Like many crises, the coronavirus pandemic has served to make social and economic inequalities more evident around the world, often in very harsh ways. In Brazil, which has officially recorded 28,320 cases and 1,736 deaths as of 17 April (with actual figures likely to be 12 times higher), the poorest and most marginalized have been worst affected, with less wealth and fewer resources to draw on to protect themselves, their health and their livelihoods.
Building on decades of debate around the idea of a universal basic income, and spurred by the impact of the pandemic in one of the world’s most unequal nations, a coalition of over 160 Brazilian civil society organizations and movements seized the moment last month to turn theory into practice with A Renda Básica que Queremos (The Basic Income that We Want).
Launched on 20 March, the campaign swiftly built the support of over 500,000 citizens and 3,000 social media influencers. It also had the backing of five key organizations: Rede Brasileira de Renda Básica (Brazilian Basic Income Network), Coalizão Negra por Direitos (Black Coalition for Rights), Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social (Ethos Institute for Business and Social Responsibility), Nossas, and INESC - Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos (Institute for Socioeconomic Studies).
