Who are we? What do we want?

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Who are we? What do we want?

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BIEN-Switzerland is a no profit organization, with no political labels, founded in 2001 in Geneva.

Its name comes for Basic Income Earth Network, the global network it coordinates with.

"The goal of the association is exploring and promoting the concept and practice of basic income, in Switzerland and elsewhere. " (Art. 2 of the Statute)

The Association is committed to a different approach in social policies, one that might at least partially replace the existing insurance and social assistance schemes with a new model that better fits with the evolution of the economic system.

The association currently counts more than two hundred members, all across Switzerland.

Association's resources are membership fees, donations, financial support from organizations of public interest for specific projects and especially volunteer committees and active members coming from other organizations.

BIEN Switzerland publishes specialized books, periodic newsletters and 2010's book "How to finance a Basic Income." BIEN's publications are bilingual (French / German). Some documents are also available in Italian.

The association actively supports the introduction of a basic income in Switzerland, event together with (DE) Federal Popular Initiative for Unconditional Basic Income's committee.

Committee

Ralph Kundig
President

Gabriel Barta
Vice president

Jean-Philippe Bezat

Mathieu Despont

Bernard Genoud
Treasurer

Bernard Kundig

Magali Orsini

Martino Rossi

How to join BIEN Switzerland

Anyone who accept the purpose of the association and pay the annual fee may become a member.

The ordinary annual membership fee is CHF 50.- The member may also choose to pay the reduced fee CHF 20.- or the supporter's fee CHF 100.- (ore more…) . The call to pay is sent in May, along with the invitation to the Annual General Meeting.

For budget reasons, most of BIEN-Switzerland's communications are sent by e -mail. Those who do not have an e-mail address will receive our news through the postal service.

Registration form to become a member

Talks, conversations and seminars

We organize informative sessions about unconditional basic income, including the screening of a documentary film followed by a discussion. We are also happy to answer any invitation coming from associations, universities, social institutions, or any group interested in our presentations.

BIEN's History

Each year, BIEN.CH offers public information sessions, internal training, publishes articles and drives its digital presence. In addition to these regular activities, here are some of its exceptional activities:

2001	Foundation of BIEN-Suisse.
2002	BIEN's International congress organized in Geneva.
2003	Campaign with the candidates to Federal Elections.
2004	BIEN published : «Basic Income for all» in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (I.L.O.).
2005	Round table in Zurich with many experts and professors. BIEN attends the 1st german-speaking congress on Basic Income in Wien.
2006	BIEN attended the "kick-off" seminar organized by the Initiative Grundeinkommen (DE) in Romainmôtier. Present in 11th congress of "Basic Income Earth Network" (B.I.E.N.) in Capetown, South Africa. Our chart painting the broad strokes of our visions for basic income, and recapitulating the reason for its necessity gets written.
2007	Our first paper (DE/FR) about basic income is published. Round table organized in Zurich with Dieter Althaus, Minister-President of Thuringe, supporting basic income. BIEN co-organizes the 2nd German-speaking congress (DE) on Basic Income, in Basel.
2008	Our second paper (DE/FR) about basic income is published. Seminar organized in Lausanne. BIEN co-organizes the 3rd German-speaking congress (DE) on Basic Income, in Berlin.
2009	First bulletin launched. Collective proposition (FR) addressed to the Constituent Assembly of the Canton de Genève; collection of 1876 signatures.
2010	BIEN organized in Berne a conference conference (DE/FR) with Herbert Jauch, from "Labour Research and Resources Institute" (LaRRI), Namibie. Co-organisation of an European petition with on-line signature collection. Our book How to finance a Basic Income (DE/FR) gets published. Round table (in french) organized at Geneva University with Prof. Sandro Cattacin and National Counselor Joseph Zysiadis.
2011	Screening-debate Basic Income: a cultural impulse (DE/FR) at the festival of sustainable development. Article (FR) published on REISO (in french), a magazine of social information.
2012	Support and signature collection for a Federal Popular Initiative.
2013	Following of the collection and submission of signatures in Bern for the Federal People's Initiative. Organisation of Basic income spring (FR), a festival of events ended by a large debate at the Salle Piaget UNI-GE around Philippe Van Parijs and other political figures: Social Justice in the 21st century (FR) Publication of the book by Bernard Kundig, Vice President of BIEN-Switzerland: Towards a truly liberal economy (FR). Numerous public presentations, including a drive-debate in the context of The furor of reading (FR) in Geneva.
2014	Support of swiss French group Génération RBI (FR) of activism for the campaign. Publication of a detailed presentation dossier of a presentation on the basic income and the federal initiative. Upgrade of this website bien.ch in four languages DE-FR-IT-EN and launch of two other sites to support the organization of our activities. Representation of Switzerland at the conference 'Unconditional Basic Income: emancipating European Welfare at European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels. Articles and interviews in national and international media.
2015	Creation of the new national association Swiss Campaign for an Unconditional Basic Income. ARTIAS dossier "The unconditional basic income, the social security of the 21st century" signed by our President Ralph Kundig. Conference and information stand at the Alternatiba-Léman Festival. Drafting and submission of the motion "An unconditional basic income in Lausanne" by our Committee Member Laurent Rebeaud. TedX "Crises, What Crises?" in La Rochelle/FR by our Committee Member Anne-Béatrice Duparc. Issue of A Contrario on basic income (FR)with two articles by Ralph Kundig and Anne-Béatrice Duparc, and Serge Margel.
2016	Creation of the official website for the federal initiative. Production and publication of our ten-page information leaflet, "What would you do with your life if you no longer had to earn your living?", our full-colour (FR) information folder and multiple multimedia content for the vote on the federal initiative. (FR) RTS Infrarouge debate on the federal vote: support for the initiative by our President Ralph Kundig, economist Prof. Serge Rossi and Green Party MP Lisa Mazzone. (FR-DE) Invitation by the Mexican Senate to our Presidency to present the Swiss UBI project. Guinness World Record for the largest poster in the world, presented in Geneva: "What work would you do if your income was assured?"
2017	Invitation to Bern by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to present our campaign to French-speaking journalists from France Inter, La Tribune, L'Obs, Le Point, L'Express and Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace. Invitation to Paris by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy and the Ministry of Housing and Sustainable Housing for the "Happiness at Work" conference, re-examining the value of work and the link between work and remuneration.
2018	Campaign for the federal initiative for a full currency in the run-up to the vote. Collaboration in the launch of the federal initiative for a microtax. Production and presentation of a poster at the RBI International Congress in Tampere, Finland. Support for the pilot project in Rheinau through participatory financing (crowdfunding?). Participation of our Vice-President Gabriel Barta in the launch of a new European Citizens' Initiative.
2019	Preparation of a legislative text for a second federal UBI initiative. Collaboration with the Greens-GE for the drafting of a motion for a pilot experiment of the UBI in Geneva. (FR-DE-IT) Wide-ranging UBI awareness survey submitted to all national election candidates. Collective proposal addressed to the Valais Constituent Assembly to introduce the principle of the UBI in the new constitution of the Canton.
2020	"A basic income to deal with future crises?" (FR) Interview with Ralph Kundig on the RTS programme "Naviguons à vue".
2021	Writing of an article for the European Green paper, the movement of European ecologists, signed by Pierre Eckert, MEP and Ralph Kundig. Campaign to collect signatures for the federal initiative n°2 for a UBI. Presentation to the Economic Commission of the cantonal parliament of Geneva in favour of the motion for a pilot experiment that it is in charge of examining.

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Basic Income Earth Network - Switzerland

Basic Income Earth Network - Switzerland