Basic Income Conference 2016
Social Justice Ireland’s 2016 Social Policy Conference (which took place at Croke Park on November 22nd) centred around the topic of basic income in Ireland and throughout Europe. It was titled Basic Income: Radical Utopia or Practical Solution? and explored current thinking about basic income in both the global and Irish contexts. The conference was chaired by Michael Clifford of the Irish Examiner.
The purpose of this page is to draw together, in one handy space, all the associated literature and video material from the day. Click on the name of each presentation topic (below) to view the text of the paper, or click here to access the conference booklet in its entirety, containing all papers presented on the day. Click on the name of the speaker to access the handy summary graphic. There is also a high quality video of each of the presentations, responses, and roundtable discussions.
Among the themes addressed were:
- The role of basic income with respect to citizenship rights and responsibilities;
- How a basic income provides a route to a more inclusive, equal, and creative society;
- The international experience on implementing a basic income, highlighting experiments planned for countries such as Finland and the Netherlands;
- Possibilities for implementing a basic income here in Ireland.
The conference was divided into two main sessions: one on the international state of the basic income movement, with a focus on some current experiments, and one on the potential for basic income in Ireland.
Session One: International Context and Experiments
Basic Income: Radical Utopia or Practical Solution?
Seán Healy and Brigid Reynolds
Citizen’s Basic Income – Is It Feasible?
Municipal Basic Income-related Experiments in the Netherlands
A Right to Housing? The Case for a Universal Housing Subsidy
A response to this international context was then given by Ursula Barry.
Session Two: Basic Income and Ireland
Pathways to a Basic Income System
Basic Income and Transformative Strategies
Costing a Basic Income for Ireland
Though he didn't present on it at the conference, Seán Ward also had his paper entitled History and Recent Developments of Basic Income in Ireland included in the conference book.
A response to the Irish proposals was then given by Roisin Mulligan of Basic Income Ireland.
A roundtable discussion then took place with Michael Taft, Roisin Mulligan, Ville-Veikko Pulkka, Sjir Hoeijmakers and Seán Healy
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