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Vereniging Basisinkomen
The Vereniging Basisinkomen (association basic income), founded in 1991, is a Dutch association that promotes the introduction of a basic income. Both activists and scientists are members of the organization, as are politicians of various backgrounds. The association publishes the Nieuwsbrief Basisinkomen (basic income newsletter) several times a year, and is a member organization of the Basic Income Earth Network.
Support for a basic income in The Nederlands
Although advocates for a basic income can be found in all political movements in The Netherlands, open support has always come only from left and green political parties, like Recht en Vrijheid, the Politieke Partij Radicalen (PPR) and the Natuurwetpartij. The idea of a basic income was for some time supported by GroenLinks as well[1], which party included a proposal for a partial basic income in their election programme of 1998-2002.[2] In 2008, only De Groenen promoted a basic income.[3]
Werkplaats Basisinkomen
In 1985, the Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (WRR) advised the introduction of a partial basic income in The Netherlands. [4] This advice was not followed by the government. At the initiative of the food trade union Voedingsbond FNV, in response a number of political parties, trade unions and social organizations founded the Werkplaats Basisinkomen (basic income workplace) in 1987.[5]
Since the Werkplaats did not allow for personal membership, a few years later it was decided to replace it with an association, the Vereniging Vriendinnen en Vrienden van een Basisinkomen (association friends of a basic income), usually abbreviated to Vereniging Basisinkomen.[6]
Activities
The Vereniging Basisinkomen publishes the magazine Nieuwsbrief Basisinkomen (basic income newsletter) several times a year, with news, scientific contributions, opinions and interviews. In addition to basic income in The Netherlands, the newsletter regularly pays attention to developments abroad and to related topics. The association also holds study meetings on a regular basis.
In 1996, the association organized a two-day international congress on basic income in Noordwijk.[7] With the support of the University of Amsterdam, in 1998 the Vereniging Basisinkomen organized the 7th Biannual International Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network in Amsterdam.[8]
In January 2007 the association held a jubileum conference in Utrecht with the motto: Basisinkomen: een houdbaar ideaal (basic income: a tenable ideal).[9][10]
Proposals for a basic income
The Vereniging Basisinkomen points out that for most people, the introduction of a basic income would come down to a redefinition of (part of) their existing wage or social benefit, albeit that some levelling will take place. However, in the starting situation a number of people have no or only a small income of their own. The association names several possibilities to finance the introduction of a basic income, such as ecological taxation, land tax and a consumption levy.[11]
According to the association, the introduction of a basic income could happen along a variety of paths, like a gradual decrease of the retirement age, the withdrawal of conditions to receive welfare or social benefit and an extension of existing forms of negative income tax.[11] The association furthermore advocates for small-scale experiments with a basic income.[11]
In addition to the Natuurwetpartij[12] (since abolished) and De Groenen, the Belgian political party Vivant also recognizes the efforts of the association.[13]
External link
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