recent recommendation by the Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss parliament, calling for people to vote against an unconditional basic income (UBI) in the national referendum next year.
The National Council, the lower house, issued a similar recommendation in September. The referendum is expected to be held next year – there are indications that it might take place as early as June. Swiss people will vote “yes” or “no” to a constitutional amendment that would introduce, if successful, the UBI as a right enshrined in the Swiss Federal Constitution.
Enno Schmidt is one of the promoters of the Popular Initiative that collected enough signatures to gain the right for a national referendum on the UBI. He is a painter, author and film-maker, and has been actively promoting basic income since 2006. He was born in Germany and lives and works in Basel, Switzerland.
In this interview, he tells Basic Income News what he thinks about the recent recommendations by the Swiss parliament, and the prospects for the referendum.
Toru Yamamori: Did you foresee the Council of States’ recommendation?
Enno Schmidt: We did not expect a majority in favour of the basic income initiative in either the upper or lower house of parliament. Still, it was good to see that there were positive contributions emerging from the two debates. There are MPs in both houses who understand some of the ideas behind the initiative. However, there was nobody voting in favour in the Council of States.
TY: How do the parliamentary recommendations affect the national referendum?
ES: The parliamentary motions are only recommendations. They are not binding decisions. Parliament fulfilled its obligations and debated the issue. The decision is entirely up to the Swiss citizens. The citizens are the highest decision-making body in a democracy. The parties, the Parliament and the government are organs of the sovereign. The ultimate sovereign is the voting population.
UBI activists dropped 8 million five cent coins outside Swiss National Council, Bern, October 2013.
TY: What is your next step?
ES: There are 8 Millions inhabitants and 5 million voters in Switzerland. We will do our best to promote debate on the idea of a basic income and talk to everyone about it.
TY: As you and others already did with the collection of the signatures for the referendum, with your films about basic income, and in public debates, tv shows, newspapers and collective actions.
What is your take on the final result of the referendum?
ES: It is not our victory if a majority says yes, nor our defeat if a majority says no. It is our business to give a chance to everybody to think about the possibility of an unconditional income, the difference between income and work, their future and the future of our society, and to encounter a positive vision for the 21st century.
We are not focused on the opponents. We want to make the idea attractive. The UBI vision is not against something, but asks for more. We want to show that a more exciting life is possible. We want to convince the majority. But even if only a quarter of the votes will be in favour of a UBI, then that would already be a great success. The referendum result is not the end. The discussion continues, and there can be another vote. Perhaps the Japanese are faster than the Swiss?
For more information, check out the English-speaking website of BIEN-Switzerland here, and our past news and commentary on the Swiss referendum:
Toru Yamamori, “SWITZERLAND: Council of States rejects basic income initiative,” Basic Income News, December 21, 2015.
Matthias Lindemer, “Swiss politicians reject basic income because they are scared of humans,” Basic Income News, December 7, 2015.
Stanislas Jourdan, “SWITZERLAND: Parliament rejects basic income initiative, but poll shows popular support,” Basic Income News, October 3, 2015.
Toru Yamamori, “Interview with Enno Schmidt, co-initiator of the Swiss Citizens’ Initiative,” Basic Income News, September 19, 2015.
Jenna van Draanen, “SWITZERLAND: Swiss parliamentary committee on social affairs opposes a federal initiative for basic income,” Basic Income News, July 14, 2015.
Karl Widerquist, “SWITZERLAND: National referendum will be held on basic income,” Basic Income News, October 5, 2013.
