'Washington, DC, October 25, 2024 – The Income To Support All Foundation (ITSA), founded by globally renowned Universal Basic Income (UBI) expert Scott Santens, is proud to announce the successful completion of its $1.5 million fundraising goal for 2024. This milestone was achieved through a generous $500,000 grant and a matching $500,000 donation contingent upon raising an additional $500,000, which was accomplished with smaller grants from mission-aligned nonprofits and the help of individual supporters.

Approaching its third year of operation, ITSA Foundation remains committed to its mission “to support ambitious projects that help realize a foundation of unconditional universal basic income (UBI) through research, storytelling, and implementation.” After raising $53,000 in its first year, the Foundation’s success in hitting this year’s ambitious fundraising goal reflects remarkable growth in both reach and fundraising capacity.

To read the full press release, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/income-to-support-all-foundation-reaches-1-5-million-fundraising-goal/

'An International Memorandum “Basic income as a necessary component of a socio-ecological transformation and key element for climate justice” has been signed by BIEN.

At its General Assembly in Bath, UK, BIEN decided to sign the International Memorandum “Basic income as a necessary component of a socio-ecological transformation and key element for climate justice”.

The Memorandum, meanwhile signed by 39 Organizations and Initiatives and 47 academics and activists worldwide, was sent to the Club of Rome and will be sent to different UN-Organizations and Representatives. 

To read the memorandum in English, click here.

To read the memorandum in German, click here.

To read the memorandum in Spanish, click here.

To read the memorandum in French, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/basic-income-as-a-necessary-component-of-a-socio-ecological-transformation-and-key-element-for-climate-justice/

'Buford Farris, a stalwart of the basic income movement, died peacefully at aged 98 in Austin, Texas on October 5, 2024. His work was important in keeping the movement for a basic income guarantee alive during the difficult days in the late twentieth century and in building the movement again in the early years of the U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network.

To read more click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/stalwart-of-the-basic-income-movement-buford-farris-has-died-at-98/

'Social protection schemes should be implemented to
the fullest extent possible, without excessive targeting or
conditionalities. Universal basic income schemes should be
seriously considered, and pilots carefully evaluated, given their
role in providing economic security and predictability.

Read the full two-page summary report by clicking here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/the-burnout-economy-poverty-and-mental-health-summary-report/

'Photo: Skorzewiak/shutterstock.com

Recent UBI trials reveal that guaranteed income provides immediate mental health relief, but sustaining long-term benefits may depend on lasting economic security.

Interest is surging in the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) – a regular income paid by the government to each adult member of society, regardless of their personal or financial circumstances. But can it achieve its stated goals of reducing poverty, improving working conditions and increasing well-being? Thanks to a global flurry of pilot programmes putting these claims to the test, answers to this question are starting to trickle in.

To read the full article, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/can-universal-basic-income-really-improve-mental-health/

'A universal basic income (UBI) is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all individuals, without means testing or work requirements. Today, a broad variety of ideas surrounding the topic of UBI circulate globally, leading to debates, suggestions, and experimentation, but not to the implementation of what is seen as a “full UBI.” Instead, basic income proposals differ among many dimensions, goals, and localities. Since the early 2000s, a curious trend can be observed in the Global South in this context: With the rise of conditional cash transfers (CCTs), the focus on conditionalities and targeting as development and poverty reduction tools has significantly influenced possible dealings with UBI ideas. But UBI scholars and advocates have influenced the CCT discourse likewise, for example, through the BIG grant in Namibia, the initiative of GiveDirectly in Kenya, the UBI pilot in Madhya Pradesh, India, or the intermingling of UBI advocacy with the social protection program Bolsa Familia in Brazil.

This winter school explores the multifaceted topic of UBI in the context of the Global South, providing an overview of the specific contexts, challenges, and outcomes of UBI pilots and experiments, as well as related and inspired policies and initiatives. It will explore the political and ethical considerations surrounding the debates on UBI in countries of the Global South, including the topics of social rights, equity, and the role of government intervention. Through a variety of case studies, it aims to create a critical understanding of the potential and limitations of UBI as a tool for social and economic transformation in so-called ‘developing countries.’

Attendance is free and can participation is welcome in person and online. Please register here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/new-ubi-bath-winter-school-basic-income-in-the-global-south/

'This two-hour conversation with Dr. Karina Dotson and Dr. Elizabeth Rhodes will see the researchers behind the pioneering OpenResearch Unconditional Basic Income Pilot to present their initial results. This pilot was one of the largest UBI pilots to date and has generated significant media interest due to its scale, quality, and association with OpenAI Founder, Sam Altman. The pilot randomly assigned 1000 individuals to receive $1000 per month and 2000 individuals to receive $50 per month for three years. The study has involved multiple rounds of survey and in-depth qualitative research looking at impacts on work, wellbeing, health, education, and more. The session will combine an extended presentation and ample time for questions.

When? 3pm UK Time, Weds Nov 13th

Where: For the Zoom link, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/openresearch-unconditional-cash-study-research-insights-and-early-learnings/

'“Building on previous experience in Uganda, the Belgian organisation Eight World vzw started in October 2021, an Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) pilot project in a village in an artisanal mining zone in the territory of Pangi, in Maniema province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Eight World transfers cash directly to individual beneficiaries via a mobile money system. Each adult living in the UCT village received 20 USD per month via her/his phone, for two years, and each child in the village received monthly 10 USD during the same period. The beneficiaries were free to decide how to spend the money, not constrained by pre-specified requirements.”

To read the report, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/report-on-unconditional-cash-transfers-pilot-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/

'Increasing calls for reform to welfare provision have seen growing support for basic income (BI) – the unconditional provision of cash transfers to all. As a result, recent years have seen an exponential increase in the number of pilot experiments of BI, across all parts of the world. However, to date, there has been little discussion of the ethical considerations of such experiments. This paper is the outcome of a workshop whereby BI piloters came together to discuss such ethical considerations, share case studies, and begin to formulate general principles to guide ethical BI experiments. The paper discusses the ethical considerations relevant to the various stages of a pilot experiment and concludes with some general principles: to do-no-harm, maintain respect, dignity, and agency; mitigate power inequalities, promote trust and transparency, and ensure substantive unconditionality. The paper hopes to stimulate discussions towards an ethical protocol for better practice in BI experiments and provide a useful resource to those working on, or interested in, BI research.

To read the report click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/new-report-on-the-ethics-of-basic-income-piloting/

'In the first first episode of Response Cast, the host, Paulo Sodré, is joined by Jurgen De Wispelaere, a Belgian political theorist turned public policy scholar, specializing in the political economy of UBI. He’s a Visiting Fellow at the University of Bath (UK) and the Research Coordinator of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN). Jurgen is deeply involved in UBI research, including initiatives in Brazil, and has published extensively on the subject. He also leads the UBIdata project. But most importantly, he brings a unique blend of insight and humor to the conversation, making complex topics not just understandable but truly fascinating – as you will soon find out!

In this episode, we dive into:

• What UBI really means and the debates around its impacts,

• Jurgen’s journey into the world of UBI and how his views have evolved over time,

• Real-world UBI initiatives, like the case of Maricá, in Brazil.

Listen to the podcast at Spotify & Apple Podcasts'

​

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/10/new-podcast-features-an-episode-on-ubi/

'Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, sent me his most recent report (attached). As you will see, §§ 54-57 contain a strong plea for UBI.

To view the report, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/new-un-report-calls-for-ubi/

'The FRIBIS Annual Conference 2024 will take place from October 7 to 9. It will
explore partial basic income models and their integration into existing welfare state
systems. The goal is to identify practical approaches to advance the political
feasibility of an unconditional basic income. The conference will focus on topics such
as social security, sustainability and international perspectives. It will also consider
whether partial models can lead to a comprehensive basic income as well as the
insights that can be drawn from previous pilot projects.
Registration is now open. The event will be held both face-to-face in Freiburg and
online in a hybrid format. The preliminary program is available on the  conference
website .
Detailed information about the keynotes by Prof. Alexander Spermann, Prof.
Bernhard Neumärker, Prof. Fabio Waltenberg and Prof. Jörg Althammer is provided
below.
More information can be found here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/registration-now-open-for-the-fribis-annual-conference-2024/

'Project DEEP, incorporated in 2023, is the only organization in India implementing unconditional and direct cash transfers for poverty relief. DEEP’s mission is to transfer money directly to people, so that they can carve their own path towards prosperity.

Compelling global evidence demonstrates that this is an effective and scalable model of development. And the recent government movement towards cash transfer programs in India suggest that it is growing to be a preferred tool of social and economic policy.

DEEP aims to build a centre of excellence to spur innovation and build a strong narrative in the space of cash transfers. For this DEEP is building local evidence through program implementation, forming a community of practice to experiment new ideas with peers, and engaging with policy influencers to further strengthen welfare systems.

To read DEEP’s Annual Assessment of its work, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/project-deep-report-on-cash-transfers-in-india/

'A recent study published in Basic Income Studies, “Exploring young people’s attitudes towards basic income”, has found that a large proportion of young people in the Basque Country are supportive of Basic Income (UBI) as a policy that could address pressing social and economic challenges. The research surveyed over 1,200 individuals aged between 18 and 35, revealing that 68% of respondents are in favour of UBI, with many seeing it as a potential solution to growing job insecurity and economic instability.

To read the full press release on the study, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/new-study-reveals-strong-interest-in-basic-income-among-young-people-in-the-basque-country/

'At its most recent congress, BIEN launched UBIdata, an innovative new tool with a mission to match reliable information about basic income with a rapidly growing global user base of individuals and organisations eager to learn more.

UBIdata gathers, processes and displays data about basic income pilots and experiments, survey and micro-simulations, political and media debates, and the development of grassroots organisations and networks. When completed, UBIdata will feature different interfaces and tools for interested audiences to engage with available information to meet their diverse needs and demands.

UBIdata is an ambitious project which is currently in its prototype starting phase. The current beta-version focuses on collecting and disseminating key data of a small selection of pilots and experiments in six countries. In its starting phase, the goal is to demonstrate and test the utility and user experience of the project on a small scale. 

You can get involved and support us by sharing UBIdata with your networks, by trying out the tool, and by providing feedback at contact@ubidata.io. Your input and suggestions are vital for making UBIdata a helpful tool for everyone interested in the basic income idea.
Visit us at http://ubidata.io.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/ubidata-data-for-basic-income-research-and-policy/

'On September 24th at 6pm EST Equal Right, in collaboration with the Cap and Share Climate Alliance (CASCA), will be hosting an event as part of NYC Climate Week 2024 titled ‘How can Universal Basic Income Aid a Just Transition?’

The event will take place at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College (2180 3rd Ave), and it would be great to have you there (in person or virtually, via Zoom).

Full details of the event, including ticket registration, can be found here. 

If you’re able, we’d also really appreciate any help you can offer to promote the event, including doing any of the following:

Quote share this tweet (suggested quote: ‘@EqualRightOrg are hosting this event on UBI and Just Transition as part of NYC Climate Week –  check it out if you can! 

Repose this LinkedIn post with your thoughts.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/how-can-universal-basic-income-aid-a-just-transition/

'Below you will find links to folders of photographs I took at the 2024 BIEN Congress held at the University of Bath on August 29-31. Not all sessions are covered.

2024-08-29 BIEN Congress Day 1

2024-08-29 BIEN Congress Day 2

2024-08-29 BIEN Congress Day 3

Click on the links to view and download the photos that are all in .jpg format and under 10 MB in size.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/photos-from-all-three-days-of-the-2024-bien-congress/

'Below you will find the full text of Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy’s planned address at the closing ceremony of 2024 BIEN Congress at the University of Bath, UK, on August 31, 2024. He was conscious that he had to respect the ten-minute time limit set by the organization of the Congress for his oral exposition, but for the record he considered that it would important to provide a fuller account of the long journey toward making UBI a reality in Brazil, where the 2025 Congress will be held.

To read the full text, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/09/eduardo-suplicys-speech-at-the-closing-ceremony-2024-bien-congress/

'To view and download 49 Photos, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/photos-from-day-1-of-bath-congress/

'On 8 August 2024, the Basic Income Earth Network submitted input for the United Nations

Secretary-General’s report on the 2025 Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture, upon

invitation of the United Nations (UN) Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO). This proposal

was endorsed by over 125 affiliates and partner organisations from 46 countries who joined

their organisational commitment behind BIEN’s call for the consideration of basic income as

a peacebuilding instrument.

To read the full press release, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/bien-press-release-biens-submission-to-the-2025-review-of-the-peacebuilding-architecture/

'The recent riots in English urban areas and in Northern Ireland were precipitated by racism,

extremist nationalism and religious bigotry. That’s what everybody sees, and everyone is

responding to. However, the unseen underlying cause of such attitudes and behaviour is

chronic economic insecurity, just as lurches to the far right in other countries have been due

to economic insecurity and the growth of the new mass class, the precariat, whose lives are

mired in insecurity, instability, precarity and debt. When people are insecure, it’s easy to

induce them to believe the lie that other vulnerable groups are to blame for their precarity.

To read the full release, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/bien-press-release-responding-to-disturbances-why-a-basic-income-is-vital/

'“Universal Basic Income (UBI) policies have the potential to promote a wide range of public health objectives by providing those who qualify with direct cash payments. One overlooked mechanism of particular importance to health researchers is the possibility that guaranteed income might increase consultation of primary and preventive care (e.g., annual doctors’ visits; regular vaccination against infectious disease) by providing people with both the time and monetary resources to do so, thereby improving general health.

This study assesses the effects of an exogenous shock to Alaska’s UBI payments to all state residents: a 2022 decision to reclassify dividend “energy relief” provisions as non-taxable (thereby increasing payments by approximately $2,000 inflation-adjusted dollars). It estimates quasi-experimental treatment effects (in 2022 vs. 2021) via mixed linear probability models that compare pre/post policy change in primary care seeking behavior in Alaska vs. the US adult population; controlling for respondent-level fixed effects and state-level random effects. Data were collected in 2021-2022, and analyzed in 2024.”

To read more, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/exogenous-increases-in-basic-income-provisions-increase-preventive-health-seeking-behavior/

'July 2024

Table of Contents:

​

1. Recommendation by Annie Miller and Toru Yamamori
2. Behind the recommendation: by Toru Yamamori
3. Personal thought 1: by Annie Miller
4. Personal thought 2: by Toru Yamamori
5. Chronological overview related to the matter: by Toru Yamamori 
6. Papers presented at open forums: Télémaque Masson-Récipon, Annie Miller, Malcolm Torry, Karl Widerquist, Toru Yamamori

​

1. Recommendation by Annie Miller and Toru Yamamori

As almost all of us know, there have been diverse understandings of what ‘basic’ in the term ‘basic income’ means. (See the section 4 of this report). Also, BIEN has experienced internal debates on BIEN’s definition of basic income since 2014 onwards. (See section 5 of the report). The setting up of a working group on Clarification for Basic Income Definition (CBID) was decided at the GA, in August 2019, and Annie Miller and Toru Yamamori were asked to co-chair CBID. We immediately started to discuss how to proceed, communicating with EC on the one hand, and with keen volunteers (notably Ali Mutlu Köylüoğlu and Télémaque Masson-Récipon) on the other. We have had 15 online open forums both within and outside of BIEN Congresses, since 2021.

We have agreed through our discussions that:

–  Some historical materials, which originally appeared on the BIEN homepage, but which have since disappeared, should be returned to the homepage.

–  Confusion has arisen through diverse usage of the term ‘basic income’.

–  BIEN could help to avoid future confusion by hosting further academic discussion on its website, (as academic as we possibly can, although sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish ‘academic’ from ‘political’).

–  Thorough academic discussion should precede any eventual recommendation, (if any), to change BIEN’s current definitive statement.

–  The views of members are so divided about some aspects of the definition, that one group or another would be unhappy whichever version were adopted. 

–   We have had fruitful discussions on how to house / chart different understandings of basic income and reached a consensus about the usefulness of putting some explanation visible on the definition page of BIEN homepage. We would like to have some time to draft such explanation.

2) Behind the recommendation: by Toru Yamamori

The following concrete proposals to change the definition have been made so far: [...]'

Read more at: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/interim-report-of-the-bien-working-group-on-the-clarification-of-basic-income-definition/

'We have fantastic news to share: Oregon Rebate has qualified for the November 2024 ballot as Measure 118! 

Measure 118 will increase the minimum corporate tax rate after $25 million of in-state revenue by 3%. The proposed increase will raise at least $6 billion annually, which will generate $1,600 rebates for all 4.2 million Oregonians each year once fully implemented in 2027, according to estimates from the Legislative Revenue Office’s report. 

$1,600 per year for a four-person household is $6,400 a year! Lump-sum payments like this can be enough to break debt trap cycles that keep Oregonians in poverty. The measure is projected to decrease the overall poverty rate in Oregon by 36% and childhood poverty by 53%. Together, we can make this possible by demanding that corporations finally pay their fair share. 

Currently, the largest and most profitable corporations manage to pay minimal to no income taxes through various distortion tactics, using tax credits and incentives, or structuring maneuvers that minimize tax liabilities. Recent reports revealed that 34% of the largest corporations do not pay a single dollar in federal income tax. And despite reporting profits, seventeen major corporations, like Tesla and T-Mobile, not only paid no federal income tax over five years but received refunds. These same corporations paid their top executives a cumulative $5.3 billion over the same period in which they paid zero dollars to support essential public services or local aid.

If corporations can afford to rebate themselves, they can afford to rebate Oregonians. 

Corporations like Comcast and their special interest supporters often use scare tactics like the threat of price increases when fairer corporate tax increases are on the ballot. But this is a distraction from their record-breaking profits. Corporate profits in 2023 were [...]'

Read more at: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/breaking-oregon-rebate-has-qualified-as-measure-118/

'This week the European TV channel ARTE has put out a long documentary, shown around Europe, based on a three-hour interview they did with Guy Standing some months ago. They followed it up by talking to people in Germany, France, Spain, Austria and Sweden, letting them make points Guy had made in the interview. They have the better ability to articulate what it is like to be in the precariat. Guy had repeated in the interview his prediction that unless governments offer their citizens basic economic security there will be more far-right violence.

To view the 90-minute video, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/working-but-poor/

'As a tool that speaks to 7 out of the 17 SDGs, basic income pilots have shown transformative effects in communities. This blog post calls for a systematic consideration of this tool in social protection schemes across humanitarian, development and peacebuilding settings.

Basic income, aka universal basic income, is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all usual legal residents in a given territory on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirements, over a prolonged period of time. It is different from traditional cash transfers, which are often targeted according to vulnerability thresholds, can be conditional, are not always regular, and can take forms other than cash. These distinctions are behind the transformative effects basic income has had in communities where it was tested.

To read the full article, click here'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/basic-income-as-an-innovative-social-protection-tool/

'Scott Santens has recorded a video version of his article.

To view it on YouTube, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/video-version-of-scot-santens-article-on-altman-pilot/

'1. Chair and Vice-Chair Report

2. Treasurer Report

3. Secretary Report

4. Hubs Coordinator Report

5. Research Coordinator Report

6. Social Media, Features Editor, News Editor Reports

7. Affiliates Coordinator Report

Table of Contents 

To read the full report, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/ec-2024-report/

'By Guy Standing

In July 2024, the National Bureau of Economic Research issued a report from the researchers on an income-transfer project conducted in Illinois and Texas. It has generated global attention, with some commentators saying it undermines the case for basic income, others that it supports the case for it.

This note is a critique of the project, and one point should be made very firmly at the outset:  This experiment was not a test of basic income. Anybody claiming otherwise is either unfamiliar with the concept of basic income or is being disingenuous.

To be fair on the researchers, the title of their main report refers to a ‘guaranteed income’, not a basic income. But as far as I can see none of the researchers has rebutted the interpretation by critics. Moreover, as this writer knows, having been involved in the initial discussions of the project in Stanford University, the initial researchers knew they could not do a proper basic income pilot.    

To read the full article, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/a-us-basic-income-experiment-that-wasnt/

'The results of one of the biggest basic income experiments ever came out in July 2024, and as usual, the nuances of the findings are lost among the voices of those loudly proclaiming basic income doesn’t work. This one is the three-year pilot of Sam Altman’s that provided $1,000 a month to 1,000 people in Texas and Illinois and compared that group to a control group of 2,000 people who got $50 a month. Every participant was between the ages of 21 and 40. In this article, I will explain the nuances and how the results of this pilot provide some new info but mostly replicate the findings of previous experiments going back to the 1970s and only further demonstrate that what’s at stake here is real freedom and the perceived danger it poses to those who benefit from the widespread lack of that freedom.

To read the full article, click here.'

From: https://basicincome.org/news/2024/08/did-sam-altmans-basic-income-experiment-succeed-or-fail/