One of the most common questions asked by Basic Income advocates is: How can I help? You might think you have to be rich or a politician to influence things but people power can make a difference. Here are some ways:

1. Tell your family and friends

A recent study on advertising showed that family and friends are the most influential form of promotion. This is great news for those with limited budgets, all you need to do to promote Basic Income is start talking about it, The closer the person to you, the more likely they are to trust your opinion and consider what you say.

2. Sign a petition

Apart from just talking about it, the easiest and most effective way to promote Basic Income is probably to sign a petition. I know what you’re thinking ‘A petition never achieved anything’, except you might be forgetting the petition in Switzerland demanding a Basic Income which received 120,000 signatures and will now be the subject of a referendum in that country. Even if the referendum doesn’t pass, the campaign has led to a huge amount of media attention for Basic Income, both in Switzerland and worldwide. Then there’s the European Citizen’s Initiative petition, which received over 250,000 signatures and resulted in new activists and the founding of new Basic Income groups all over Europe, as well as the founding of UBIe and a new momentum towards achieving Basic Income, not to mention all the extra media attention. Here are some petitions you can sign relating to Basic Income:

UK (100,000 signatures needed)

US

EU

3. Follow Basic Income groups online

Part of promoting an idea is to get it in front of as many people as possible, there is no easier way to do this than online sharing. There are many online accounts promoting Basic Income in many countries, including our own Twitter account. If you have 100 Facebook friends, one share is 100 extra people exposed to the idea of Basic Income.

4. Join your national advocacy group

While the above might be easier, there’s no substitute for in-person advocacy and lobbying which is relevant to each country’s needs. There’s a huge amount of people who aren’t online or who don’t have social media accounts but are more than willing to consider the idea of Basic Income.

USA

UK

Canada

Ireland

more

5. Join or set up a local group

National advocacy is important but there are many national groups still in their infancy or already short on volunteers. That’s where local groups come in, there is an important role to be played by those outside major urban areas in spreading the idea not just among the elite but to the common people. Here’s an easy guide to setting up a local group. If you’re not able to set up a physical group, you can set up a local Basic Income Facebook page, with time it can grow into the hub of Basic Income advocacy in your area.

6. More involved methods

The above mentioned are the easiest and probably most effective ways to spread awareness and advocate for Basic Income, but there are some slightly more involved ways if you want to go deeper, such as the following:

– Make an image for sharing online

– Contact the media or your local politician

– Contact a YouTube channel or Podcast to do a show on Basic Income

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