by Peter Knight | May 8, 2022 | Events, News
You are invited to join the launch of UBI Lab Food, the 40th lab of the UBI Lab Network, a virtual event to be held Thursday 12 May 2022 at 13:00-1400 BST.
The launch event will be an opportunity to engage in a rich discussion about the potential role of a Universal Basic Income in ensuring people’s nutrition security, and shape equitable, sustainable food systems.
The event will start with a panel discussion where each panelist will bring a different perspective to the table.
This will be followed by a presentation of ideas for the Lab, a Q&A, and a discussion among all attendees. The organizers would love to hear your thoughts on what the Lab could mean for progressing the conversation on, and our understanding of, UBI and food.
This event will be chaired by Dan Crossley of the NGO Food Ethics Council, UK
To register click here.
by Peter Knight | May 8, 2022 | Events, News
Basic income has become the subject of a lively and controversial debate in politics, civil society and academia. By questioning the fundamental assumptions of our social interaction, it challenges us to redefine the way we want to live together. This year’s FRIBIS’ annual conference will be taking a closer look at the relationship between basic income and development ideas and the potential they hold for the challenges of both the present and the future.
FRIBIS is particularly – but by no means exclusively – looking forward to contributions that deal with the following topics:
• Ecologically sustainable development: What role can a UBI play in improving people’s economic living conditions while protecting the environment?
• Development cooperation and social justice: Could the function of a basic income be to render development cooperation more efficient, increasing equal opportunities and promoting redistribution from top to bottom?
• Basic income in (post-)conflict regions: What impact could the introduction of a UBI have in regions branded by resource conflicts and power struggles? Can a UBI support societies in their development towards more resilience and social peace?
• Proposals beyond the conference’s focus on development are also welcome.
The deadline for the call for papers, workshops, and student participation is May 31, 2022. Full details are available at the conference website.
by Peter Knight | Apr 14, 2022 | News
Diana Bashur, BIEN Secretary, is currently at the University of Vienna researching Basic Income as a tool for peace-building with a focus on the Middle East and a particular interest in its potential for social cohesion. She recently published an article, What would a basic income mean for the Arab world?.
by Guest Contributor | Apr 14, 2022 | News
The sun isn’t the only thing shining this year in Santa Fe, New Mexico as for the first time in history, single parents who are enrolled in Santa Fe Community College receive basic income support funded through the Mayor’s for Guaranteed Income (MGI). The City of Santa Fe’s MGI Project, Santa Fe LEAP, paves the way toward community resiliency through safety net funding as low-income parents strive to meet their living expenses and educational goals.
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, single mothers are more likely to live in poverty than other women at every educational rate. Single mothers in New Mexico who graduate with an associates degree are 35% less likely to live in poverty than a high school graduate. Direct benefits not only improve the lives of graduates but also impact the safety net budget. Single mothers who graduate with an associate degree save New Mexico $26,842 in public assistance spending over a lifetime. These benefits increase as women receive higher educational degrees. For example, single mothers in New Mexico who graduate with a bachelor’s degree are 59% less likely to live in poverty than high school graduates and save New Mexico $43,711 in public assistance spending over a lifetime.
In building momentum for the program, Santa Fe’s mayor Alan Webber, along with city councilors and staff members from Santa Fe Community College and its Foundation, launched the pilot program with funding through MGI. Eligible participants are between the ages of 18 and 30 and must be the primary care provider for a child under the age of 18. In addition, the student must have been enrolled in at least one class prior to Fall 2021, into a certificate or degree program and make less than 200% of the federal poverty rate. 100 single parents were randomly selected to receive the $400 monthly cash assistance via credit card or direct deposit. Although this pilot program is intended to last one-year, future goals are in place to increase the $400 monthly limit to $500 per month, with the hopes to last for an additional year. Gifts that go toward the Santa Fe MGI Project are 100% tax deductible and should be sent to the SFCC Foundation and directed to the MGI Project.
Education reporter Jessica Pollard interviewed nursing student Martina, who participates in the pilot program. Martina reported that her family does not qualify for government assistance, and they struggle to makes ends meet. Martina uses the monthly income toward her $500 car payment. Moreover, the City of Santa Fe’s Communication Director David Herndon stated that although data has yet been measured to provide information on the outcomes of the project, participants report not having to make choices between food or heating and have options that were not available before the project began. Herndon observed, “For instance, this buffer may allow participants to hire babysitters, so they are able to complete class work for college degrees.” Evaluation will be conducted by a team at the University of Pennsylvania, Center for Guaranteed Income Research as it is a part of MGI funding.
Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber says: “We’re committed to helping our young working families have better lives. It’s wrong for a mom or dad to have to choose between getting an education and feeding their family. We’re giving these families the support they need to realize all the things an education can provide: more security, more stability and a lot less stress. This project makes Santa Fe a leader in a national movement for real progressive change.”
The Basic Income Pilot has been replicated in cities and towns across the country. Further movement in research and funding will help in reversing the cycle of poverty, building resiliency for those who struggle to make ends meet as they strive for brighter futures for their generations to come.
Miranda Queen and David Herndon, April 13, 2022
by Guest Contributor | Apr 12, 2022 | News
In Denver Colorado, a cash distribution program targeting those who experience homelessness is closing in on fully launching. The Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP) seeks to give a basic income to individuals to demonstrate that recipients of direct cash payments are more likely to obtain stable housing, gain more opportunity for stable employment, and empower people to assert their dignity and agency while improving their lives and improve the lives of those around them. The project aims to implement and study methods of building a healthier society, grounded in the values of social justice, anti-poverty, anti-oppression, and self-determination.
Some cash payments have already begun under a soft launch to understand where improvements can be made in the structure and implementation of the study. This approach aims to ensure that the program is as effective as it possibly can be over the 12-month span the full launch will cover. The Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver will be the organization conducting the study of results, and multiple organizations in Denver will be assisting in the implementation of the program.
Mark Donovan, the project founder, says “Direct cash payments move toward eliminating wealth inequality and begin to build a healthier community here in Denver and hopefully we’ll create a model for other cities to follow.” DBIP is itself modeled on two successful projects based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Stockton, California. Both the New Leaf Project in Vancouver, and the SEED project in Stockton showed positive effects on the lives of participants. In comparison to what the United States has currently implemented to help these people, “Our society can do better” says Donovan.
The Mayor of Denver, Michael B. Hancock, is in partnership with DBIP through Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a network of Mayors throughout the U.S. dedicated to advocating for a guaranteed income. “The Denver Basic Income Project is an opportunity to explore how the philanthropic community and the private sector can augment public support for those living in poverty, particularly our unhoused neighbors, and extend that hand up to stability” said Hancock. Mayor Hancock is concerned about a variety of issues such as homelessness, disparity in opportunity, and a withering middle class because of a lack of equity in economic systems.
There has been a large amount of fundraising for the project that continues. DBIP is still accepting donations towards its goal of securing 7.8 million dollars. DBIP is also currently applying the lessons learned from its initial soft launch and strengthening itself and its relationship with the community, especially leaders and participants from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Everything points to DBIP being an extremely promising endeavor worth paying attention to.
If you would like to read more about the Denver Basic Income Project you can read a recent guest column written by Mark Donovan for The Pulse Institute here.
Aaron Lamb, April 11, 2022
by Guest Contributor | Apr 12, 2022 | News
On Wednesday, February 16th, 2022, Jane Hutt, the Minister for Social Justice, announced that a pilot of Basic Income will be launched in Wales in the 2022/2023 financial year. This program is focused on those leaving care at age 18. The goal of this pilot is to increase the support that is available to young adults and examine the impact that these financial resources have on young people leaving care. All young people leaving care who turn 18 years old within the initial 12-month period of the program will be considered eligible for the basic income pilot program across all local authority areas in Wales.
Those leaving care will receive a stipend of £1,600 a month for up to two years, with the first payment arriving one month after their 18th birthday. This amount, totaling £19,200 before tax annually, will be considered a source of income and taxed accordingly. These funds are given unconditionally, and participants will still be eligible for this funding even after they become employed. Officials say this amount is equivalent to the real living wage in the United Kingdom, and will help to provide a safety net for those leaving care who may not have support from their families.
The pilot will begin distributing funds in the summer of 2022, and it is estimated that over 500 young people will be eligible. This would cost up to £20 million over three years. Other forms of support will be offered to participants in addition to the monthly cash award of £1,600, such as financial wellbeing training and signposting to support services. This program will help experts determine the benefits of basic income, which include improving financial wellbeing and addressing poverty. This pilot will allow ministers to examine the effects of basic income programs and help those leaving care transition into independent adults by delivering financial stability.
A Technical Advisory Board has been assembled to monitor the progress and evaluate outcomes from this basic income program, chaired by Professor Sir Michael Marmot. In addition, an external reference group will be involved with this pilot to support the participants and provide representation on their behalf.
More information will be provided in the coming months.
Maria Matarazzo, April 11. 2022
