BIEN | News
News on the global Basic Income debate
SOUTH KOREA: Seongnam City announced to implement ‘Youth Dividend’
The City of Seongnam will gradually distribute a dividend to all young people between 19 and 24 who have been residing for at least three years.
UNITED STATES: U.S. Department of Arts and Culture Sponsors Basic Income Grant
U.S. Department of Arts and Culture’s report, “An Act of Collective Imagination: The USDAC’s First Two Years of Action Research” recommends a universal basic income grant (BIG). The USDAC report highlights how artists under present policies have to acquire grant money...
AUDIO: Brian Eno, “The John Peel Lecture”
This year's John Peel Lecture on the BBC provided a venue for musician Brian Eno to talk extensively for Basic Income. The word does not come up until toward the end of the lecture (beginning at minute 40) when he explains that he went on "the dole" when he was young...
Matt Zwolinski, “Our welfare system insults the poor. Basic income could do better”
Many Americans still believe that poverty represents an individual’s moral failure, and so they often oppose “handouts” to the poor. Matt Zwolinski, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of San Diego, argues in a Washington Post article that a...
Christine Emba, “Universal basic income: A primer”
The Washington Post kicked off a week of coverage regarding the Universal Basic Income (UBI) with an article by Chrstine Emba offering the history and background of the UBI concept. Emba describes the UBI as a universal and unconditional cash grant that is given to...
Federico Pistono, “As tech threatens jobs, we must test a universal basic income”
In the past, when technology displaced jobs, many other opportunities for jobs were created by the same technology. However, an article by Federico Pistono in the New Scientist says that increasing automation of work may require governments to experiment with the...
Robin Jessen, Davud Rostam-Afschar, and Viktor Steiner, “Welche Effekte hätte ein bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen für Deutschland?” [What effects would a Basic Income have for Germany?]
This article presents a proposal for how basic income could work in Germany. An Unconditional Basic Income of 800 € per month and adult person (corresponding to the actual,...
SWITZERLAND: Parliament rejects basic income initiative, but poll shows popular support
Switzerland’s lower house of parliament rejects the citizens’ initiative for unconditional basic income, but poll shows popular support.
UNITED STATES: Leading economists and business people discuss Basic Income at the World Summit on Technological Unemployment
Basic Income was a primary topic of discussion at the World Summit on Technological Unemployment at the Time Life Building in New York City on September 29th, 2015. Basic Income was endorsed at the event by leading economists and business people, including former...
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Call for Participation in the 15th North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress, 12-15 May 2016
“BASIC INCOME: A MEETING PLACE FOR EQUALITY, RIGHTS, and JUSTICE” 12-15 May (Thursday to Sunday) 2016 University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada This Congress is taking place in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the heart of Canada and the North American continent. The University...
BIEN Congresses
The 24th BIEN CONGRESS in Maricá & Niterói – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 27-29 August 2025
Linkedin, Instagram, X – biencongress25 (at) gmail [dot] com
BIEN2024 was August 29–31 (Pictures and more coming soon)