BIEN | News
News on the global Basic Income debate
Europe: European Green Perspectives on Basic Income
The Green European Foundation (GEF) has published its report on UBI: European Green Perspectives on Basic Income, on 18th February 2019. GEF is one of the ‘political foundations at European level’ (a.k.a. Eurofoundations) that are research and advocacy organisations...
United States: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gets to the point of what it means to be “unwilling to work”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Picture credit to: The Cut. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) tabled a Resolution on the United States House of Representatives (H.RES.109) which hinted, in a first version, that “the Green New Deal would take care of people who are “unwilling...
US Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang Unveils Plan to Enter Democratic Debates
Presidential candidate Andrew Yang, whose central campaign pillar is “The Freedom Dividend” (a re-branding of Universal Basic Income, where all American citizens ages 18+ receive $1,000 per month), has unveiled his plan to enter the Democratic debates being held this...
Book review: “Growing Pains: The future of democracy (and work)”
What we are going through now is not a disaster, it’s a process. Last time, it took over a century of mass misery and, occasionally mass bloodshed to get through it (…) We should try to do it a lot better and quicker this time. By Lynette Geddes International...
United States and Canada: North American BIG Congress proposal deadline extended.
The North American Basic Income Guarantee (NABIG) Congress will take place in New York, June 15-16, 2019. The deadline for presentation proposals has been extended to March 1. Asked about the Congress, former coordinator Karl Widerquist said, "I'm going for the 18th...
Anil Sasi: “Universal Basic Income: The ‘money for nothing’ idea”
Children playing in Sikkim, India. Picture credit to: India Today Anil Sasi’s article starts from the Sikkim announcement to implement a basic income in the state, up until 2022. After describing the basic income concept in broad strokes, explains the Indian tapestry...
Leeds, UK: Louise Haagh at the Café Economique
Louise Haagh (Twitter) On the 5th of March 2019, Basic Income Earth Network’s (BIEN) chair, Louise Haagh, will speak at the Café Economique, in Leeds, UK. The event is called “Basic Income and Democratisation”. Café Economique is an initiative in Leeds, UK, that aims...
When a few drops of rain allow flowers to blossom: Finland’s basic income experiment generates its preliminary results
Picture credit to: Finland Toolbox Finland’s famous “basic income experiment” is now over. The analysis program is being rolled out, and was scheduled according to the following timetable (from Kela (Finnish Social Services)). At the end of 2018, a phone survey was...
India: Congress party gets serious about basic income and reaches out to Thomas Piketty for policy design support
Thomas Piketty. Picture credit to: Books Live (Sunday Times) Details are being fed into Rahul Gandhi’s promise of a minimum income guarantee to poor Indians, an announcement made earlier this month. Thomas Piketty, an authority in economics, and particularly in...
India: The Indian government also promises basic income to farmers
Masked Narodi supporters, in 2014. Picture credit to: Aljazeera Just a few days after Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress Party, announced the intention of implementing a “nationwide minimum income for the poor”, Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s government now proposes...
