by Yannick Vanderborght | Nov 8, 2013 | Research
[Craig Axford]
Switzerland’s successful effort to place a basic income guarantee (BIG) on the ballot would put “a floor under people’s income” according to Karl Widerquist of Georgetown University. BIG is “the idea that income doesn’t have to start at zero.” No date has yet been set for Switzerland’s BIG vote.
“$2750 A Month For Every Adult, Guaranteed? Switzerland’s Considering It”, Segacious News Network/PRI, October 23, 2013:
by Karl Widerquist | Oct 15, 2013 | News
In this 3-minute, 46-second interview, host Aaron Schacter asks Karl Widerquist about Switzerland’s petition drive that has successfully mandated a national referendum on basic income. Schachter uses the opportunity to discuss basic income more generally and asks Widerquist whether the idea sounds “kooky.” Karl Widerquist is an Associate Professor at SFS-Q, Georgetown University and co-chair of the Basic Income Earth Network.
Aaron Schachter, “$2750 a month for every adult, guaranteed? Switzerland’s considering it,” PRI’s The World, Producer: Emily Files, October 14, 2013.
Five cent coins are pictured in the air in front of the Federal Palace in Bern, Switzerland, during an event organized by the committee proposing a minimum monthly household income of 2,500 Swiss francs for every adult citizen living in Switzerland. - Credit: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
by Karl Widerquist | Oct 5, 2013 | News, The Indepentarian
Following a successful campaign aiming at collecting more than 100,000 signatures, Switzerland will hold national referendum to vote on basic income.
On October 4, 2013 activists delivered more than the necessary 100,000 to call for the vote. The organizing committee for the initiative has been collecting signatures for months in preparation for this event. The proposal is for a substantial basic income of 2,500 francs ($2,756US) per month for every adult legal resident of Switzerland.
Along with the signatures, supporters held a large demonstration outside the Federal Palace in Bern. At the demonstration they dropped a dump truck load of 8 million five-rappen coins, one for each person living in Switzerland (see video below). Assuming the signatures are valid, the government is now obliged to schedule a vote in the near future.
For more on the initiative see:
Alice Baghdjian (author) Denis Balibouse (reporter), and Gareth Jones (editor), “Swiss to vote on 2,500 franc basic income for every adult,” Reuters, October 4, 2013. Reposted by MSN: https://news.msn.com/world/swiss-to-vote-on-dollar2800-monthly-income-for-all-adults?stay=1
VIDEO: “Switzerland: Parliament forced to debate basic income for nationals” Ruptly TV, Oct 3, 2013: Enno Schmidt, founder of Generation Basic Income Initiative, talks through the aims of the unconditional basic income initiative.
Max Rivlin-Nadler, “Swiss to Vote on Guaranteed $2800 Monthly Income for All Adults,” Gawker, October 5, 2013.
Common Dreams staff, “Swiss Showing the World How to Take on Pay Inequality” Common Dreams, Saturday, October 5, 2013. This story includes photos and embedded video.
Ivan Botoucharov, “The Abolition of Poverty in Switzerland: A Template for Europe?” One-Europe, 04 Oct 2013
Anna Edwards, “Streets of Basel paved with gold: 15 TONS of five cent coins are dumped on city’s streets as protesters demand a basic minimum income for every Swiss household,” The Mail Online, 4 October 2013. This story includes pictures of how the coins were assembled to be dropped during the demonstration in Bern.
If you know of other stories on this issue, please leave the full info and link in the comments section. Please note what language the story is in.
by Yannick Vanderborght | Oct 1, 2013 | News
Photo: Daniela Marquardt / Swedish Radio
[by Karsten Lieberkind]
In this interview (in Swedish), Daniela Marquardt speaks with Daniel Häni who runs a very successful café in Basel, Switzerland, in what was previously a major bank. He is also one of the founders of the Swiss Basic Income movement. This movement has now managed to collect more than 116,000 validated signatures asking for a referendum on Unconditional Basic Income. The signatures will be handed over to the Federal Chancellery in Bern on October 4. This is made possible by the fact that Switzerland has a direct democracy.
Daniel Häni’s message is freedom. He wants us to break the traditional strong link between job and income and ask ourselves what we really want in our lives. An Unconditional Basic Income will secure the kind of freedom that makes is possible to realize whatever goal we may have. We will be able to live a decent life without a paid job or demand reasonable conditions if we do have one.
The proposal asks for a UBI of 2500 SFr a month to be financed through a sales tax and possibly other revenue sources.
Daniela Marquardt, “Är medborgarlön en ekonomisk lösning för Schweiz? [Is Basic Income a solution for Switzerland?],” Swedish Radio P1 ‘Studio Ett’ August 20, 2013
To hear this interview (in Swedish) go to: https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1637&artikel=5621803
by Karl Widerquist | Sep 29, 2013 | Research
[Craig Axford]
What is the value of work?
Jürg Müller of the Swiss Review reports proponents of an unconditional basic income (UBI) are planning to submit 100,000 signatures or more to Switzerland’s Federal Chancellery on October 13th. (Organizers of the initiative have since moved that date up to October 4th.) The Swiss initiative, labeled “the emancipation of Switzerland” by supporters, is drawing both support and opposition from across the political spectrum.
Jürg Müller, “The ‘emancipation of Switzerland or an ‘attack on the welfare state’? The debate over a basic income” Swiss Review, August 2013
