A Basic Income for Everybody - The Forgotten Development Idea | The Communication Initiative Network
In 2008, a coalition of NGOs and umbrella church organisations started a small revolution in Namibia and the world took no notice. In January of that year, the BIG (Basic Income Grant) Project started to pay out 100 Namibian Dollars (8.6 British Pound in today's money) per month to every citizen of the small rural town of Omitara in cash. The only requirement for the monthly grant was to be an actual citizen of Omitara, a status that was established during a baseline study in mid 2007, and to be aged below 60 years of age (Namibians of 60 years and older are eligible for a 500 N$ / month national pension). The BIG thus became the first Basic Income Scheme ever tested in a field trial.
The pilot project of Omitara should give the nay-sayers a pause. Reading through the final report, some striking figures come up: Household poverty was halved in one year, child malnutrition was cut from 42% to 10% and school dropouts fell from 40% to zero. The overall crime rate fell by 42% and lifestock ownership increased. At the same time, the rate of those engaged in income generating activities rose by 10% - refuting the claim that a basic income would make people lazy.
In 2008, a coalition of NGOs and umbrella church organisations started a small revolution in Namibia and the world took no notice. In January of that year, the BIG (Basic Income Grant) Project started to pay out 100 Namibian Dollars (8.6 British Pound in today's money) per month to every citizen of the small rural town of Omitara in cash. The only requirement for the monthly grant was to be an actual citizen of Omitara, a status that was established during a baseline study in mid 2007, and to be aged below 60 years of age (Namibians of 60 years and older are eligible for a 500 N$ / month national pension). The BIG thus became the first Basic Income Scheme ever tested in a field trial.
The pilot project of Omitara should give the nay-sayers a pause. Reading through the final report, some striking figures come up: Household poverty was halved in one year, child malnutrition was cut from 42% to 10% and school dropouts fell from 40% to zero. The overall crime rate fell by 42% and lifestock ownership increased. At the same time, the rate of those engaged in income generating activities rose by 10% - refuting the claim that a basic income would make people lazy.
