by Yannick Vanderborght | May 27, 2011 | News
CORRECTION: On April 27th, 2011, members BIEN’s Japan affiliate (The Basic Income Japan Network—BIJN) held a “meeting at the parliament building” to demand basic income (BI) to people who affected by the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear accident. A “meeting at the parliament building” is a Japanese term for an official meeting in a government building (though not literally in the parliament building) and at which at least one member of parliament attends. Several MPs and secretaries from both governing and opposition parties attended the meeting, as well as nearly 100 participants from the general public. Members of Basic Income Japan Network (BIJN) helped to prepare and present the statement demanding BI. BIEN supported the initiative with a solidarity messages signed by its co-chairs, supporting the demand for a BI for those who have been affected by the tragic events in Japan this year.
This is a correction an earlier article that mislabeled the meeting as a “parliamentary meeting.”
BIJN is planning to have the second parliamentary meeting on 15 June, this time with a guest speaker from the Single Mothers’ Forum in Fukushima.
by Karl Widerquist | May 25, 2011 | Research
Red Pepper
Describe by Little as “an economist who occupies the dissident edge of his profession” Shutt is the author of A New Democracy and The Decline of Capitalism. In this interview, Harry Shutt endorses basic income. Answering the question, “You think a citizens’ income is essential. Why?” Shutt replies, “Given the ever growing global surplus of labour noted above, it is no longer possible to pretend, if it ever was, that full employment is a realistic goal. … This points to the necessity of devising a system of income distribution which incentivises people to undertake only work which is necessary – including caring activities which at present are largely unpaid – and does not penalise people for being unemployed. The most obvious benefits of a basic or citizen’s income – paid at a flat rate to every adult irrespective of their income or employment status – would be that every individual would be assured of basic subsistence without the need for means testing. The administrative costs of means testing would be saved, as would the personal irritation and humiliation. People could undertake paid work or start small businesses without losing any benefit, while at the same time they could afford to undertake unpaid work of value to the community – including as carers – which might otherwise not be done.”
The article is online at:
https://www.redpepper.org.uk/economic-crisis-and-post-capitalism/
by Yannick Vanderborght | May 25, 2011 | News
BIEN Switzerland organizes a conference on basic income at the Maison des associations, 15 rue des Savoises (18h). A documentary on basic income will be shown, followed by a discussion with the audience.
Further information: https://bien-ch.ch
by Yannick Vanderborght | May 25, 2011 | News
Economist Samuel Bendahan (EPFL-Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) gives a conference on basic income at the ABC (20h15), 11 rue du Coq, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (https://www.abc-culture.ch/).
A recent interview with Bendahan is available at:
https://www.lecourrier.ch/le_revenu_universel_la_panacee_pour_sortir_de_l_orniere_capitaliste
by Yannick Vanderborght | May 25, 2011 | News
With the cooperation of the Provincia di Roma, BIN-Italia organizes a national meeting: “Beautiful, Attractive and Simple: the pragmatic utopia of Basic Income”
Speakers include: Rachele Serino, Luigi Ferrajoli, Guy Standing, Claus Offe, Ruben Lo Vuolo, Ailsa McKay, and Mauro Palma.
The full programme is at www.bin-italia.org/meeting.php
Or e-mail to: sandro.gobetti@bin-italia.it
