by Yannick Vanderborght | Feb 25, 2012 | News
At the initiative of several green movements, this event will (among other things) include a projection of “Basic Income”, the documentary by Daniel Häni et Enno Schmidt, and a debate between basic income supporter Philippe Defeyt (former leader of the green party Ecolo) and basic income critic Bernard Friot (French sociologist and expert in issues of social protection).
This event takes place in Namur, Belgium on March 17, 2012 between 2:30PM and 10PM. Location: Faculté de médecine, Place du Palais de Justice, 5000 Namur.
Further information: https://objecteursdecroissance.be/IMG/pdf/revenu_de_base_mpoc_leger_2_.pdf
Or contact: Michèle Gilkinet <michele.gilkinet@base.be>
by Yannick Vanderborght | May 27, 2011 | News
The Belgian Ark Award for Free Speech (in Dutch: “Ark Prijs van het vrije woord”) was created in 1951 by Flemish intellectuals who were opposing restrictions to freedom of expression. In the past decades, it was awarded to several prominent intellectuals, mainly Flemish writers and artists. On May 25, the 2011 Prize was awarded to Philippe Van Parijs (UCLouvain), one of the most prominent advocates of basic income, and a founder of BIEN. In his “Laudatio”, Professor Rik Coolsaet (Ghent University) mentioned Van Parijs’s defence of basic income as one of the best examples of his lifelong commitment to social justice.
A short version of Coolsaet’s “Laudatio” was published in the Flemish daily ‘De Standaard’:
https://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=GP3AI60C
Van Parijs’s speech (in Dutch) is available at: https://www.uclouvain.be/8611.html
The list of past laureates is at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_Prize_of_the_Free_Word
by Yannick Vanderborght | May 18, 2011 | News
In October 2010, the Parliament of the European Union has adopted a non-legislative resolution on the role of minimum income in combating poverty and promoting an inclusive society in Europe, partly thanks to the lobbying by several European Basic Income groups and networks, as well as by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN). The resolution was adopted by 437 votes to 162, with 33 abstentions. The EU Parliament now urges Member States to establish a threshold for minimum income, based on relevant indicators that will guarantee social-economic cohesion, reduce the risk of uneven levels of remuneration for the same activities and lower the risk of having poor populations throughout the EU. Stressing the multifaceted nature of poverty, EU-Parliament considers that minimum income schemes should be embedded in a strategic approach towards social integration, involving both general policies and targeted measures – in terms of housing, health care, education and training, social services – helping people to recover from poverty and themselves to take action towards social inclusion and access to the labor market. Parliament points out that some member States do not have minimum income systems and called on those that do not to provide them. The resolution underlines that introducing minimum income schemes – consisting of specific measures supporting people whose income is insufficient with a funding supply and facilitated access to services – is one of the most effective ways to combat poverty, guarantee an adequate standard of living and foster social integration. According to Parliament, adequate minimum income schemes must set minimum incomes at a level equivalent to at least “60% of average income in the Member State concerned” (average, not median income, whereas the EU official poverty line is at 60% of the median).
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5845352
by Yannick Vanderborght | Mar 31, 2011 | News
This conference on basic income (“allocation universelle”, or universal grant, in French) was organized by the Walloon federation of social assistance services (CPAS) and the Union of Walloon cities (UVCW). A panel of four speakers discussed the idea. Two proponents of basic income, Philippe Defeyt (Green Party and head of a social assistance service) and Yannick Vanderborght (Hoover Chair, UCLouvain), gave some of the main arguments in favour of a universal and unconditional basic income. Two reprensentatives of Belgium’s main trade unions, Anne Demelenne (FGTB) and Felipe Van Keirsbilck (CSC), explained why they were rather skeptical of the idea. For further information: www.uvcw.be
by Yannick Vanderborght | Nov 5, 2010 | News
For a few years, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) has been actively supporting EU-legislation in favour of a (means-tested) minimum income in all EU member-states. Three Member States currently do not have Minimum Income schemes in place: Greece, Italy, and Hungary. In Sepember 2010, EAPN launched a concrete proposal for an EU framework Directive on “Adequate Minimum Income”. Article 1 of the draft proposal states that “The purpose of this framework directive is to set out minimum requirements and provisions for establishing the right of every person, residing within the territory of the Member States, to an adequate income” According to Article 2, an adequate minimum income is set “at a level that is sufficient to live in a manner compatible with human dignity as a part of a comprehensive and consistent drive to combat social exclusion and to fulfill the basic needs of people to physical health and autonomy, necessary to be able to participate in society”.
On October 20, 2010, the proposal had received support from 262 Members of the European Parliament, from 7 different political groupings, in the European Parliament. “The fact that, at this stage, the proposal received such large support from the Members of the Parliament gives us great encouragement to continue this campaign on Adequate Minimum Income”, said Ludo Horemans, President of EAPN. Within the EU Parliament, pressure in favour of this EU framework Directive came from the socialist and democrat MEPs.
EAPN Campaign: https://www.adequateincome.eu/en
EAPN Website: https://www.eapn.org
Socialists and Democrats on Adequate Minimum Income:
https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/gpes/public/detail.htm?id=134808&request_locale=EN§ion=NER&category=NEWS
