by Peter Knight | Dec 14, 2022 | Events, News
On Thursday, the 19th of January 2023, Prof. Dr. Philippe van Parijs (UCLouvain) gives an evening lecture in the FRIBIS Lecture Series on “A world in crisis: boost or damper for basic income?“
Abstract: Some argue that global warming, the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine strengthen the case in favour of the introduction of an unconditional basic income. Others argue instead that they shatter the prospect of introducing it in the foreseeable future. Who is right?
Find more information and a Zoom link click here.
by Peter Knight | Dec 13, 2022 | News
In Senegal, a trial for delivering a universal unconditional income is currently being studied by the NGO Enda Graf Sahel, chaired by Mr. Emmanuel Seyni Ndione. This project would be conducted in the town of Ethiolo in the South-East of Senegal. The mayor, Mr. Lama Ndiaye has given his support. To see an interview with Mayor Ndiaye click here.
More information is available at www.darui.fr.
by Peter Knight | Dec 2, 2022 | News
The First Resort “is a history of the rise and fall of social psychiatry that also explores the lessons this largely forgotten movement has to offer today. Matthew Smith examines four ambitious projects that investigated the relationship between socioeconomic factors and mental illness in Chicago, New Haven, New York City, and Nova Scotia. He contends that social psychiatry waned not because of flaws in its preventive approach to mental health but rather because the economic and political crises of the 1970s and the shift to the right during the 1980s foreclosed the social changes required to create a more mentally healthy society. Smith also argues that social psychiatry provides timely insights about how progressive social policies, such as a universal basic income, can help stem rising rates of mental illness in the present day.”
Matthew Smith has also written a blog post on the relation between mental health: https://theconversation.com/universal-basic-income-could-improve-the-nations-mental-health-123816.
by Peter Knight | Nov 30, 2022 | News
The Richer, the Poorer charts the rollercoaster history of both rich and poor and the mechanisms that link wealth and impoverishment. This landmark book shows how, for 200 years, Britain’s most powerful elites have enriched themselves at the expense of surging inequality, mass poverty and weakened social resilience. It reveals how Britain’s model of ‘extractive capitalism’ – with a small elite securing an excessive slice of the economic cake – has created a two-century-long ‘high-inequality, high-poverty’ cycle, one broken for only a brief period after the Second World War.
Why, he asks, are rich and poor citizens judged by very different standards? Why has social progress been so narrowly shared? With growing calls for a fairer post-COVID-19 society, what needs to be done to break Britain’s destructive poverty/inequality cycle? The book has two chapters on the way forward and this includes adopting a guaranteed income floor through a modified basic income along with a top-up social dividend paid through a citizen’s wealth fund.
For a review, click here.
by Peter Knight | Nov 21, 2022 | Events, News
The Freiburg Institute for Basic Income Studies (FRIBIS) is inviting you to the first FRIBIS winter school, entitled “Today’s global challenges and the UBI debate”, and under the guidance of Philippe van Parijs, from January 16th to 20th 2023. Over the five days, the participants will focus on whether today’s big challenges, such as the climate crisis, the pandemic and international tensions and conflicts, put UBI on the back burner or provide grounds for its growth.
Read more and apply here.
