by Peter Knight | Oct 18, 2024 | News
“Building on previous experience in Uganda, the Belgian organisation Eight World vzw started in October 2021, an Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) pilot project in a village in an artisanal mining zone in the territory of Pangi, in Maniema province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Eight World transfers cash directly to individual beneficiaries via a mobile money system. Each adult living in the UCT village received 20 USD per month via her/his phone, for two years, and each child in the village received monthly 10 USD during the same period. The beneficiaries were free to decide how to spend the money, not constrained by pre-specified requirements.”
To read the report, click here.
by Peter Knight | Oct 16, 2024 | News
In the first first episode of Responsa Cast, the host, Paulo Sodré, is joined by Jurgen De Wispelaere, a Belgian political theorist turned public policy scholar, specializing in the political economy of UBI. He’s a Visiting Fellow at the University of Bath (UK) and the Research Coordinator of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN). Jurgen is deeply involved in UBI research, including initiatives in Brazil, and has published extensively on the subject. He also leads the UBIdata project. But most importantly, he brings a unique blend of insight and humor to the conversation, making complex topics not just understandable but truly fascinating – as you will soon find out!
In this episode, we dive into:
• What UBI really means and the debates around its impacts,
• Jurgen’s journey into the world of UBI and how his views have evolved over time,
• Real-world UBI initiatives, like the case of Maricá, in Brazil.
Listen to the podcast at Spotify & Apple Podcasts
by Peter Knight | Sep 24, 2024 | News
The FRIBIS Annual Conference 2024 will take place from October 7 to 9. It will
explore partial basic income models and their integration into existing welfare state
systems. The goal is to identify practical approaches to advance the political
feasibility of an unconditional basic income. The conference will focus on topics such
as social security, sustainability and international perspectives. It will also consider
whether partial models can lead to a comprehensive basic income as well as the
insights that can be drawn from previous pilot projects.
Registration is now open. The event will be held both face-to-face in Freiburg and
online in a hybrid format. The preliminary program is available on the conference
website .
Detailed information about the keynotes by Prof. Alexander Spermann, Prof.
Bernhard Neumärker, Prof. Fabio Waltenberg and Prof. Jörg Althammer is provided
below.
More information can be found here.
by Peter Knight | Sep 18, 2024 | News
Project DEEP, incorporated in 2023, is an organization in India implementing unconditional and direct cash transfers for poverty relief. DEEP’s mission is to transfer money directly to people, so that they can carve their own path towards prosperity.
Compelling global evidence demonstrates that this is an effective and scalable model of development. And the recent government movement towards cash transfer programs in India suggest that it is growing to be a preferred tool of social and economic policy.
DEEP aims to build a centre of excellence to spur innovation and build a strong narrative in the space of cash transfers. For this DEEP is building local evidence through program implementation, forming a community of practice to experiment new ideas with peers, and engaging with policy influencers to further strengthen welfare systems.
To read DEEP’s Annual Assessment of its work, click here.
by Peter Knight | Sep 18, 2024 | News
A recent study published in Basic Income Studies, “Exploring young people’s attitudes towards basic income”, has found that a large proportion of young people in the Basque Country are supportive of Basic Income (UBI) as a policy that could address pressing social and economic challenges. The research surveyed over 1,200 individuals aged between 18 and 35, revealing that 68% of respondents are in favour of UBI, with many seeing it as a potential solution to growing job insecurity and economic instability.
To read the full press release on the study, click here.
