by Toru Yamamori | Nov 6, 2015 | News
The National Women’s Liberal Commission calls a party resolution for a pilot project of an unconditional basic income.
The National Women’s Liberal Commission is the women’s wing of the Liberal Party of Canada, which is currently in power.
The commission raises a party resolution to ‘advocate for a federal pilot of a basic income supplement in at least one Canadian town or city, in cooperation with the appropriate provincial and municipal government(s).’
The detail of the resolution can be read here.
by Karl Widerquist | Oct 1, 2015 | News
“BASIC INCOME: A MEETING PLACE FOR EQUALITY, RIGHTS, and JUSTICE”
12-15 May (Thursday to Sunday) 2016
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Basic Income Canada Network
This Congress is taking place in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the heart of Canada and the North American continent. The University of Manitoba campuses are located on the traditional homeland of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on Treaty One territory. The Forks of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers, and the city of Winnipeg that formed around the Forks, have been the meeting place of Indigenous peoples, European traders and settlers, and waves of newcomers from all corners of the world.
“Meeting place” describes our physical location. It also describes the power of Basic Income — an idea and goal that can bring together various individuals, ideologies and constituencies concerned about equality, rights, environmental sustainability, and social justice. A universal, unconditional, and adequate income granted to everyone is a common goal that can unite activists, advocates, policy and academic experts, and social movements.
As a meeting place, this Congress will address the relationship of Basic Income to:
- economic, cultural, and social security for Indigenous peoples
- reconciliation between Indigenous and settler communities
- women’s economic security, autonomy and empowerment
- overcoming racism and ensuring social inclusion of diverse and newcomer populations
- challenging the economics of “austerity”
- elimination of poverty as a means of ensuring population health
- labour market transformation, including technological unemployment and precarious jobs
- mapping pragmatic models for delivery of basic income, including the pros and cons experimental and demonstration projects
- strategic alliances and coalitions with progressive social movements (e.g. labour, feminists, environmentalists)
Call for Participation
The NABIG Congress 2016 invites proposals for presentations and papers, themed panels, interactive roundtables, and posters that address the themes above.
Community activists as well as academic researchers and policy specialists are invited to submit proposals.
The Congress is open to any disciplinary or theoretical approach or political perspective, including those who express a constructive skepticism towards the basic income option or advocate for variants.
Submitting Your Proposal
Options for participation:
- Individual oral presentations (including written academic papers)
Proposals should include a title, a brief summary or abstract (250 words maximum), identification of the conference themes addressed in the presentation, and full contact information of the presenter (name, organizational or institutional affiliation, and email address).
- Panels of up to three papers or presentations
Panels should be organized around a clearly identifiable theme The format of the panel involves formal presentation of papers and response to audience questions in a session lasting 90 minutes. Please include the following in your proposal:
- title and brief outline (maximum. 100 words) of the topic of the panel
- title and short abstract of each paper (maximum. 100 words each)
- full contact information (including the affiliations and email addresses) of the panel organizer and participants
- Roundtables involving a small number of participants (3 – 4)
Give the topic of the roundtable, and the names and institutional affiliations of all participants, as well as the full contact information of the roundtable convener. The format of the roundtable is intended to be informal and interactive. – the roundtable participants speaking with each other, and with the audience. Roundtable sessions will run for 90 minutes.
- Poster display
Posters are to present coherent and well organized information on some aspect of basic income. Posters will be displayed throughout the duration of the conference, with certain time slots set aside for authors to be on hand to meet with those interested in their topics. Proposals for posters should include a title, a brief summary or abstract (150 words), identification of the conference themes addressed, and full contact information of the presenter (name, organizational or institutional affiliation, and email address). Posters should be prepared as one unit should not exceed 100 cm. x 100 cm. (approximately 50 in. x 50 in.).
Submit your proposals no later than 20 November 2015 to:
Nabigcongress2016@umanitoba.ca
All proposals must include this information:
Name:
Address (including institutional or organizational affiliation):
Email address:
Title:
Format (check one): Oral presentation ___ paper ____ poster ___
panel* ___ roundtable* ____
* specify names, affiliations, and topic of all participants in panel and roundtable sessions
Sessions en français / Sessions in French
La conférence sera menée principalement en anglais. Cette conférence se déroulera au Canada, où les deux langues officielles sont le français et l’anglais. Par conséquent, la soumission de propositions pour des sessions et des affiches en français est encouragée. Contacter l’adresse courriel ci-dessus pour plus d’informations.
The conference will be conducted primarily in English. This conference takes place in Canada, which has the two official languages of French and English. Therefore submissions of proposals for sessions and posters in French are welcomed. Contact the email address above for further information.
Note: All presenters of accepted proposals will be required to register for the Congress
Further Information
For details concerning the venue, program, registration, accommodation, or information about our partners and sponsors, visit our Congress website at umanitoba.ca/social_work.
Conference Organizers
The NABIG Congress 2016 is organized by the Basic Income Canadian Network / Réseau canadien pour le revenu garanti (BICN/RCRG) and the United States Basic Income Guarantee (USBIG) Network, in conjunction with the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba, Basic Income Manitoba, Winnipeg Harvest, and l’École de service social de Université de Saint-Boniface.
Basic Income Canada Network
by Denis Flinn | Sep 29, 2015 | Research
The Advisory Group on Poverty Reduction (AGRP) has presented its final recommendations to Saskatchewan social services minister Donna Harpauer. Areas of initial focus include income security to support basic needs for all, regardless of circumstance or geography. This poverty reduction initiative is related to several others, including a Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, and the Joint Task Force on Improving Education and Employment Outcomes for First Nations and Métis People.
Full story and supplementary information is available at:
Leya Moore, “Poverty Reduction Strategy One Step Closer“, www.saskatchewan.ca, August 24, 2015
by Denis Flinn | Sep 28, 2015 | News
Green Party leader Elizabeth May recently announced her party’s platform for the upcoming Canadian national elections. Among the key planks of the party platform was that of a livable income to ensure no Canadian lives in poverty.
Other key elements of the platform included a housing plan with affordable, predictable home care support and abolition of tuition fees / debt-forgiveness of student debt over $10,000.
Full story and complete list of the Green Party platform can be found at:
Kathleen Harris, “Green Party platform promises to expand rail, eliminate tuition,” CBCNews.com, September 9, 2015.
by Josh Martin | Sep 8, 2015 | News
Mayor Keith Hobbs of Thunder Bay, Ontario, has joined the mayors of Edmonton and Calgary in publicly stating his support for a basic income. Hobbs believes basic income provides a certain degree of self-worth to every individual and helps fight poverty, addiction, and homelessness. Hobbs thinks the best strategy going forward is to implement a basic income paired with a housing-first strategy that seeks to house homeless people within ten days of knowing they are homeless.
To read more, click on the following link:
Roderick Benns, “Reliable, basic income would lead to better self-worth and a better life: Thunder Bay mayor”, Leaders and Legacies, 25 August 2015.
