by Red Renta Basica | May 31, 2012 | Research
Like their previous paper on basic income (see https://www.counterpunch.org/2012/05/14/taking-it-to-the-streets-in-spain/), this essay by Daniel Raventós and Julie Wark is published by the influentiel left-wing political newsletter Counterpunch (USA). They wrote it at the occasion of the first anniversary of the ‘indignados’ movement (also called ‘the 15-M movement) in Spain. According to Raventós and Wark, this movement “has been a timely reminder of the old lesson that if ideas, however good they are, don’t take root in powerful movements that reach a large number of individual citizens and groups they don’t have much future.” The example they take is the 15-M’s call for a universal basic income. “The movement has done more to promote this proposal than thousands of seminars, books, articles and lectures, which are necessary, of course, but not sufficient. In the case of Spain, much of this groundwork has been done but the idea has taken off quite spectacularly with 15-M. Even though it hasn’t yet achieved overwhelming mass-based support, basic income is much better known, understood and accepted now than it was a year ago.”
The article is online at: https://www.counterpunch.org/2012/05/29/beyond-indignation/
Full references: RAVENTOS, Daniel & WARK, Julie (2012), ‘Beyond Indignation’, Counterpunch, May 29th, 2012.
by Red Renta Basica | May 22, 2012 | News
Given the gravity of the present social situation, an increasing number of activists from different social movements, unionists and citizens are coming to the conclusion that Basic Income is a proposal to be taken seriously. An outstanding example of this is the 15-M movement in Spain (in reference to the first massive demonstration of May 15th, 2011; also known as “indignados” movement).
Within the framework of the activities celebrating its first anniversary, a five-point programme was formulated: 1) not a single euro more to be spent on rescuing banks; 2) decent public education and health services; 3) rejection of job insecurity and austerity measures; 4) decent, guaranteed housing; and 5) universal basic income.
Many people have helped to organise talks on Basic Income given by some members of the Red Renta Básica (Edgar Manjarín, David Casassas and Daniel Raventós) as part of the 15-M anniversary activities in Barcelona. Basic income was presented as a measure not only to combat poverty, but also to foster bargaining power and therefore effective freedom of all working populations. These took place in the Plaça de Catalunya with very large audiences, exceeding one thousand people in some cases.
For further information: https://www.nodo50.org/redrentabasica/index.php
by Red Renta Basica | May 16, 2012 | Research
This new paper by Daniel Raventós and Julie Wark is published by the influentiel left-wing political newsletter Counterpunch (USA). According to Raventós and Wark, the Spanish citizens have taken to the streets and squares in great numbers to demand their rights. In this context, the idea of a basic income is now widely discussed. “The demand for a universal basic income”, the authors write, “is growing so fast that the Occupy movement is now working hard to explain its principles to the public. For example, the Barcelona Acampada has a programme of twenty workshops to be held in the plaça de Catalunya and three of these are devoted to basic income, understood as a human right. On Sunday afternoon (13th May) 1,000 people attended a workshop precisely on this theme.”
The article is online at: https://www.counterpunch.org/2012/05/14/taking-it-to-the-streets-in-spain/
Full references: RAVENTOS, Daniel & WARK, Julie (2012), ‘Taking It to the Streets in Spain. Indignation, Basic Income and the First Social Law’, Counterpunch, May 14th, 2012.
by Yannick Vanderborght | Apr 5, 2012 | Research
In order to celebrate its 10th anniversary, Red Renta Básica (Spain’s basic income national network, officially recognized by BIEN) has coedited (with the publishing house Montesinos) a volume with chapters written by some of its members and friends:
Jordi Arcarons (“Financing Basic Income”), Borja Barragué (“Basic Income and the Bank of Justice”), Sara Berbel (“An Income for Gender Equality”), David Casassas and Jurgen De Wispelaere (“Basic Income and Social Emancipation: Principles, Designs, and Coalitions”), Mònica Clua-Losada (“Basic Income on the Political Agenda: The Catalan Experience”), Rubén Lo Vuolo, Pablo Yanes, and Daniel Raventós (“Economic Crisis, Targeted Schemes, and Basic Income”), Gorka Moreno (“What Does Basic Income Contribute to the Debate on Citizenship? A Synthesis Proposal”), Francisco Ramos (“Active Employment Policies and Basic Income: Substitutive or Complementary Solutions?”), Daniel Raventós (“What Do We Mean When We Say That Basic Income Is (or Is Not) Just? On Liberalisms and Republicanisms”), Sergi Raventós (“Crisis, Mental Health and Basic Income”), José Luis Rey (“Basic Income and 21st Century Democracy”), Luis Sanzo (“Basic Income and Social Protection in Spain”), and Camila Vollenweider (“Employee Domestic Labor and Gender Equity: An Inescapable Problem for the Feminist Discussion on Basic Income”).
Full references: CASASSAS, D. and RAVENTÓS, D. (eds.) (2011), La renta básica en la era de las grandes desigualdades [Basic income in the age of great inequalities], Barcelona: Montesinos, 343 pp, ISBN: 978-84-15216-27-8.
For further information: https://www.editorial-montesinos.com/detalleLibro.php?idLibro=284.
by Yannick Vanderborght | Mar 30, 2012 | News
On March 29, 2012, a general strike was organized in Spain. At this occasion, Daniel Raventós and Julie Wark published a short document in which they link the demands of Spanish workers to the idea of a basic income. The authors ask: “Would it be madness, in these times, to propose that every member of the population should have his or her material existence guaranteed by means of a completely unconditional cash transfer? By a basic income?”
The full English version is available at: https://www.nodo50.org/redrentabasica/textos/index.php?x=967
