by John Michael | Nov 3, 2025 | Events, News
As part of the Asia-Pacific Social Forum 2025: Another World is Possible, a special programme titled “Towards Dignity, Freedom, and Justice: Building a Future of Care through Universal Basic Income” will be held on November 2, 2025 (Day 2) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS), Room 301, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Jointly organized by the Justice Peace and Integrity Commission (JPIC), the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), the Montfort Social Institute (MSI), the India Network for Basic Income, and WorkFREE, this programme will explore the transformative role of Universal Basic Income (UBI) in shaping a more just and caring future.
Bro. Varghese Theckanath (MSI & JPIC) will discuss UBI in reality, focusing on its effects on marginalized communities and its power to restore human dignity and social justice. John Michael (BIEN Asia-Pacific) will reflect on the broader Basic Income movement across the Asia-Pacific and Global South, examining how UBI challenges entrenched colonial, patriarchal, racial, casteist, and ableist structures.
The session will also feature a screening and discussion of the film Unconditional (30 minutes, English subtitles), which portrays real-world Basic Income experiments in India and Bangladesh — stories that redefined the meaning of justice, care, and social transformation.
Together, the programme invites participants to imagine and build futures where dignity, freedom, and justice are not privileges, but the foundations of society.
For more details and registration, click here.
by John Michael | Jul 25, 2025 | News
Jessica Chew, Co-Director at Basic Income Australia and Fellow at the Australian Basic Income Lab, makes a compelling case for why Universal Basic Income must sit at the heart of Australia’s wellbeing economy. In this timely article for The Mandarin, she critiques Australia’s coercive welfare system and argues for UBI as a foundation, not a fallback – for dignity, economic resilience, and future preparedness.
Her reflections strongly echo several of the challenges faced across the Asia-Pacific region, and the need to reimagine income support through the lens of dignity and care.
Read the full piece here
by John Michael | Apr 20, 2025 | Events, News
Basic Income Training 2025 (BIT 2025) is a three-day event dedicated to fostering critical discussions, collaborative learning, and practical design around the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) in Indonesia. Held from April 25 to 27, 2025, this intensive training brings together keynote speakers, guest experts, and participants from diverse sectors to examine UBI from multiple perspectives, ranging from theoretical foundations to concrete local pilot initiatives.
This training is proudly organized through the collaboration of several key institutions: IndoBIG Network, BIEN Asia Pacific, Perbanas Institute, Yayasan Perbanas, the Indonesian Economic Scholars Association (ISEI), INFID, RPK, and Kitabisa. Their joint commitment reflects Indonesia’s growing momentum toward reimagining social protection and economic justice. The synergy among these organizations makes BIT 2025 not only a training event but also the starting point of a broader movement.
The sessions are structured to deepen participants’ understanding and engagement. The opening day features welcoming remarks and keynote presentations, followed by discussions on global case studies of the basic income movement. On the second day, speakers will explore the significance of UBI for Indonesia’s socio-economic context and guide participants in designing locally grounded UBI pilot projects. The third day shifts toward forward-looking strategies, focusing on building an actionable roadmap for UBI advocacy. More than a one-time gathering, BIT 2025 will be followed by a series of workshops and the initiation of experimental UBI pilot projects, ensuring that the ideas cultivated during the training evolve into real, actionable programs on the ground.
Please find more details here.
by John Michael | Feb 28, 2025 | News
Dear readers, Greetings from the BIEN Asia-Pacific Hub, and welcome to the second edition of UBI Times. The response to our inaugural edition has been truly heartening. The messages of support, the thoughtful reflections, and the new connections we have made in the past month reaffirm the solidarity for UBI advocacy in the region. Beyond just appreciation, the newsletter has opened new pathways for collaboration—connecting us with individuals and organizations eager to work together in advancing UBI. This is exactly what we hoped for—a space where ideas, experiences, and strategies for UBI can be shared and nurtured.
One of the most inspiring updates in this edition comes from Tuvalu, where UBI 4 Climate Justice is pioneering the use of unconditional cash transfers to support climate activists. Read more.
