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The former
transforms into an archive and platform for creative imaginaries of a future with a
Universal Basic Income
. Towards a world built on
solidarity
and
cooperation
.


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From Open Call
to Archive

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Nobody is an Island has been an Open Call seeking for creative imaginaries of a future with a Universal Basic Income open between the 1–31 of May 2020.

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Developing a vivid archive


If you want to contibute your artistic work/project to this collaborative endeavour dealing with and reflecting on the idea of a Universal Basic Income and its associated questions, please see ︎︎︎here 


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Mission Statement

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The Future is cooperative


We are all part of
interrelated communities
that make up a bigger social fabric. We need each other, nobody can exist all alone, because «Nobody is an Island».

We want to be
indedependent
from the good will of authorities – we neither want to be saved nor do we want to receive alms. We are cooperative beings and in solidarity with each other. This gives us the unique capability to take collaborative actions and form a future that works for all of us – a future in which we treat each other and our environments with respect and a future in which 
resources
become commons that belong to all of us and that are shared fairly and used moderately. We aspire to a world based on
cooperation
and
solidarity
instead of competition and egoism. A world in which our existence is secured by an Unconditional Basic Income as a
fundamental right
.


Collective struggle


Since the outbreak of the coronavirus more and more people are experiencing the same issues and problems – job loss, financial insecurity and
existential fear
. Politics have started pumping billions into the economy – without a clear concept of whether this money will actually reach all those in need. We need to rethink our
understanding of justice
. To set the course for a better future, we do not only need short-term support during a crisis but sustainable, long-term security. We need a solid foundation to meet the challenges ahead, such as those posed by climate change and all its effects.

Therefore we demand the introduction of a
Universal Basic Income (UBI)
– high enough to live a life in dignity.


Towards a new Worldview


A major obstacle currently preventing us from introducing an UBI is not the question of financing, but the widespread lack of faith in
the good in people
. For decades, generations of researchers and large parts of the media have given us the image that people cannot be trusted. The guiding idea was that under the fine crust of civilization there is evil slumbering in man, which can awaken at any time. 

The irony lies in the fact that in recent decades more and more scientific evidence has been found to prove that we humans are rather empathic, solidary and cooperative beings. However, these optimistic findings are way more difficult to convey than scandalous headlines. When only one person has committed a serious crime, this news spreads extensively, but when thousands of people
take care of each other
every day, it is not worth mentioning.


Evidence for optimism


We humans are way better than our current self-image. We need to build a more
realistic (=optimistic) worldview
. We are what we enable ourselves to be. The introduction of a Universal Basic Income could open many doors that in our current system are closed or blocked by heavy stones. Many opportunities are currently only available to a tiny elite - especially the luxury of taking time to suit one's own needs. An UBI could empower us to say «no» to exploitative working conditions and meaningless activities («bullshit jobs»).

An UBI empowers our
individual freedom
. It enables the realisation of very different personal ideas about a future. That is why we count on your participation to make visible a broad vision of a future that we can only envision together.

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 Basic Income

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There are various models for a Basic Income, advocated by individuals and groups from very different societal and political backgrounds. We support an emancipatory version of the idea that is shaped by five basic characteristics:


Periodic:
it is paid at regular intervals, not as a one-off grant

Cash payment:
it is paid in a appropriate medium of exchange, allowing those who receive it to decide what they spend it on.

Individual:
it is paid on an individual basis — and not, for instance, to households.

Universal:
it is paid to all (ideally on a global scale), without means test.

Unconditional:
it is paid without a requirement to work or to demonstrate willingness-to-work


For more detailed information about Basic Income the ︎Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) is a good source of information.