by Neil Howard | Oct 21, 2024 | Events, News
A universal basic income (UBI) is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all individuals, without means testing or work requirements. Today, a broad variety of ideas surrounding the topic of UBI circulate globally, leading to debates, suggestions, and experimentation, but not to the implementation of what is seen as a “full UBI.” Instead, basic income proposals differ among many dimensions, goals, and localities. Since the early 2000s, a curious trend can be observed in the Global South in this context: With the rise of conditional cash transfers (CCTs), the focus on conditionalities and targeting as development and poverty reduction tools has significantly influenced possible dealings with UBI ideas. But UBI scholars and advocates have influenced the CCT discourse likewise, for example, through the BIG grant in Namibia, the initiative of GiveDirectly in Kenya, the UBI pilot in Madhya Pradesh, India, or the intermingling of UBI advocacy with the social protection program Bolsa Familia in Brazil.
This winter school explores the multifaceted topic of UBI in the context of the Global South, providing an overview of the specific contexts, challenges, and outcomes of UBI pilots and experiments, as well as related and inspired policies and initiatives. It will explore the political and ethical considerations surrounding the debates on UBI in countries of the Global South, including the topics of social rights, equity, and the role of government intervention. Through a variety of case studies, it aims to create a critical understanding of the potential and limitations of UBI as a tool for social and economic transformation in so-called ‘developing countries.’
Attendence is free and can participation is welcome in person and online. Please register here.
by Neil Howard | Oct 21, 2024 | Events, News
This two-hour conversation with Dr. Karina Dotson and Dr. Elizabeth Rhodes will see the researchers behind the pioneering OpenResearch Unconditional Basic Income Pilot to present their initial results. This pilot was one of the largest UBI pilots to date and has generated significant media interest due to its scale, quality, and association with OpenAI Founder, Sam Altman. The pilot randomly assigned 1000 individuals to receive $1000 per month and 2000 individuals to receive $50 per month for three years. The study has involved multiple rounds of survey and in-depth qualitative research looking at impacts on work, wellbeing, health, education, and more. The session will combine an extended presentation and ample time for questions.
When? 3pm UK Time, Weds Nov 13th
Where: For the Zoom link, click here.
by Neil Howard | Oct 18, 2024 | Events, News
Increasing calls for reform to welfare provision have seen growing support for basic income (BI) – the unconditional provision of cash transfers to all. As a result, recent years have seen an exponential increase in the number of pilot experiments of BI, across all parts of the world. However, to date, there has been little discussion of the ethical considerations of such experiments. This paper is the outcome of a workshop whereby BI piloters came together to discuss such ethical considerations, share case studies, and begin to formulate general principles to guide ethical BI experiments. The paper discusses the ethical considerations relevant to the various stages of a pilot experiment and concludes with some general principles: to do-no-harm, maintain respect, dignity, and agency; mitigate power inequalities, promote trust and transparency, and ensure substantive unconditionality. The authors of the paper hope to stimulate discussions towards an ethical protocol for better practice in BI experiments and provide a useful resource to those working on, or interested in, BI research.
To read the report click here.
by Peter Knight | Aug 3, 2024 | Events, News
“Thinking about basic income in a context of crisis and transformation in Latin America” was the general theme of the congress that brought together participants from ten countries in the region and six countries from other continents. Global unrest, women’s unpaid work, transformation of income transfer programs, real forms of financing, colonialism, are some of the notable themes that add to the set of intersections elaborated on the theme of basic income, through articles, summaries, presentations and interventions distributed in thirteen panels and two thematic tables.
To see the full article in English, click here
Para ler o artigo em português clique aqui
by Peter Knight | Jul 1, 2024 | Events, News
Congress Full Booklet Download
This booklet aims to answer every question you may have about the congress, from location, to schedule.
To access the BIEN Congress 2024 site and download the 52-page booklet, click here.
by Peter Knight | Jun 29, 2024 | Events, News
Date: 24 th July 2024
Time: 11.30am -1.00pm GMT
To register click here.
The information on zoom link will be shown in the form.
Speaker: Annie Miller
Topic: Adequacy, poverty benchmarks and a maximum feasible level of BI
ABSTRACT
The introduction of the concept of needs into utility theory specifies deprivation,
subsistence, sufficiency, and satiation at infinity, together with strong separability. An
extended indifference curve map for labor and consumption is created. Both
variables are dependent on real wages and endowments of unearned consumption
(including cash benefits) and diagrams of their derived demands and Engels curves
are created. ‘Survival’ and ‘subsistence’ are key levels of endowments, but how do
these relate to ’adequacy’, or to distributions of income and the OECD poverty
benchmark? Does ‘adequacy’ imply welfarism. And is there a maximum feasible
level of BI?
