A Basic Income is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.
The Royal Society of Arts Explains: [2 minutes]
BIEN Congresses
The 24th BIEN CONGRESS in Maricá & Niterói – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 27-29 August 2025
Linkedin, Instagram, X – biencongress25 (at) gmail [dot] com
BIEN2024 was August 29–31 (Pictures and more coming soon)
Recent News, Opinion, and Research
Philippe Van Parijs defends basic income on Belgian TV
On Tuesday 15 October 2013, Philippe Van Parijs (Louvain University) took part in a popular TV show on Belgium French-speaking TV channel RTBf. He had no more than 3 minutes to argue in favour of basic income, and reply to various questions about its feasibility. In...
AUDIO: Aaron Schachter [Interview with Karl Widerquist], “$2750 a month for every adult, guaranteed? Switzerland's considering it”
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.
OPINION: We the Swiss, calling on the world!
We did it! Did you hear about it? Did you see the picture of the 8 million 5-cent coins on the ground in front of Swiss parliament ? Did you read one of the hundreds of articles about it ? Here we are, Swiss basic income activists with the whole world watching and...
Podcast on Basic Income #1 (13/10/13)
An audio podcast on the lastest news of last week.
Several articles on the Swiss Basic Income Referendum
As reported recently on BI News, following a successful petition initiative, Switzerland will hold national referendum to vote on basic income. The referendum has received significant attention in world news media
Allan Sheahen, “Fulfilling One Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dreams: A Basic Income Guarantee”
[Craig Axford] In this recent post in The Hill, Alan Sheahen reminds us that a basic income guarantee (BIG) is not a new idea. Dr. Martin Luther King advocated for it writing in 1967 “I am now convinced that the simplest solution to poverty is to abolish it directly...
Tom Streithorst, “Creative Destruction, Basic Income and the Jobs of the Future”
[Craig Axford] In this post in Pieria, Tom Streithorst outlines the history of ‘creative destruction’ that has enhanced productivity as new technologies replaced workers in both the fields and the factories. He argues agricultural and factory workers alike could once...
VIDEO: Emily DeCiccio, “Giving cash directly to the poor”
[Craig Axford] GiveDirectly.org takes a different approach to charity by giving money directly to those in need, no strings attached. Emily DeCiccio of MSNBC reports that many people’s initial reaction to this type of giving is that people “will just drink away” the...
David Jenkins, “The dangers and potentials of shared ground: A plea for caution”
This article discusses the potential dangers of the shared ground surrounding possible defences of a basic income. It argues that we should be careful to keep the more transformative potentials of basic income firmly in view. David Jenkins, “The dangers and potentials...
Audio-Interview: Basic Income and the elections in Germany
On 22. September 2013 the German citizens elected a new parliament. What does this mean for Basic Income? Olga Bobkova spoke with Joerg Drescher about this topic.
IRELAND: Green Party Endorses Basic Income
The Green Party of Ireland has released its budget plan and it includes the endorsement of a basic income. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said, "We believe this budget should provide the first phase in the move towards a basic income system. This would do more than...
Linda Raven, “Basic Income Grant in Namibia”
Linda Raven, an American who works in Namibia teaching visiting university students, uses this blog to discuss Karl Widerquist’s two talks on BIG in Namibia in September. Raven contrasts the two talks—one given at a symposium hosted by the central bank, the other...