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
Book announcement: Financing Basic Income
This new book from Richard Pereira (and contributors Albert Jörimann (BIEN Switzerland) and Gary Flomenhoft (University of Vermont)) argues that basic income at a decent level is, in fact, affordable. The contributors approach the topic from the perspectives of three...
Canada: Basic income proposed by more than half of Manitoba’s political parties
According to the latest data, 20,8% of Manitobans live below the poverty line. This is one of the highest rates of poverty in the country. For the first time, three of Manitoba’s major political parties have announced their support for basic income. So far, the Green...
The Growth of the Australian Basic Income Movement (Forward to the book, “Implementing a Basic Income in Australia”)
This is a draft version of my forward to the book, Implementing a Basic Income in Australia: Pathways Forward edited by Elise Klein, Jennifer Mays, and Tim Dunlop New York: Palgrave-Macmillan 2019 Back in 1999, when I first started following international developments...
Chile: International Colloquium – Universal Basic Income: A new perspective for Latin America?
The Law School at the Universidad Austral de Chile (Sede Puerto Montt) is hosting an international colloquium on “La Renta Basica Universal ¿un nuevo enfoque para Latinoamérica?” (Universal Basic Income: A new perspective for Latin America?) on the 30th October 2019....
Universal Engagement and Civic Engagement
A UBI could be a powerful way to recognise and even enable civic engagement. Citizens contribute to society in important ways other than through paid work, including volunteering, supporting others and democratic participation.
Italy: Luca Santini, President of Basic Income Network Italy has passed away
Tuesday, 30th July, after a quick, aggressive and ruthless illness, Luca Santini (43), has passed away. For over a decade he had been President of the Basic Income Network Italia (BIN Italia), an association for basic income for which he had enthusiastically...
The people’s endowment
This article is an early version of a paper that was published as: Karl Widerquist, "The people's endowment." In Axel Gosseries and Inigo Gonzalez (eds.) Institutions for Future Generations, Oxford University Press, pp. 312-330 The proposal Governments should start to...
United States: Andrew Yang briefly addresses racial and inequality inquiries
In this video from MSNBC, Democratic candidate for the United States presidency Andrew Yang answers some direct questions about racial issues and economic inequality. According to him, racial issues get diluted if communities are economically better off,...
United States: What are the economic implications of Andrew Yang’s Freedom Dividend?
Analysis of US proposals for a basic income show it would have a dramatic effect on poverty and inequality, but substantially increase the budget deficit.
Finland: How did Basic Income become mainstream?
Johanna Perkiö, Doctoral Candidate, University of Tampere A recent article on the Finnish basic income experiment has demonstrated how ‘framing’ the benefits of basic income in specific ways can make it acceptable to a wide political spectrum. University...
A form of Basic Income Guarantee has existed in a county in Oregon since 2002
According to the Capital Press, Sherman County, Oregon has had a form of Basic Income Guarantee since 2002. When the boom in wind power began 17 years ago in Sherman County, Ore., leaders there came up with an idea. Instead of the county simply pocketing property...
United Kingdom: Liverpool’s mayor and councillors bent on trying UBI
Things are stirring in Liverpool. In the aftermath of Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell’s commissioned report on basic income, Liverpool mayor John Anderson and councillor Jane Corbett have manifested their will to pursue a basic income pilot program in the...