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.
by USBIG | Sep 14, 2014 | News
Basic Income Week or Reddit
The Seventh International Basic Income Week begins tomorrow (Monday, September 15, 2014) and runs through Sunday, September 21. Basic Income (BI) week is “a yearly event for promotion of Basic Income.” BI is an unconditional cash income granted to all citizens without means test or work requirement. BI week will include dozens of events in at least nine countries and cyberspace events originating from more than six more countries.
Peter Barnes
The Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN)’s contribution to BI Week will be a series of live internet interviews called “AMAs” (“Ask Me Anything”), in which people all around the world will be able to type in questions and have them answered live by experts. Participants will include some of the key activists who have brought basic income to the forefront of contemporary politics; noted authors such as Peter Barnes and Marshall Brain; experts in fields such as economics, philosophy, sociology, Christianity, feminism, and automation. Participants will be from countries all around the world including, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, Korea, Japan, and more. There will be at least one and as many as four AMAs per day all week. Karl Widerquist, co-chair of BIEN, will kick off the AMA series starting at Noon (Eastern Time, USA) on Monday, September 15. Louise Haagh, co-chair, and Anja Askeland, secretary of BIEN will close the series with an AMA starting at 1pm (Eastern Time, USA) on September 21.
BI Week in Germany
BI Week in Austria includes lectures, workshops, discussions, free meals, radio shows, and a street action. The Belgian program includes events French and English in all three Belgian regions. Basic Income UK will launch of a UBI support statement during International UBI week, with a discussion about basic income on September 16th 19:00 tot 21:00 in London. BI Week in the Czech Republic will include a film, an outdoor workshop, and even a drum jam session for basic income. Events in France will take place in Nantes, Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, and Montpellier, and they will include films, lectures, discussions, and a conference. The largest and most diverse program of BI Week events will be in Germany, which has scheduled 5 to 11 events each day all across the country. The Hungarian program includes three days of discussions; a debate; a forum bringing together a politician, an economist, and an activist; a film; an activist program for the BIG Movement. BIN Italy presents a BI Week meeting entitled, “Fundamental Rights: Europe and the Guaranteed Income.” The program for the Netherlands includes events in Amsterdam, Borger, Tilburg, Zoetermeer, and several other cities.
Anja Askeland
Links to BI Week events
Basic Income Week
