FRIBIS Lecture Series – Can a Basic Income Grant Reduce Violence?

“Event Title: FRIBIS Lecture Series – Can a Basic Income Grant Reduce Violence? Evidence from Namibia, Kenya, and Uganda Date & Time: April 23, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Format: Online Event Organizers: FRIBIS in cooperation with the BIP & WEF_FABI teams Zoom Link: https://uni-freiburg.zoom.us/j/67974655698?pwd=Mk4rY3BaM3VkK2ptYmpVUVFXcU1PUT09 Contact: Geoff Harris, geoffreyh@dut.ac.za

Event Summary: Youth in Africa are in search of wage employment and expect their governments to provide such opportunities. However, the demographic surge of youth, coupled with low job creation in both the private and public sectors, leaves many young people unemployed and dissatisfied, often leading to various forms of violence. This lecture examines the potential of a Basic Income Grant (BIG) for all adults as a means to mitigate such violence. There is ample evidence from developing countries, including several African nations, showing that BIG can not only reduce household poverty but also enhance personal and interpersonal peace, thereby reducing various forms of violence.

About the Speaker: Geoff Harris, an economist with over 30 years of teaching and research experience in peace studies, has been a Professor at the International Centre of Nonviolence at Durban University of Technology in South Africa since 2012. His most recent edited book – The Elgar Companion to War, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Africa – was published in February 2024.”