by Andre Coelho | Nov 26, 2015 | News
Lowell Manning (credit to BINZ)
Activism for Basic Income (BI) in New Zealand is growing fast and gaining visibility. The new group BINZ – Basic Income New Zealand – is setting up actions to “bring the ‘universal basic income’ to the forefront of New Zealand’s public awareness”. It has been already formalized with an incorporation status under New Zealand law, and submitted an affiliation request with BIEN – Basic Income Earth Network.
The group has already developed a website, a Facebook page, a startup newsletter and first press release. The core team constitution gathers names such as Lowell Manning, Gaylene Middleton and Karl Matthys, who felt compelled to formalize BINZ after professor Guy Standing’s visit to New Zealand earlier this year. Manning, for instance, worked for 15 years in the NZ Democratic Party as a policy director and, besides skilled in economics, is one of New Zealand’s recognized BI experts.
There is a long tradition in the basic income concept in New Zealand, with local groups advocating for it for more than 20 years. BINZ aims to be a beacon of light to spread even further the BI concept in the country, as well as through joining the larger international BI community of activists.
Karl Matthys (credit to BINZ)
More information at:
BINZ website
BINZ Facebook page
Hastings District Council, “Is a basic income the best medicine?“, Hastings District Council News & Public Notices, September 9th 2015
by Andre Coelho | Nov 22, 2015 | Research
Credit to: Sin Permisso
Daniel Raventós, Jordi Arcarons and Lluís Torrens make the case for basic income, which they justify as more rational, more efficient and socially desirable than guaranteed jobs (from Izquerda Unida) and the plan of income guarantee (from Podemos). This is put forward in a recently published article on the Sin Permisso magazine.
Jordi Arcarons, Daniel Raventós, Lluís Torrens, “El “trabajo garantizado” de Izquierda Unida y el “plan de garantía de rendas” de Podemos contra la pobreza: unas propuestas muy pobres” [“”Guaranteed jobs” from Izquierda Unida and “Plan of income guarantee” from Podemos, against poverty: two very weak proposals”], Sin Permisso, November 1st 2015
by Andre Coelho | Nov 20, 2015 | News
The catholic workers association in Braga has organized a talk event in the city the past 8th of October, named Trabalho Digno e Rendimento Básico Incondicional (Dignified Work and Basic Income). The event has joined more than 40 people and, at Senhora-a-Branca Cultural Yard, Joana Gomes from OIT – Organização Mundial do Trabalho (International Workers’ Association) and Roberto Merrill representing Basic Income Portugal, have spoken.
Roberto Merrill, in a short interview afterwards, has concluded the event was highly positive. The event organizers are keen on putting the basic income concept into circulation through the churches, which is definitely a step further in spreading the message of basic income.
More information at:
In Portuguese:
Basic Income Portugal website
Movimento de Trabalhadores Cristãos (part of the catholic workers association) website
Event Facebook page
by Andre Coelho | Nov 18, 2015 | News
After having defended Basic Income (BI) for the latest European Parliament elections and rejecting it in its first Economic Policy draft, Podemos maintains a conditional grant measure in its latest electoral program. In this document, the main economic policy instruments related to this conditional grant are the transfer of a guaranteed 600 € per month for every family or every citizen (this is not clear between sources) without a wage, and a complement of a sufficient amount so that every individual cannot earn less than 900 € per month, when employed.
An economic council including specialists like Nacho Álvarez, James Galbraith, Vicenç Navarro, Núria Alonso and Francisco Louçã, has calculated a cost of 15 000 million € per year to finance the 600 € per month measure. Until further notice, this attribution refers to individuals or families without an income as a sole condition, nothing more. That is not a basic income as usually defined, but could be a starting point for evolution later.
Thomas Piketty, professor of economics and author of the best seller book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, has also contributed to this latest version of Podemos economic program. Piketty has been a supporter of redistribution policies for a long time, some of which resemble basic income.
More information at:
Liam Upton, “Spain: Podemos leave Basic Income out of landmark economic document“, Basic Income News, November 30th 2014
In Portuguese:
Catarina Falcão, “Francisco Louçã integra Conselho Económico do Podemos [Francisco Louçã is a part of Podemos Economic Council]“, Observador, October 21st 2015
In Spanish:
Iolanda Mármol, “Podemos expone las líneas estratégicas de su programa económico [Podemos presents its economic program strategic lines]“, El Periódico, October 21st 2015
by Andre Coelho | Nov 8, 2015 | News
Paulo de Morais
Presidential candidate Paulo de Morais is focused on corruption and ethics in politics. Interested in social justice and ethical behavior, he has agreed to meet the local group of basic income (BI) activists in Lisbon, to deepen his knowledge on what is BI and how to implement it. Although he objects certain implementation factors for BI in Portugal, as changing certain taxation rules (details here), he presently supports a form of resource-based redistribution of wealth. This redistribution could be considered a BI, although linked with money accrued from managing natural resources, public properties and so on. He clearly states that it is only right to give back to the People what is owned and managed by (or for) the People.
Paulo de Morais argues that financing BI with taxes from income is prone to reactions, linked to giving money to everybody, including alleged idle people. This and constitutional hurdles from redirecting public money to a future kind of BI Fund. Although all these aspects are discussable, he still only supports, for the moment, a BI funded by natural/ownership-based wealth collection.
Together with two other presidential candidates Manuela Gonzaga and Paulo Borges, Paulo de Morais joins a growing number of BI leaning political activists in Portugal.
More information at:
In Portuguese:
Paulo de Morais presidential campaign Facebook page.
Lisboa BI group Facebook page.
