by Guy Standing | Apr 10, 2024 | Chinese, News
Photo: Ye Jiabin and Guy Standing
Throughout history, capitalism has evolved, changing character and changing the class structure defining each era. The changes in the 20th century can be understood by reference to what Karl Polanyi called the Great Transformation.[i] Briefly, in his formulation, in the 19th century, mainly in Britain, there was an initial period in the evolution of industrial capitalism that was dominated by financial capital, in which old systems of distribution, regulation and social protection were dismantled, in what we would call the pursuit of a ‘free market economy’.
In Polanyi’s terminology, this was a period in which the economy was ‘dis-embedded’ from society, that is, out of control by civilising social forces. As a result, inequalities and economic insecurities multiplied until there was a systemic crisis, and in his words ‘a threat of the annihilation of civilisation’. This manifested itself in the Great Depression, and the rise of fascism and a dehumanised form of state socialism in the Soviet Union.
[i] K.Polanyi, The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time (New York. Farrar and Rinehart, 1944).
To read the full report in English, click here.
To read the translation to Mandarin Chinese, click here.
by Peter Knight | Apr 5, 2024 | News
Note: What the farmers are asking for does not meet the BIEN definition of a Basic Income since it is restricted to farmers.
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Farmers are calling for the government to grant them a universal basic income, saying the post-Brexit agriculture subsidy scheme has left many poorer.
Delays to the sustainable farming schemes put in place after the UK left the European Union, to replace the common agricultural policy (CAP), have meant that in England many farmers have been left out of pocket. The new regime initially suffered from low subscription rates, and the government has underspent hundreds of millions from the £2.4bn farming budget each year due to lack of sign-up.”
To read the full article in The Guardian, click here.
by Peter Knight | Apr 4, 2024 | News
“This note documents preliminary findings from the trial of an innovative social policy intervention for tackling poverty, improving well-being, and addressing the causes of the worst forms of child labour (WFCL). The Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia (CLARISSA) social protection intervention is a universal and unconditional cash-plus programme, combining intensive community mobiliser support and casework with household monthly cash transfers to all households in the neighbourhood. It was implemented between October 2021 and December 2023 across Dhaka’s North Gojmohol neighbourhood by Terre des hommes Bangladesh (Tdh) and is part of the wider CLARISSA programme, led by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).”
To read the full report, click here.
by Peter Knight | Apr 4, 2024 | News
“In September 2021, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and the Cambridge Community Foundation launched the Cambridge Recurring Income for Success & Empowerment (RISE) guaranteed income (GI) pilot. Designed to address growing economic disparities and racial inequities, Cambridge RISE provided $500 recurring monthly payments for 18 months to 130 randomly selected single-caretaker households living below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). To maximize the impact of the monthly GI, the RISE team secured benefit waivers to protect housing and DTA public benefits for pilot participants.1 Launched during an unprecedented time of pandemic-related stressors and inflation, Cambridge RISE provided critical relief to single caregivers who were responding to added burdens related to remote work and school and childcare center closures.
The Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) conducted a mixed-methods Randomized Controlled Trial to evaluate Cambridge RISE and randomly assigned 130 caregivers to the treatment arm and 156 caregivers to the control arm.”
To view the full report, click here.
by Peter Knight | Apr 3, 2024 | Events, News
“The Basic Income Guarantee Conference (BIG!) is the only annual conference in the U.S. focused on building and supporting the thriving basic income movement as we drive towards national policy. The BIG Conference is a BIG TENT event that includes pilot participants, policy analysts, pilot administrators, community based organizations, activists, artists, researchers and more as we share wins and best practices and find opportunities for collaboration across existing efforts and coordinate for state and national level campaigns. This year’s BIG programming is co-designed by over 200 individuals. Sessions will focus on topics prioritized by the community, including: paying for and scaling existing programs with public funds, developing post-pilot strategies across the pillars of the movement, building the base via community centered practices, intersectional justice work and the role of basic income in some of the most pressing issues of our time, including climate change and AI proliferation.”
Read more and purchase tickets by clicking here.
by Peter Knight | Apr 3, 2024 | Events, News
“While India is a rich site of several Basic Income Pilots held by Research and Governmental agencies, there is a recent uptrend in the number of cash-based social policies in several states, especially with evidence that shows a marked increase in several indicators of a better life. The time has come in India when the discussion on Basic Income in India is to be taken to the next level. In this context, the Indian Basic Income Coalition (iBIC) was launched in a landmark initiative to craft a resilient and inclusive social policy framework for India as a pioneering coalition formed by Indus Action, the India Network for Basic Income, Project DEEP, and WorkFREE. The launch took place at the UBI Policy Roundtable in New Delhi at Sri Aurobindo College of Arts and Communication in New Delhi on 13 March 2024.”
Read more by clicking here.
View and download the iBIC brochure by clicking here.
