Economist Samuel Bendahan (EPFL-Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) gives a conference on basic income at the ABC (20h15), 11 rue du Coq, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (https://www.abc-culture.ch/).
A recent interview with Bendahan is available at:
https://www.lecourrier.ch/le_revenu_universel_la_panacee_pour_sortir_de_l_orniere_capitaliste
The Swiss initiative Initiative Grundeinkommen is focusing on preparatory operations for a referendum to launch a nationwide Basic Income. In Switzerland, federal popular initiatives are not subject to judicial review as they amend the federal constitution. Promoters of popular initiatives have 18 months to collect at least 100,000 signatures. If they succeed, the initiative is put before the Swiss citizenry in a national vote. Daniel Häni, Enno Schmidt together with the newly-established foundation Stiftung Kulturimpuls and Agentur[mit]Grundeinkommen hope that a congress on Basic Income will be the next milestone in bringing Basic Income to the mind of a bedrock of people. The congress was held in Zurich on March 19th, 2011. Further information:
https://www.initiative-grundeinkommen.ch/
https://www.agenturmitgrundeinkommen.ch/
https://www.stiftung-kulturimpuls.ch/
Nenad Stojanovic, a Zurich-based Political scientist and member of the Socialist party, also published a short note on the Swiss basic income debate in the Socialist monthly Pages de gauche, issue 96, February 2011. See https://www.pagesdegauche.ch/
The Socialist Party of Switzerland (2nd party of the country in terms of seats in the Federal House of Representatives) has decided to include basic income in its new long-term platform, a platform which should inspire its action for the next decades. Furthermore, quite independently, one of Switzerland’s main trade-unions, SYNA, has also adopted a resolution asking for the implementation of an “unconditional basic income”.
For further information:
Socialist Party of Switzerland:
https://www.sp-ps.ch/fre
SYNA:
https://www.syna.ch/actualite/message/article/498/oui-au-reven.html
See also the following paper in the daily Le Courrier:
https://www.lecourrier.ch/index.php?name=NewsPaper&file=article&sid=447334
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)