First Asia Pacific focused basic income conference

The first basic income conference focused on the Asia Pacific region is being prepared for March 18 in Taipei, Taiwan.

National Chengchi University’s College of Social Sciences is the main organizer of the event. Basic Income News features editor Tyler Prochazka is helping to organize the conference with co-chair, James Davis, student of Columbia University, and activist Ping Xu. NCCU’s International Master’s Program in Asia Pacific Studies is also an assistant organizer for the event.

Prominent basic income activist Enno Schmidt has confirmed he will attend. Other scholars from China, India, Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States are preparing presentations.

The conference will be live-streamed on the Basic Income Action Committee’s Facebook page.

Davis has interviewed Schmidt and Andy Stern, former president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Davis’ recorded interviews will be screened at the conference. Davis is scheduling additional interviews with other scholars and activists for the screening.

Prochazka received an Alumni Development Grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship program to assist in funding the conference.

Xu will is also planning to take part in a presentation with Taiwanese officials, and begin research into a village as a location for a potential future basic income trial.

The RSVP for the event can be found here.

Corrections: This article was updated on March 11, 2017 to clarify information on organization and Ping Xu’s planned activities in Taiwan.