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What is EMIN?

Written by Hamann, Dietmar. Posted in Policy

The European Minimum Income Network (EMIN) is a two year project (2013-2014) funded by the European Commission, that has the aim of building consensus to take the necessary steps towards the progressive realisation of adequate and accessible minimum income schemes in EU Member States, in line with the European Commission’s Active Inclusion Recommendation of 2008, the Europe 2020 strategy and in the context of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion.

EMIN project is also available as a printable PDF document

The Importance of Minimum Income Schemes in the Fight against poverty and social exclusion

 In a context when there is tendency to tighten eligibility for Minimum Income Schemes in many Member States, the Minimum Income Network is an important step to maintain a focus on the importance of adequate and accessible Minimum Income Schemes. More than ever such Schemes represent a lifeline for people experiencing poverty and social exclusion. Minimum Income support is often the only financial support available for people experiencing hardship, both for people who cannot access paid work and for those who have worked and are at the end of their coverage period for unemployment benefits. Access to adequate Minimum Income Schemes provides an important basis for participating in the life of the community, reconnecting with the world of work and to living a life in dignity. Moreover, it makes a significant contribution to an inclusive recovery from the crisis, by supporting people to support the economy and to relaunch purchasing power and local demand.

 Steps in a path towards adequate and accessible minimum income schemes

 The European Minimum Income Network will:

  • Analyse current trends and obstacles and propose improvements regarding coverage, adequacy and (non) take‐up of Minimum Income Schemes, through the reports of National Minimum Income Networks enriched by two thematic approaches related to adequacy of old age Minimum Income Schemes and coverage and (non) take‐up by homeless people.
  • Present and exchange on ‘good’ and ‘unsatisfactory’ practices and promote learning and transfer of knowledge.
  • Raise awareness on the EU current frameworks, including the 1992 Council Recommendation and the 2008 Active Inclusion Recommendation.
  • Build consensus on the necessary steps towards the progressive realisation of adequate and accessible Minimum Income Schemes in Member States as well as Norway, Iceland, Serbia and FYROM and support the implementation of these steps.
  • Contribute to the identification of common EU level definitions and criteria for adequate Minimum Income Schemes, and the potential for a strengthened EU framework for cooperation in this field.

 Activities planned during the two-year life cycle of the network

  • Establishment and Launch of the European Minimum Income Network: with the participation of a wide range of diverse stakeholders.
  • Establishment of Five National Minimum Income Networks in Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Italy and Hungary.
  • Reports on Analysis of Minimum Income Schemes in the 5 identified Countries: based on a common framework and drawing on existing research these reports
  • Thematic work on adequacy of minimum old age income Schemes, led by AGE Platform in France, Belgium and Poland.
  • Thematic work on take up by vulnerable groups, in particular homeless people, led by FEANTSA, in Italy, France, Hungary, Romania, Ireland, United Kingdom, Finland and Poland
  • Two Peer Review sessions, aimed at exchanging findings and identifying key learning points gathered in the reports in the 5 countries identified.
  • European level Conference (Year 1), to analysise and disseminate the key learning points from the work in the five countries and the two thematic approaches.
  • Reports on Analysis of Minimum Income Schemes in remaining 26 countries: based on the experience of developing these reports in the 5 identified countries.
  • Support for implementation of steps towards the Progressive realisation of adequate Minimum Income Schemes in the 5 identified countries.
  • Thirty-one national level Conferences to help build consensus towards adequate and accessible Minimum Income Schemes in each of these countries.
  • EU level Conference (Year 2) to present suggestions for enhancing EU level coordination in the field of Minimum Income Schemes, including the proposal for common EU level definition and criteria for adequate Minimum Income Schemes.

Opening weekend

Written by Hamann, Dietmar. Posted in Human rights

Canada’s new national museum will open its doors to the world on September 20, and we’re planning a full weekend of free events to celebrate.

On Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, the Museum will host RightsFest – a two-day celebration offering human rights-themed music, performances, activities and cultural events for people of all ages.

The free weekend activities will take place at The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but you can join the celebration online or on live TV no matter where you are.

Mark your calendar for:

  • The nationally broadcast Canadian Concert for Human Rights taking place on the evening of Saturday, September 20 on an outdoor stage at The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba;
  • More than 25 daytime performances and activities at multiple outdoor locations around The Forks from morning until late afternoon on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21;
  • A special free “preview tour” through selected galleries inside the Museum, from morning until late afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.

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Homeless in Hungary

Written by Super User. Posted in Homeless

Dear Friends,

On November 14, 2013 the General Assembly of Budapest passed a local law that designated the majority of Budapest as an area where engaging in "habitual residence in public space" is an infraction punishable by community work, fine and ultimately jail. In this way, street homelessness has become criminalized in the capital of Hungary along with several major cities that have passed similar local laws in the past few weeks.
 
The City is for All has made a video with English subtitles about the areas designated in Budapest as homeless-free zones. Please watch the video and share it as widely as possible to raise awareness about the disastrous developments in Hungary regarding homelessness.
 
 
For more information on the criminalization of homelessness in Hungary, please visit our blog.
 
With solidarity,
 
The City is for All
(Contact: Bernadett Sebály: +3670-217-2601)
 

A Város Mindenkié blogja: www.avarosmindenkie.blog.hu
A Város Mindenkié a Facebookon: https://www.facebook.com/AVarosMindenkie
Ha hajléktalan vagy és csatlakoznál hozzánk, keress fel minket az alábbi elérhetőségek egyikén: http://avarosmindenkie.blog.hu/2009/01/01/elerhetosegek_52
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Ten Reasons to Support Basic Income

Written by Christine Papadopoulou. Posted in Others

1) Basic Income will help us rethink how & why we work
A basic income can help you do other work and reconsider old choices: It will enable you to retrain, safe in the knowledge that you’ll have enough money to maintain a decent standard of living while you do. It will therefore help each of us to decide what it is we truly want to do.

2) Basic Income will contribute to better working conditions
With the insurance of having unconditional basic income as a safety net, workers can challenge their employers if they find their conditions of work unfair or degrading.

3) Basic Income will downsize bureaucracy
Because a basic income scheme is one of the most simple tax / benefits models, it will reduce all the bureaucracy surrounding the welfare state thus making it less complex and costly, while being fairer and more emancipatory.

4) Basic income will make benefit fraud obsolete
As an extension of (3), benefit fraud will vanish as a possibility because no one needs to commit fraud to get a basic income: it is granted automatically. Moreover, an unconditional basic income will fix the threshold and poverty trap effects induced by the current means-tested schemes.

5) Basic income will help reducing inequalities
A basic income is also a means for sharing out the wealth produced by a society to all people thereby reducing the growing inequalities across the world.

6) It will provide a more secure and substantial safety net for all people
Most existing means-tested anti-poverty schemes exclude people because of their complexity, or because people don’t even know how to apply or whether they qualify. With a basic income, people currently excluded from benefit allowances will automatically have their rights guaranteed.

7) Basic Income will contribute to less working hours and better distribution of jobs
With a basic income, people will have the option to reduce their working hours without sacrificing their income. They will therefore be able to spend more time doing other things they find meaningful. At the macroeconomic level, this will induce a better distribution of jobs because people reducing their hours will increase the jobs opportunities for those currently excluded from the labor market.

8)Basic Income will reward unpaid contributions
A huge number of unpaid activities are currently not recognized as economic contributions. Yet, our economy increasingly relies on these free contributions (think about wikipedia as well as the work parents do).

A Basic Income would recognise and reward theses activities.

9) Basic Income will strengthen our Democracy
With a minimum level of security guaranteed to all citizens and less time in work or worrying about work, innovation in political, social, economic and technological terms would be a made more lively part of everyday life and its concerns.

10) Basic Income is a fair redistribution of technological advancement
Thanks to massive advancements in our technological and productive capacities the world of work is changing. Yet most of our wealth and technology is as a consequence of our ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’: We are wealthier not as a result of our own efforts and merits but those of our ancestors. Basic income is a way to civilize and redistribute the advantages of that on-going advancement.

and one more….

11) Basic Income will end extreme financial poverty
Because we live in a world where we have the means (and one hopes, the will) to end the kinds of suffering we see as a supposedly constant feature of our surroundings. Basic income is a way to join together the means and the will.

 

Watch the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zru79jcVTt4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njik0fFjr6A