by Sandro Gobetti | Apr 12, 2016 | News
Credit to: BIN Italia.
A conference has been held in Milan to exchange ideas on policies to combat poverty, such as the introduction in Italy of a minimum and guaranteed income. It took place on Wednesday, March 2nd at Degrees Hall on the Via Conservatorio.
Through the first part of the conference, which consisted of talks on the topic, and a final round table, researchers, teachers and experts presented and discussed policy at the national and regional level, with particular attention to political obstacles to the introduction of anti-poverty policies such as a guaranteed minimum income. The initiative is part of a new focus in Italian political debate, towards the introduction of national measures that have positive effects on social inclusion by reducing economic inequality.
The conference was sponsored by the departments of Political Science and Social Studies of the State University, and the Sociology department of the Catholic University, in collaboration with Easycare Foundation.
Program:
9:00 am – POVERTY AND MINIMUM INCOME AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION: HAS SOMETHING CHANGED?
Chair: Matteo Jessoula, University of Milan
- The minimum income schemes in the European periphery during the crisis(Manos Matsaganis, University of Athens Economics and Politecnico di Milano)
- Towards a national minimum income scheme in Italy: the political role (Ilaria Madama, University of Milan)
- Minimum income trials in Italy: from Social card to the experiments of the SIA (Daniela Mesini, Institute for Social Research)
- The regional minimum income schemes: an alternative?(Marcello Natili, University of Milan)
- The Lombard case, from the proposal to the law on an income for autonomy(Rosangela Lodigiani, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan)
11:15 am – Coffee break
11:30 am – Debate
THE MINIMUM INCOME IN ITALY: WILL IT BE THE RIGHT TIME?
Chair: Paul Graziano, University of Padua and the European Social Observatory
SPEAKERS
Giulio Gallera, Councillor of autonomy Income, Regione Lombardia
Elena Lattuada, CGIL Lombardia
Cristiano Gori, Alliance against poverty in Italy and Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan
Sandro Gobetti, Campaign for the Dignity Income – BIN Italia
Raffaele Tangorra, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
Tito Boeri, President INPS
For more information click here
by Toru Yamamori | Mar 8, 2015 | News
Yahoo Japan, a Japanese online news site features Basic Income. In the first article written by Toru Yamamori, he explains failure of the Japanese Social Security systems. The article also contains information on Guy Standing talk on Basic Income at the International Sociology Association in Yokohama.
Toru Yamamori, “Why Basic Income Now? Limitations of the Japanese Welfare State,” Yahoo Japan News, July 11, 2014.
by Karl Widerquist | Jan 23, 2015 | News
The University of Manitoba will host a one-day symposium, entitled, “A Basic Income For Canada and Manitoba: Why Not?”
The featured Speaker is Jurgen De Wispelaere, a Fellow at the Institute for Health and Social Policy at McGill University, Montreal Canada. He is a founding editor of the journal Basic Income Studies, co-editor of three books, and author of dozens of peer-reviewed articles. His research interests span the philosophical aspects of social policy and institutional design, including unconditional basic income, disability policy, adoption policy, and health.
The symposium will also include presentations by academic and community researchers who are working on Basic Income and related aspects of economic security:
Nicole Beasse, Faculty Of Law, UM
Evelyn Forget, Department Of Community Health Sciences, UM
Sid Frankel, Faculty Of Social Work, UM
Jim Mulvale, Faculty Of Social Work, UM
Gregg Olsen, Department Of Sociology, UM
Wayne Simpson, Department Of Economics, UM
Harvey Stevens, Department Of Economics, UM
James Wilson, Treaty Commissioner For Manitoba
This symposium is open to faculty members, students, and members of the community at no charge. Lunch will also be included.
FEBRUARY 5, 2015 – 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Hanley Hall – St. Paul’s College University of Manitoba
Free Event – Registration is required as seating is limited.
Click here for more information and to register
by Karl Widerquist | Dec 17, 2014 | News, Research
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
The Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare—a peer-reviewed, academic research journal—will have a special issue on the Basic Income Guarantee to be published in 2016. Manuscripts submitted by September 30, 2015 will be considered. The editors released the following call for papers:
The financial crisis of 2007-2008 and its recessionary aftermath have, once again, raised the issue of whether a market economy can be relied upon to assure economic security. Although the market economy is dynamic and quite productive, the financial crisis has highlighted its instability and tendency to produce high unemployment, low wages, stagnant wages, greater income inequality or a combination. Many would argue that the social welfare system, with its myriad of safety net programs, is intended to address such conditions. Yet it has holes that have allowed many to still live in poverty, many more to live with a very realistic fear of falling into poverty, and an erosion of the middle class. This instability and tendency toward low wages, stagnant wages for middle class families, or no employment in a market economy, coupled with a social safety net system riddled with holes, suggests that it is time to think about new approaches to income and wealth distribution, not only for purposes of poverty prevention or even poverty reduction, but also for social justice. Are there fairer and more efficient ways to distribute the fruits of our individual and collective efforts to everyone’s benefit?
One such program is the basic income guarantee (BIG), also called the guaranteed income. The idea is simple: replace most income support programs with a floor under everyone’s income, structured so that no one is in poverty and everyone is better off financially if they earn more in the private market. We’re issuing a call for papers for a special issue of The Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare (JSSW) to explore the merits of BIG and related proposals such as guaranteed jobs, stakeholder grants, asset accumulation policies, and living wage legislation. We’re interested in proposals related to BIG because some have argued that the goals of BIG could be better realized by other approaches, such as government guaranteeing a job instead of an income. The special issue is intended to consider the economic, social, political, and philosophical questions about BIG and related policies. The papers will be written by social workers and academics in related disciplines. The special issue is intended to explore some of the following Topics:
- BIG, other related programs, and social justice
- BIG, other programs, and gender relations
- Financing BIG and related programs
- BIG, other programs, and the labor Market
- BIG, related programs, and civic engagement
- BIG, related programs, and the bargaining power of workers
- BIG, related programs, and the family
- The political feasibility of BIG and related programs
This special issue of JSSW will be co-edited by Professors Michael Lewis, The Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, and Richard K Caputo, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. We invite authors to submit manuscripts not to exceed thirty double-spaced (12-pitch font) pages (including references) on any of the topics above as well as related topics. Manuscripts received by September 30, 2015 will be considered for a special issue of JSSW with an anticipated publication date in June or September 2016. Please send MS Word manuscripts that adhere to the APA Manual, 6th edition style, electronically, as email attachments to:
Michael A. Lewis, Associate Professor: michael.a.lewis@hunter.cuny.edu
by Josh Martin | Oct 25, 2014 | News
[Josh Martin]
On Thursday October 30th at 7pm in London there will be an event hosted by the New Putney Debates with Barb Jacobsen, Coordinator of the European Citizens’ Initiative in the UK, Duncan McCann, who works on the EU funded Community Curency in Action project, and Ben Baumberg, who is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Kent.
The event will be held at the University of London, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK.
For more information on the event, click here.
