Convocatoria abierta: 1er Congreso Latinoamericano de Renta Básica Universal Incondicional

Convocatoria abierta: 1er Congreso Latinoamericano de Renta Básica Universal Incondicional

Entre los días 17 y 19 de julio, en San José de Costa Rica, se llevará a cabo el primer Congreso Latinoamericano de Renta Básica Universal Incondicional. Se recibirán ponencias hasta el 12 de abril. El formato será híbrido, con modalidad presencial y también online.

Este primer encuentro regional es un hito en el avance del estudio y la promoción de la renta básica universal e incondicional en la región. Las discusiones del congreso estarán orientadas en torno al “Pensar la renta básica en un contexto de crisis y transformación en América Latina“.

Más información y envío de ponencias en www.rbucr.org.

Correo de contacto: congreso@rbucr.org

La participación no contempla gastos de inscripción.

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Open call: 1st Latin American Congress on Unconditional Universal Basic Income

The first Latin American Congress on Unconditional Universal Basic Income will be held in San José, Costa Rica, from 17 to 19 July. Papers will be accepted until 12 April. The format will be hybrid, with both face-to-face and online modalities.

This first regional meeting is a milestone in the advancement of the study and promotion of unconditional universal basic income in the region. Discussions at the congress will focus on “Thinking about basic income in a context of crisis and transformation in Latin America”.

More information and submission of papers at www.rbucr.org.

Contact email: congreso@rbucr.org 

Participation does not include registration fees.


Bath UBI Beacon and India Basic Income Network Session, 21st March 4-6pm (Paris)

Bath UBI Beacon and India Basic Income Network Session, 21st March 4-6pm (Paris)

“For this session, we will be in discussion with Vibhor Mathur. Vibhor is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Bath and is a UK and Research Associate at University of Cardiff, UK.

Vibhor studies the transformative potential of basic income through pilots and advocacy in South Asia and Europe. His doctoral research on the the WorkFREE project in Hyderabad, India, focuses on the role basic income can play in the fight for dignity, freedom and decent work.”

To read more and/or register to participate, click here.

The Debate Over the Definition of Basic Income – Online Forum

The Debate Over the Definition of Basic Income – Online Forum

Karl Widerquist will present his new article “the Debate Over the Definition of Basic Income,” via zoom in an online open forum of BIEN’s Working Group on the Clarification of the Definition of Basic Income on March 13 in some time zones and March 14 in others:
Central Time (US): 13 March, 8-9:30pm
Eastern Time (US): 13 March, 9-10:30pm
GMT (UK): 14 March, 01:00-2:30am
Tokyo Time (Japan): 14 March, 10-11:30am.

A video recording of the debate is now available: “The Debate Over the definition of Basic Income,” presented by Karl Widerquist, hosted by Toru Yamamori for BIEN’s Working Group on the Clarification of the Definition of Basic Income. Annie Miller, Michael Howard, Pierre Madden, and others participate in the discussion. Recorded 8pm 13 March 2024 (Central time – USA). To view the debate, click below.

YouTube player

Taiwan delegation learns from Boston UBI initiatives

Taiwan delegation learns from Boston UBI initiatives

The Youth Leadership Council of UBI Taiwan concluded a visit to Boston, Massachusetts, showcasing their projects promoting basic income. The delegation, composed of high school students from Taiwan, engaged in a series of meetings with local leaders and organizations to gain insights about Boston’s UBI initiatives. 

The Taiwanese delegation met with former Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, known for the “Rise Up” guaranteed income program; Camp Harbor View, and United South End Settlements (USES), both of which run basic income pilots focusing on families with children. Discussions with these organizations demonstrated how basic income improved school attendance and stabilized living conditions for families struggling to pay rent.

Tyler Prochazka, founder of UBI Taiwan, said the students learned from these organizations to put passion first when designing their UBI projects.

“This trip was an eye-opening experience for our students promoting basic income. They saw how non-profit organizations have been at the forefront of making UBI a mainstream issue in the United States and the lessons they can take for making their projects a success in Taiwan.” 

Boston’s organizations provided lessons for the council’s pilot to help single parents in Taiwan. UBI Taiwan’s program provides 10,000 NT a month ($300 USD) to single parents, tracking their progress through a documentary film. Steve Wei, director of the single-parent basic income program, highlighted how the program has already supported a mother moving into a better job and dealing with a health emergency. The documentary film is planned to be released in 2025, offering a window into how these lives are affected by basic income.

Allen Chen, founder of Lead For Taiwan, which co-organizes the leadership program, said: “The purpose of this visit was to combine education and social issues innovatively. We hope through this educational experience, we can guide students to find social issues they care about and make it their life goal to solve this problem.”

A theme throughout the visit was the ongoing challenge of public skepticism towards UBI. The Youth Leadership Council learned from USES that reframing the conversation to emphasize support for caregivers over the unconditionality of cash could help mitigate concerns. Another insight from the meeting was that nonprofit organizations might bridge trust gaps between recipients and government entities. This sparked discussions on the potential of public-private partnerships in administering programs that supplement UBI, such as USES’ mentorship services it provides for dealing with financial issues for recipients of its basic income.

James Davis, a special consultant for UBI Taiwan, said these discussions were important to deepen the international network of basic income advocates.

“Society’s evolution has always involved the cross-border exchange of ideas, and our team’s trip to Boston exemplifies that ideal. A permanent Universal Basic Income in Taiwan will earn global recognition and restore national solidarity.”

The council’s engagement extended to the government, with recognition from the Boston City Council and discussions on state policies with the Massachusetts Government Asian Caucus. The latter meeting underscored the shared challenges in Taiwan and the United States on funding basic income initiatives and the pushback stemming from taxation concerns. 

Prochazka said meeting the former Cambridge Mayor and current City Councilor, Sumbul Siddiqui was particularly insightful for the students. Siddiqui underscored the administration challenges and impact of basic income programs for low-income families in Cambridge, a program similar to UBI Taiwan’s single-parent initiative. Councilor Siddiqui’s experience addressing the wealth gap in Cambridge provided a real-world perspective on policy implementation for the students.

Before meeting the government officials, the students completed leadership training on the Harvard campus. Workshop activities were run by the Harvard Undergraduate Global Education Movement, with mentors providing feedback on students’ projects and presentation skills.

Reflecting on these sessions, the co-director of the leadership program Bob Lin said: “Having witnessed firsthand the power of education on making social change, I was inspired by how this trip motivated the students to take action on their projects.”

One of the student’s projects included “Buddy Up,” a program that provides mentorship to vulnerable students, particularly those in single-parent households. Wesley Low is a student at Taipei American School and founded the program. He intended to supplement the UBI pilot and provide additional support beyond the cash assistance.

“This trip widened my understanding of the spectrum of issues in the world and motivated me to take greater initiative,” Low said.

The visit to Boston marks a significant milestone for the Youth Leadership Council in pushing discussions of UBI to support families in Taiwan. By engaging with international leaders, the council gained insights and showcased the potential of youth-led initiatives in driving social impact.

Evan Tseng, the student vice president of the council, reflected on the importance of thorough research and passion in driving successful initiatives, drawing parallels with Harvard students’ projects. Tseng said he was inspired to learn about a program that redirected unused masks to the homeless during the pandemic.

“This is precisely the skill we need, to find resources in the most unlikely places to succeed in your project,” he said.

About UBI Taiwan

UBI Taiwan is dedicated to exploring and implementing Universal Basic Income solutions to address social and economic challenges. Through research, advocacy, and pilot programs, UBI Taiwan aims to foster a more equitable and sustainable future.

About Lead For Taiwan

Lead For Taiwan is committed to nurturing future leaders with a focus on solving social issues through innovative education and leadership programs. Its mission is to empower young minds to lead with purpose and make a tangible impact on society.

About Ascent Academy

Ascent Academy sponsors the Leadership Immersion Program. By teaching debate and public speaking, Ascent Academy’s goal is to help students apply these skills to make real social change.

New article about the effort to ban basic income pilots in the U.S. and who’s behind it

New article about the effort to ban basic income pilots in the U.S. and who’s behind it

Image credit: Scott Santens and Midjourney v6

The Foundation for Government Accountability – a Florida-based lobbying group backed by the richest 1% – is working to get basic income experiments banned by state legislators across the U.S.

As a well-known quote often wrongly attributed to Mahatma Ghandi says, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” As of 2024, the basic income movement in the United States is now firmly in the “then they fight you” stage thanks to a slew of bills introduced in state after state that are all attempting to ban the basic income experiments that have spread across the country. Over 150 guaranteed basic income pilots are now ongoing or recently completed in 24 states as of this writing, and so far, bills in seven states have been introduced to stop them. All of the bills are the result of efforts by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) – a lobbying group with a billionaire-fueled junk science record every American should know about. ….

To read the full article, click here.

New Study on a European UBI

New Study on a European UBI

Financed by the European Parliament and written by three Catalonian economists, “The fundamental part of this research means to answer the following question: can UBI be financed by the EU? And more specifically, to answer the key question of how it can be financed, through three taxes: income tax, wealth tax and carbon tax.”

To download the free report in pdf format, click here.