A Basic Income is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.
BIEN Congress 2021
BIEN’s next annual congress will take place from the 18th to the 21st August 2021. This will be a virtual congress, organised from Glasgow. To see the call for papers click here.
Recent news, opinion, and research
Korea: Sea Cucumber Fisheries as Shared Property of Islanders – “rediscovering rural basic income experiments”
Editor’s note: The use of the term ‘basic income’ for the sheme in Janggo Island does not correspond to BIEN’s definition of basic income, since it is paid not to all residents but to only participants in communal fish farming activities for 20 years, and paid not to...
Research Associate sought for a microsimulation project on Basic Income based at the University of Bath, UK
The Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at the University of Bath is seeking a post-doctoral research associate for a new programme of microsimulation research on Universal Basic Income (UBI). The IPR is collaborating on research into UBI with the newly formed...
‘Expedition Basic Income’ launches grassroots campaign for large UBI experiment in Germany
More and more people feel that universal basic income (UBI) could change our society for the better. But how can we make that happen? In Germany, Berlin-based association ‘Expedition Basic Income’ (Expedition Grundeinkommen) recently launched a large country-wide...
Korea’s youth dividend sparking discussion of basic income before Presidential election
With Gyeonggi province, BIKN and a member of the national assembly from the Basic Income party was elected in 2020. This demonstrates basic income is becoming a widely discussed issue in Korea.
World Bank recommends GMI to reduce the poverty rate in Russia
In Russia, as in many other countries, social benefits do not always reach those who need them. The problem has existed for a long time, and during the pandemic the number of poor people has only increased. In an article on 11 February 2021 in Forbes Russia "A New...
European Basic Income: A post-COVID recovery strategy
A social policy analyst from Slovenia, suggested that the European Commission examine the idea of a European Universal Basic Income. The UBI would be paid directly from the ECB’s “helicopter money.” The suggestion was made within the debate of the European Social Pillar Action Plan. The proposal stems from the observed shortcomings of the current social security systems related to the COVID-19 crisis, the efforts of the United States, India and many other countries made in this direction and the research done by OECD, IMF, ILO, UNICEF, European and Slovenian experts. This proposal is not the same as the European Citizens’ Initiative ”Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU”, for which signatures were collected starting on 25 September 2020. However, this proposal does take a similar direction as the European Citizens’ Initiative. One day Europeans will receive a local, national, European and global basic income to safeguard and foster democracy and ecological-economic development.
The 2021 NABIG congress, 17th to 19th June
The 19th North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress will be held virtually June 17-19, 2021. CALL FOR PROPOSALS Theme: Basic Income: Knowledge, Activism, Policy The program committee is now accepting proposals for papers, panels, roundtables, organizing meetings,...
Korea publishes more research results on the Gyeonggi Youth Basic Income
In April 2019 Gyeonggi Province in Korea, the area around Seoul, implemented a Youth Basic Income that pays to every 24 year old who is a permanent resident 250,000 won (US $220; £158; €184) every quarter for four quarters. The grants are given in a local currency....
National Assembly in France decides to explore ‘Socle Citoyen’
Editor’s note: The use of the term ‘basic income’ or 'universal income' here does not correspond to BIEN’s definition of basic income, since the payments each month will fluctuate with income. ‘Socle citoyen’ corresponds more closely to a Negative Income Tax, adjusted...