by Guest Contributor | Jan 11, 2024 | News
Image Source: Unsplash
by Beau Peters
So you’re an aspiring entrepreneur. You have a concept that you believe will add value to a sector of the market, the passion to set out on your own, and the know-how to make a dream into a small business.
However, as you venture into a field with many competitors, large and small, you’ve likely come up against a core truth in a capital-driven economy. While in theory, anyone can start a successful business and achieve success, some are more likely to succeed than others. The gulf between resources available to a first-time entrepreneur who left their minimum wage job to make something of themselves and a seasoned businessperson with several success stories under their belt is – well, it speaks for itself.
Read the full article here.
by Guest Contributor | Jan 9, 2024 | Events, News
“This workshop is presented by the History and Philosophy Department of the University of New Orleans in collaboration with the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Society, at the University of Minho, and the Justice Studies Program at the University of New Orleans. It will be held at the University of New Orleans, February 22-23, 2024 at the Dougie Hitt Conference Room, at the Library, room 407, 2000 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, LA 70148.
The workshop is organized by Sara Bizarro (University of New Orleans) and Roberto Merrill (UBIECO project at the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Society/University of Minho).”
Read about the speakers and solicited paper topics here.
by Guest Contributor | Jan 2, 2024 | Events, News
by Annie Miller
“When I was invited to give the Opening Address, I wondered ‘What could I talk about?’. However, I realised that, even after more than three decades in the business, I am still learning new things that I could share.
I had also had the privilege of attending the first of the current wave of Basic Income (BI) conferences, in September 1986, in Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, organised by the Collectif Charles Fourier. I reflected on how things have changed over the last 37 years.”
To read the full report, click here.
by Guest Contributor | Nov 25, 2023 | News
“Basic income is one of the necessary components of a global, national and regional policy
mix for socio-ecological transformation”, say Ronald Blaschke from Germany and Min Geum
금민 from South Korea. Their memorandum “Basic income as a necessary component of a socio-ecological transformation and key element for climate justice” was first presented at
BIEN’s 2023 congress in Seoul, South Korea, and has gained support by over thirty
organizations and many UBI advocates worldwide. The authors are still looking for more
supporters to join them in their call for a Basic Income addressing climate change.
Signatures can be sent to blaschke@grundeinkommen.de. The full text can be found here.
by Guest Contributor | Nov 17, 2023 | Opinion
China’s ongoing rural reforms are fostering practices akin to basic income, offering dividends to residents in the vast countryside. This development draws a parallel to the broader discussion of basic income within the context of China’s social security system and policies, such as the DiBao policy.
Since 2016, China has embarked on a reform of its rural collective property rights system. This reform, which involves a unified method of property verification by the central government, has enabled many villages across the country to establish clear ownership of assets. This foundational step has set the stage for the distribution of dividends.
The reform involves transforming collective operating assets into a shareholding cooperation system. The government mandates that villages and towns with these assets quantify them into shares for collective members, allowing for the distribution of earnings based on these shares. This approach leverages China’s collective economic base and equitably allocates previously undefined collective property to each member. Consequently, villagers now own shares and receive dividends, significantly enhancing their sense of financial gain.
However, these dividends differ from the traditional concept of basic income. They are conditional, require ownership in the collective, and do not necessarily follow a regular payment schedule. Despite these differences, the reforms have led to innovative institutional experiments across various pilot projects.
For instance, to include permanent residents and workers without shares in dividend distribution, some collectives have introduced new types of shares such as labor, land, and capital shares. This diversification enables broader participation, aligning more closely with the unconditional principle of basic income.
In terms of periodic distribution, some village groups, like Yongjiang Street in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, have moved from lump-sum to regular payments. This approach, now increasingly adopted by local cooperatives, ensures more consistent financial support for members.
The impact of these reforms is tangible. In Beijing’s Haidian district, for example, villagers like Zhong Ercui have transitioned from traditional employment to becoming shareholders and employees of village collectives, receiving substantial dividends. This shift has significantly improved the economic conditions of thousands of residents in the region.
These reforms represent a significant step in China’s rural development, blending traditional collective economic practices with modern principles of equitable asset distribution and financial empowerment for rural residents.
Written by: Martin Han
Editor: Tyler Prochazka
