Doing Bitcoin the Basic Income Way

Doing Bitcoin the Basic Income Way

Photo by Traxer on Unsplash

“…there are on the horizon two radical ideas that have the potential to create synergy which can revolutionize the way we are currently addressing the income vulnerability and different forms of deprivation in the world today. The two ideas are Bitcoin and Universal Basic Income: that is, providing a basic income to every human being on the planet by means of Bitcoin. What is common between these two ideas is that they are based on certain foundation human values: individual freedom and autonomy, human dignity and equity.”

To read the full article, click here.

Webinar: Towards a Universal Basic Dividend – 12:00 CEST June 13

Webinar: Towards a Universal Basic Dividend – 12:00 CEST June 13

Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity introduces Citizen Funds and a Universal Basic Dividend (UBD) as bold proposals to reduce inequality, increase wellbeing, and boost creativity and innovation in a time of social and economic upheaval.  

This webinar will delve into the core concepts, potential benefits, and real-world applications of UBD as a transformative policy drawing on the experiences of our expert panel. We will explore: 

  • The fundamentals of Universal Basic Dividend 
  • Its potential to address economic inequality and enhance wellbeing 
  • The potential impact of UBD on sustainability and environmental   stewardship 
  • Case studies and evidence from around the world 

The panel:  

Sarath Davala is an Indian sociologist, and President of Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN). He is co-author of the book: Basic Income: A Transformative Policy for India and contributing author to the Earth4All deep-dive paper Unconditional cash transfers and the five turnarounds: beneficiaries’ perspectives. He was Research Director of the Madhya Pradesh Basic Income Pilot (2010-2014) and is currently co-director of WorkFREE, a Basic Income pilot with waste collectors in Hyderabad. He is the co-founder of India Network for Basic Income and Mission Possible 2030 – both working on promoting informed conversation about Basic Income. 

Ken Webster is a Visiting Professor at Cranfield University and a Fellow of CISL (Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership). From 2010 – 2018 he was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy pioneer organisation where he helped shape current notions of a ‘circular economy’, and is the founder of the Society for the Circular Economy. He a member of Earth4All’s Transformational Economics Commission, contributing author of Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity, and lead author of three Earth4All deep-dive papers on Universal Basic Dividend.  

Caroline Whyte has a background in ecological economics and does research and advocacy for Feasta, the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability. She has a particular interest in global environmental justice, Just Transition and financial system reform. She contributed to Feasta’s books Fleeing Vesuvius and Sharing for Survival. Along with four other Feasta Climate Group members she helped to launch the CapGlobalCarbon initiative at the COP-21 summit in Paris in December 2015. She is a steering group member of the Wellbeing Economy Hub for Ireland, which she represents in the European Union Wellbeing Economy Coalition, and she is a member of the Irish National Economic and Social Council. 

To register and send your questions to our panel, click here.

BIEN is searching for a new website manager

BIEN is searching for a new website manager

We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Volunteer Website Manager to join us at BIEN. As the Website Manager, you will play a crucial role in ensuring our website effectively communicates our mission, values, and resources dedicated to advocating for Basic Income.

To see the full job description, click here.

Message to BIEN Supporters from BIEN’s Chair

Message to BIEN Supporters from BIEN’s Chair

The confluence of multiple contemporary crises has made a Basic Income an achievable goal and made BIEN more important than ever. Discussions and policy debates about Basic Income are taking place in countries across the world.  This is an incredible opportunity for BIEN to strengthen its reach and solidify its role as the go-to-source on Basic Income.  

BIEN’s mandate is to foster informed discussion about this topic throughout the world. In this time of crisis, we need to provide ever more reliable information and a rigorous interpretation of facts about Basic Income. We want to reach every politician, scholar, activist, and artist in every country.

To do this we need hands, hearts, and funds.

Hands

Since 1986, BIEN has grown thanks to the incredible efforts of  its volunteers.  All BIEN Executive Committee members are dedicated volunteers. Yet to increase our impact and rise to the current political situation, we need more volunteers. We also need paid staff. 

Hearts

We need more supporters, more members  and affiliates across countries. We appeal to our members to encourage others to become members and affiliates of BIEN. Tell us what you need and want to get involved! We want to learn from our affiliates and grow our community.

Funds

We are initiating BIEN Hubs in different parts of the world – Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe. To support this effort, we have been working on fund-raising since 2021. In 2022, we secured a three-year grant from Mustardseed Trust to increase and strengthen BIEN’s presence at the global level. However, a big chunk of the grant is earmarked as matching funding, realizable upon BIEN raising funds from other sources. In other words, for every pound we raise, Mustardseed Trust will give one additional pound. 

With these considerations in mind, and for the first time in our history, we  are appealing to our affiliates and members to donate to BIEN. To join hands and hearts with us. 

No amount is too small, and really no amount is too large. Our immediate requirement is to raise  10,000 pounds to appoint a Manager for BIEN Latin America and we need to show this to Mustardseed by early 2023. We are asking all of you as stakeholders in BIEN – please join us at this critical historical moment, for BIEN and for the world, and support us to transition BIEN into becoming an organization, network, movement fit for the current time. If every member donates £100, we will more than meet our target. With £200, we will be able to immediately open a further Hub. Please give what you can! This holiday season, when you are considering gifts, add BIEN to your list.

For any further information about the BIEN Hubs, about this critical time for BIEN, and indeed about our fundraising, please contact BIEN Coordinator, Wolfgang: wolfgang@basicincome.org 

To donate to BIEN click here.

To become a BIEN member click here.

Thank you!

Join Hands & Hearts With BIEN

Join Hands & Hearts With BIEN

A convergence of various circumstances in the 21st century has made a Basic Income policy
an achievable goal. Discussions and policy debates about Basic Income are taking place in countries across the world. We see this as an incredible opportunity for BIEN to strengthen its reach and solidify its role as a go-to-source on Basic Income.

BIEN’s mandate is to foster informed discussion about this topic throughout the world. For this, we should continue to provide reliable information and a rigorous interpretation of facts about Basic Income. We want to reach every politician, scholar, activist, and artist in every country. To do this we need hands, hearts, and funds.

Hands

Since 1986, BIEN has grown thanks to the incredible efforts of its volunteers. All BIEN Executive Committee members are dedicated volunteers. We need more volunteers. We also need paid staff.

Hearts

We need more supporters, more members and affiliates across countries. We appeal to our members to encourage others to become members and affiliates of BIEN. We want to learn from our affiliates with whom we aim to have a strong and mutually empowering relationship.

Funds

We are initiating BIEN Hubs in different parts of the world – Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe. To support this effort, we have been working on fund-raising since 2021. In 2022, we secured a three-year grant from Mustardseed Trust to increase and strengthen BIEN’s presence at the global level. The grant essentially enables BIEN to employ paid staff to strengthen the Hubs. However, a big chunk of the grant is earmarked as a matching grant, realizable upon BIEN raising funds from other sources. In other words, for every Dollar we raise, Mustardseed Trust will give one additional Dollar. No amount is too small . Please donate any amount you can afford. Whatever you give, it doubles. Our immediate requirement is to raise 10,000 Dollars to appoint a Manager for BIEN Hub – Latin America.

BIEN is seeking funds for the first time in its 36 years history. We request you to support our efforts to strengthen Basic Income movement across the world. Please join hands and hearts with us.

To learn more about BIEN Hubs, please feel free to contact Hubs Coordinator wolfgang@basicincome.org To donate follow this link.