In search of a sane economy

Published in: 15 October 2019 Written by: Philippe Van Parijs All articles by: Philippe Van Parijs

Could degrowth, community, and basic income create a sane economy? An interview with one of the godfathers of the basic income movement, Phillippe Van Parijs.

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Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Basic income, not tied benefits, for Australia’s First Nations

7 October 2019

Written by: Elise Klein All articles by Elise Klein

Could a basic income finally bring an end to Australia’s paternalistic treatment of First Nations peoples? An...
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Why not give people money for nothing?

9 October 2019

Written by: Liz Fouksman All articles by Liz Fouksman

Needing to work for your money is central to modern morality, but should it be? An interview with Liz Fouksman, a...
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Basic income denied in Ontario

4 October 2019

Written by: Jessie Golem All articles by Jessie Golem

A change in government brought a basic income pilot in Canada to an abrupt halt, causing chaos and turmoil amongst...
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
The radical combination of degrowth and basic income

2 October 2019

Written by: Gabriela Cabaña All articles by Gabriela Cabaña

We work too hard to produce too much stuff, and we’re destroying the planet in the process. An interview with...
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery
Basic income is paving a path to freedom in Kenya

30 September 2019

Written by: Caroline Teti All articles by Caroline Teti

Kenya is running the world’s most ambitious basic income pilot yet, but will its results be enough to forge a whole...

Universal basic income: a way through the storm?

Exploited workers – including those labelled by authorities as ‘victims of trafficking’ or as ‘modern slaves’ – typically consent to the work that they do, however abusive or unpleasant, because it represents the best or only option they have of making the money they need. This has been shown in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America.

This begs the question: if we really want to end ‘modern slavery’, and indeed if we’re serious about protecting people from all forms of exploitation, then why not ensure that everyone always has a minimum amount of money in their pocket such that they can say no to bad work?

This isn’t a rhetorical question. Social protection scholars have long made the case that we should ‘just give money to the poor’ if we want to help them, and that doing so is cheaper, more effective and more humane than traditional policies which are costly, complicated and often regressively conditional. Basic income advocates say the same things. A basic income is defined as a regular cash payment delivered unconditionally and individually to all people. Think of it as a small salary just for being human. It won’t make you rich but it should keep you alive in a world where you need money to survive.

In order to explore this question, Beyond Trafficking and Slavery has brought together a series of experts, scholars and activists to reflect on the question: What role could basic income play in the fight against unfree labour?

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Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

‘Even my husband envies my freedom’

Published on: 17 October 2019

Written by: Radha Davar and Manguben All articles by Radha Davar and Manguben

A small basic income transformed the lives of these women in rural India. Imagine what it could do on a national scale.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Basic income can transform women’s lives

Published on: 19 September 2019

Written by: Renana Jhabvala All articles by Renana Jhabvala

We gave a basic income to thousands of India’s citizens and the results were better than we ever could have hoped.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Basic income bows to the master

Published on: 18 September 2019

Written by: Ana Cecilia Dinerstein All articles by Ana Cecilia Dinerstein

Universal basic income claims to be a radical and emancipatory way forward, but it only confirms the domination of...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Feminist politics and a case for basic income

Published on: 18 September 2019

Written by: Kathi Weeks All articles by Kathi Weeks

Written by: Cameron Thibos All articles by Cameron Thibos

Wages do not compensate workers, and especially women, for most of the work they do. A basic income could change that.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

End the threat of economic destitution now

Published on: 17 September 2019

Written by: Karl Widerquist All articles by Karl Widerquist

The wealthy in capitalist societies claim to love freedom, yet they use the threat of economic destitution to compel...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

The power to walk away: is basic income a bridge too far?

Published on: 17 September 2019

Written by: Simon Birnbaum All articles by Simon Birnbaum

Written by: Jurgen De Wispelaere All articles by Jurgen De Wispelaere

Basic income can help workers in many ways, but whether it really improves their freedom remains to be seen.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Basic income and the three varieties of freedom

Published on: 16 September 2019

Written by: Guy Standing All articles by Guy Standing

Freedom costs money.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Universal basic income: a way through the storm?

Published on: 16 September 2019

Written by: Neil Howard All articles by Neil Howard

Vast numbers of people around the world don’t have sufficient cash to ride out life’s problems. Could a basic income...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Universal Basic Income

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Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Selling stories of war in Sierra Leone

Published on: 28 August 2019

Written by: Sayra van den Berg All articles by Sayra van den Berg

Ex-combatants in Sierra Leone have learned the value of their stories to western researchers, and they’re starting...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Do child soldiers always want to be saved?

Published on: 23 August 2019

Written by: Sylvie Bodineau All articles by Sylvie Bodineau

Child soldiers are an object of pity in the western world, in dire need of saving. But as humanitarian actors...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Silencing refugees in Greece

Published on: 16 August 2019

Written by: Ludek Stavinoha All articles by Ludek Stavinoha

Refugees trapped on the Greek islands are doubly silenced, first by the camp authorities and then by the media.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Black lesbians denied asylum in Germany

Published on: 14 August 2019

Written by: Mengia Tschalaer All articles by Mengia Tschalaer

Gender-based violence can be grounds for asylum in Germany, but in practice lesbians racialised as black face a wall...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

How to film stories of male rape in Uganda

Published on: 9 August 2019

Written by: Otim Patrick All articles by Otim Patrick

Film can help post-conflict communities come to terms with male rape, but it must be made extremely carefully.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Sexual slavery, forced marriage, conjugal slavery: problems around collecting the voices of the victims

Published on: 8 August 2019

Written by: Gaëlle Breton-Le Goff All articles by Gaëlle Breton-Le Goff

Courts distort the voices of victims in various ways, making it difficult to piece together the truth.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Listening to the stories of Boko Haram’s wives

Published on: 17 July 2019

Written by: Umar Ahmad Umar All articles by Umar Ahmad Umar

Boko Haram has abducted women and girls for use as maids, wives, and spies. Speaking to the survivors is not easy.

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Esclavage sexuel, mariage forcé, esclavage conjugal : problèmes autour du recueil de la parole des victimes

Published on: 15 July 2019

Written by: Gaëlle Breton-Le Goff All articles by Gaëlle Breton-Le Goff

La parole des victimes est particulièrement importante car elle sert de base factuelle pour élaborer de nouveaux...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

La recherche, plus que de l’extraction ? Production de connaissances et violence fondée sur le genre dans les conflits africains

Published on: 15 July 2019

Written by: Annie Bunting All articles by Annie Bunting

Written by: Joel Quirk All articles by Joel Quirk

La recherche sur la violence fondée sur le genre dans les conflits africains est parsemée d’embûches d’ordre...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Creating space for writing alternative histories through peoples’ tribunals

Published on: 4 July 2019

Written by: Annie Bunting All articles by Annie Bunting

Written by: Izevbuwa Kehinde Ikhimiukor All articles by Izevbuwa Kehinde Ikhimiukor

People's tribunals are a popular way for citizens to take the reins from the state when it fails to live up to its...

Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery

Links between conflict-related violence and peace time practices: perspectives from Sierra Leone

Published on: 3 July 2019

Written by: Rosaline MCarthy All articles by Rosaline MCarthy

Sexual and gender-based violence in war doesn't stop when peace comes.

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The Future of Work Round Table

All migrants deserve protection as migrants. All workers deserve protection as workers. Modern slavery and human trafficking campaigns selectively focus upon a small minority of vulnerable migrants, and a small minority of precarious workers. These cases are the tip of the iceberg.

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Confronting root causes: forced labour in global supply chains