As we announced last June, the proposed motion, “A pilot experiment of unconditional basic income (UBI) in Geneva”, was tabled on 11 September 2019 in the Geneva cantonal parliament (Grand Conseil) by a group of deputies from the Greens and the Socialist Party (SP).

The text of this motion calls on the government (Conseil d'État): [+]

Press release

EQUALITY IS ACHIEVED THROUGH

THE UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME

The Green Party calls for the establishment of a pilot experiment for the introduction of a UBI in the canton of Geneva

While more than a third of Geneva's men and women voted for the unconditional basic income three years ago, today, on the eve of the women's strike on June 14, the Green and BIEN-Switzerland are proposing a pilot experiment for Geneva: the unconditional basic income (UBI) as a central tool for equality.

The UBI is not only an excellent means of ensuring a better redistribution of wealth among the population, as well for women than men, but also makes it possible to rethink our relationship at work completely and to value unpaid activities, which are essential to social cohesion. The UBI thus makes it possible to better reconcile professional life, training, family life, associative and political life and free time for all. [+]

Attachment: 

Communiqué de presse des Vert-e-s genevois et BIEN-Suisse

A majority of residents in Rheinau have agreed to an experiment with an “unconditional basic income”, which will last a year and is intended to be the subject of a documentary film to be directed by the writer-director Rebecca Panian. The team around the director which is behind the pilot study prefers not to be dependent on either the taxpayer or private sponsors. Thus everyone is invited to support the project financially.

Over six million francs need to be collected by 4 December 2018! Why so much? The sum is based on the total needed for a basic income for a year for the 770 participants. The payments would be made at the beginning of each month, as would be the case in real life. The organizing team works on a volunteer basis and is not included in the budget. If any money is left over at the end of the experiment, a poll will be conducted among the contributors to decide democratically how the remaining amount should be used.

The parameters of the pilot study are as follows *: [+]

Produced by BIEN-Switzerland, this poster was among those of other affiliated organizations at the 18th Annual BIEN (International) Congress in Tampere, Finland.

Summary

On the 5th of June 2016, a fourth of the Swiss population voted in favor of a citizen federal initiative proposing to introduce the principle of the Universal Basic Income into the Swiss Constitution. After this significant milestone and based on the resulting fresh understanding of the UBI principles by the population and the political actors, actions have been taken to launch some pilot experiments in the country.

BIEN-Switzerland has actively supported the UBI initiative as well as other initiatives of the same type which may ease the introduction of the UBI at any level. Besides this activity, our organization proposes introductory lectures on the UBI and issues surrounding it, the setting up of experimental pilot projects, workshops on the themes of possible methods of practical implementation, benefits/limits/drawbacks of experiments and the formulation of a likely new federal initiative. [+]

Attachment: 

Affiche de BIEN-CH pour Tampere/Finland