Basic Income Earth Network

The official site for the BIEN 2026 Congress is now live. It provides details on dates, venue, themes, speakers, and registration for the global gathering of researchers, advocates, and policymakers focused on basic income and related policy innovations. zurl.co/EJ5EG

Residents of Jangsu County in South Korea have received the first rural basic income payments under a new local programme. The initiative provides monthly cash as a means to support rural economies, reduce inequality and strengthen financial security zurl.co/s7eTy

An opinion in The Big Issue highlights Ireland’s Basic Income for Artists as a way to respect creativity and address economic pressures. Unconditional cash support affirms the value of creative work as AI reshapes labour markets and culture. zurl.co/cwgDm

The “Elevate Boulder” art exhibit in Boulder showcases stories from participants in the city’s two-year guaranteed income pilot. Unconditional cash helped residents meet basic needs like food, rent, and health care, reducing stress and promoting stability zurl.co/dpUOa

GUARANTEED INCOME POLICIES PROPOSED AT THE STATE LEVEL IN OVER HALF THE COUNTRY /PRNewswire/ -- As the affordability crisis continues to squeeze working families and an increasingly large majority of Americans struggle to make ends meet,...

Guaranteed income policies are being proposed at the state level in over half of the United States. State leaders in more than 20 states have introduced bills to explore recurring, unconditional cash programs as a response to affordability challenges. zurl.co/0RCK8

Marshall Islands launches first universal basic income scheme to stop outward migration - ABC News Citizens of the Marshall Islands will receive "free money" as the government launches a world-first universal basic income scheme. 

"Out of every 1,000 births, we have 300 deaths, and of the remaining 700, about 30 per cent migrate. If we can provide an incentive like UBI, it's an investment in our people." Mr Paul said the UBI program would offer citizens an incentive to stay. zurl.co/fYClF

Volunteer Opportunities in BIEN! We invite you to support us in advancing basic income worldwide. Roles include helping with communications, events, research, and outreach to strengthen the global movement for unconditional cash policies. Apply today! zurl.co/WL28J

Researchers in Luxembourg suggest Universal Basic Income (UBI) may mitigate AI’s impact on the workforce and strengthen economic security as automation reshapes labour markets, even as policy design and fiscal implications remain under study. zurl.co/G24ol

Happy New Year 2026 Basic Income Week Supporters | BIEN — Basic Income Earth Network

BIEN supporters marked the start of Basic Income Week 2026 with a global message of support for the basic income movement. Now you can vote till the end of February 2026 for a Motto to the 19th International Basic Income Week. zurl.co/gwZQ4

Transformative Justice in Conservation Finance: Basic Income for Nature and Climate (BINC) Robert Fletcher and colleagues present Basic Income for Nature and Climate (BINC), an innovative funding mechanism that directly addresses social justice and ecological conservation simultaneously.

Researchers and conservation advocates are exploring Basic Income for Nature and Climate (BINC). This proposal links regular, unconditional cash payments to biodiversity and climate finance to support communities in and around critical ecosystems. zurl.co/nDORL

Eighteenth-Century Takes on Basic Income - JSTOR Daily Universal basic income has gotten some serious twenty-first-century play, but the idea is hardly new.

Eighteenth-century thinkers wrestled with ideas similar to universal basic income long before modern debates. See how early philosophers and economists discussed unconditional support and social security in ways that echo today’s UBI conversations zurl.co/tfCr9

Ireland’s basic income for the arts scheme becomes permanent When piloted, initiative that provided €325 a week to eligible artists recouped more than its net cost, study shows

Ireland has made its Basic Income for the Arts scheme permanent, the first of its kind globally.
Under the programme, 2,000 selected artists will receive weekly, unconditional cash payments (€325) to support creative work and reduce financial insecurity. zurl.co/DavoG

Guaranteed Income Improves Food Security for Black Households in Georgia, Study Finds | Newswise Guaranteed income programs may reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition among low-income Black households in the state of Georgia, according to a new study led by the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. 

The In Her Hands pilot provided regular, unconditional cash over two years, and participants reported higher food security and better nutrition than comparison groups, evidence that steady cash transfers can directly reduce hunger and improve well-being. zurl.co/9F0SC

In The Atlantic, Andrew Yang’s advocacy for his “Freedom Dividend” is getting renewed attention in the context of AI-driven job loss and why UBI has yet to become mainstream despite growing concern about automation and economic insecurity. zurl.co/nLrBw

Opinion: New York families deserve more than survival. A guaranteed income will help. Pilot programs in Ithaca, Rochester and Mount Vernon show the value of providing cash support without strings attached.

Guaranteed income pilots evidence that recurring, unconditional payments have helped residents afford food and rent, reduce debt, and improve well-being. City & State NY argues such policies should be expanded to New York families. zurl.co/KV2IP

Universal Basic Income Ideas Surge as AI-Linked Layoffs Rise Learn how universal basic income is gaining traction with recent layoffs linked to artificial intelligence initiatives in major firms.

Discussions about Universal Basic Income are rising as AI-linked layoffs and automation reshape labour markets. Tech firms have cut tens of thousands of jobs, prompting renewed policy talks on UBI as a potential tool for economic security. zurl.co/5hZ5X

Bristol Unpacked: Ani Townsend discusses universal basic income Independent. Investigative. Indispensable.

Bristol Green councillor Ani Townsend discusses how Universal Basic Income could address inequality and support the arts. In a Bristol Unpacked interview, Townsend urged a government-funded UBI trial for creative workers and other groups in Bristol. zurl.co/JrCb9

UBI Piloters' Network Newsletter 25, Feb, 2026

Our February newsletter edition for the UBI piloters' Network is out! Here we share findings, best practices, and collaborations across UBI pilot efforts worldwide. Access and join our network through the link. zurl.co/zLqsU

The US is headed for mass unemployment, and no one is prepared Universal Basic Income is no longer a liberal fantasy but a stability mechanism in the face of AI-driven job displacement. It's time to face reality.

This article from The Hill argues AI could accelerate unemployment across sectors, making Universal Basic Income part of the policy response to protect economic security as labour markets evolve. zurl.co/kRgvZ

Universal basic income is needed to cushion blow from AI job losses, says UK minister Lord Jason Stockwood had previously suggested tech companies could pay windfall levy to fund payments

UK investment minister Lord Jason Stockwood says a Universal Basic Income may be needed to cushion job losses from AI as automation grows. He argues that rising AI adoption could eliminate jobs quickly and that UBI could act as a financial safety net zurl.co/kpQF6

Should artists get a basic income like they do in Ireland? Could the government pay salaries to musicians and artists - no strings attached like they do in Ireland?

The BBC reports on basic income for artists, spotlighting Ireland’s ongoing scheme. It highlights
that a guaranteed income could provide financial stability for creators and help sustain cultural work. zurl.co/MTeX3

Letter to the Editor: Only benefit to basic universal income Writer suggests Alberta should adopt a system of basic universal income.

In the letter to the editor, the author states the benefits of Basic Income in reducing poverty and saving taxpayer money by simplifying welfare and reducing administrative costs. It further provides dignity, stability and lowers long-term public spending.zurl.co/aKX9q

Will AI replace human jobs and make universal basic income necessary? Here's what AI leaders have said about UBI. Universal basic income, once a utopian ideal, has become a hot topic among AI leaders

As artificial intelligence increasingly automates tasks and reshapes labour markets, many experts view UBI—regular, unconditional cash—as a tool to protect economic security and address job displacement in the future zurl.co/PzJ4I

Essay | A Guaranteed Income Won’t Stop People From Wanting to Work Economists worry that a ‘universal basic income’ would make recipients lazier. Data from programs around the world suggests the opposite is true.

A Wall Street Journal article on guaranteed income wouldn’t stop people from wanting to work. It challenges the notion that unconditional cash makes people “lazy,” noting that employment incentives depend on broader economic and social conditions. zurl.co/NJa9c

Taiwan debuts its fiction basic income group at 2025 BIEN Congress | BIEN — Basic Income Earth Network

Taiwan has launched a Basic Income book, debuting it at the 2025 BIEN Congress.
The book centres on the idea of Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) and brings together eight short stories and one short comic that explore near- and far-future worlds. zurl.co/qzO58

Notre Dame reports success of guaranteed basic income program — will it go national? - OSV News Guaranteed basic income, also known as universal basic income, is one of the more contested threads in America's social safety net.

Notre Dame reports positive results from its guaranteed basic income pilot, linked to improved financial stability for participants. Early findings suggest regular, unconditional cash can reduce hardship and support well-being. zurl.co/SQEAU

A decision has reluctantly been reached to relocate the 2026 BIEN Congress from University of Pennsylvania, USA, to Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada, August 19-22
More info to follow
zurl.co/FTvF6

Bristol City Council will ask the UK Government to support a universal basic income trial.
The proposal calls for a pilot to test regular, unconditional cash payments as a way to improve financial security and reduce poverty. zurl.co/YrcVv

Hoboken’s mayor has signed an executive order to create a Guaranteed Basic Income Task Force.
It will explore how direct, regular cash payments strengthen economic security and reduce inequality for residents, advancing research and implementation. zurl.co/z2abN

Martin Luther King Jr. was ahead of his time in pushing for universal basic income The policy of providing guaranteed cash incomes has gained momentum in recent years. This tool to tackle inequality has the potential to address racial resentment.

Martin Luther King Jr. championed Universal Basic Income as a moral and economic necessity long before it became a mainstream policy debate. He saw guaranteed income as a way to eliminate poverty and expand freedom by ensuring basic needs are met. zurl.co/sjCjY