The basic income movement in Germany is active within other social movements, including the degrowth movement

The basic income movement in Germany is involved in demonstrations, public political campaigns, educational and discussion offers, political lobbying work and (popular) academic conferences and publications.

Supporters of the basic income in Germany take part in discussions, conferences and campaigns within feminist and solidarity-economic movements, as well as in movements critical of globalisation and growth, the movement for global social rights, the movement for increased plebiscitary democracy, the unemployed movement, and the trade unionist movement for a basic income —both in Europe and in Germany itself.

One such example was their involvement in preparing the Citizens’ manifesto for European democracy, solidarity and equality, which was brought into the public debate in Europe by European Alternatives and other social movements. It contains specific suggestions for political changes within the European Union, was compiled by European citizens in a participatory bottom-up process and was presented to members of the European Parliament in Brussels in December 2013. It also included the suggestion of a basic income —alongside calls for a right to high-quality education for all, a minimum wage, changes to the banking sector so it serves the public interest, the introduction of a financial transaction tax, a fight against tax avoidance, the democratisation of the EU on all levels, the protection of common goods, an energy transition and a ban on harmful chemicals, the implementation of women’s rights and the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transsexual persons, as well as rights for ethnic minorities. A further example of joint activities with other social movements is the joint organisation of the Campaign and founding conference for the Care Revolution network and an international feminist workshop on the topic of ‘Feminist and post-patriarchal demands for the basic income’ in 2014.

Certain basic income activists are active in the working and coordination bodies of the other aforementioned social movements, and in turn, activists from these movements are active in the basic income movement.

The German basic income movement is also involved as part of the national and international degrowth movement, particularly since the Beyond growth?! Ecological justice. Social rights. Good life congress in Berlin in 2011 and the Degrowth conference in Leipzig in 2014. Cooperation with the degrowth movement comes through working in organisational bodies, through joint publications and educational and discussion offers. Examples of this include participating in campaigns and discussions at the conferences in Berlin and Leipzig, at the Group Assembly Process at the Degrowth conference in Leipzig, as well as publishing documents on growth change (see Woynowski et al 2012). In May 2016, mutual understanding was further strengthened at a European-wide conference in Hamburg as part of a participatory process dealing with ‘unconditional basic income and degrowth’. Content-related overlaps between the basic income movement and the movement critical of growth were discussed (see below). The 16th BIEN Congress in Seoul in July 2016, which focussed on the social and ecological transition of society, picked up on the results from the conference in Hamburg.

Firstly, as part of these joint processes, the unconditional material security of all people as an essential requirement for individual freedom and actual solidarity, i.e. a solidarity that feels committed to people’s needs and reinforcing their autonomy, has been highlighted from the perspective of the basic income movement and has made this approach valid for the various approaches from other social movements. Secondly, basic income concepts are tested to see whether they help or hinder the concerns of other social movements. Thirdly, it has been highlighted that a social, economic, ecological and cultural transition of society is not a single-topic event, but that it unites different advancing approaches and makes them necessary. One such example is the identification of content-related overlaps between the basic income movement and the degrowth movement.

Content-related overlaps between the basic income movement and the degrowth movement: Social security and redistribution, democracy, alternative and solidarity-based economy, time sovereignty

Concurring or indeed similar political approaches are shared across four areas within both movements (see Blaschke 2016b):

1. Social security and redistribution : The basic income movement believes that the basic income is part of reliable, preventative, and most importantly human-rights-compliant social security for all. This presupposes a comprehensive redistribution of social wealth. In relation to this, an ecological basic income or an eco-bonus (see Schachtschneider 2014) is discussed as an independent basic income or as part of the financing of the basic income. This relates to an offset social component or redistribution that is financed by an eco-tax. This component is included in certain basic income models discussed in Germany.

In the degrowth movement, it is believed that it is not possible for all to have a good life without there being sufficient and unconditional social security for all members of a society. People’s fear of losing their livelihood, precariousness and social divisions block important transformation processes, including ecological ones.

Furthermore, the relationship between climate change and poverty in the Global South is discussed here and there. Just like the degrowth movement, sections of the basic income movement that are critical of globalisation in particular see a relationship between prosperity of the Global North and poverty in the Global South, namely as a consequence of the Global North’s economic imperialism. They are therefore pleading for an alternative international economy and division of labour, as well as for redistribution to poor countries.

2. Democracy: The basic income movement assumes that the basic income promotes people’s political and democratic participation in all public-political opportunities, including the economy. By recognising the basic income as a transfer payment, to which everyone is entitled, everyone is firstly recognised as being an equal member of the community. And secondly, it allows all persons to participate politically and democratically, without material susceptibility to blackmail. However, the basic income must be introduced democratically and said introduction requires a high level of social acceptance.

The degrowth movement assumes that the transition to a society that uses significantly fewer natural resources and does not damage the environment is only possible via democratic means, and that sustainable production and consumption require a democratic organisation.

3. Alternative and solidarity-based economy: Sections of the basic income movement that are critical of capitalism in particular have discussed how it is possible to produce beyond the principles of profit and competition, and how production and distribution can be democratic and show solidarity, so that they are oriented towards the common good and the needs of people. Social security and individual freedom arising from a basic income would promote participatory and democratic participation and an attitude based on solidarity —including in the economy. Furthermore, the basic income ensures material security and free time for development and activities in the area of an alternative and solidarity-based economy.

Parts of the degrowth movement argue that —in contrast with profit and competition-driven economies— it is only possible to stop excessive consumption of resources and environmental damage by democratically organising production and consumption, i.e. as a solidarity-based economy. Moreover, the necessity of having time for different types of cooperative individual work in the informal, unpaid sector has been discussed. Practical approaches will need to be tried.

4. Individual and collective time sovereignty: The basic income movement assumes that the basic income enables your own and the collective working time and lifetime to be handled confidently, since fundamental material security and social participation are a given. Time sovereignty can be seen as both quantitative and qualitative: Quantitative refers to the duration, such as how long you are in gainful employment; whereas qualitative time sovereignty is determined based on the (aims of the) activities which are (achieved or) performed in a specific period of time. The concept of time sovereignty is therefore closely linked with the social security of people, together with the question of democracy and approaches to a solidarity-based economy —also in their respective gender-specific dimension.

The degrowth movement is of the opinion that shortening the period of gainful employment and having more time available for other activities is a transition project on the way to a degrowth society. Many feminist approaches combine the question of time with ecological and democratic questions, as well as with the revaluation and redistribution of work. The aim is to carefully handle the natural bases of life, to overcome the current division between paid and unpaid work, and the gender-equal distribution of care work (see Biesecker/Wichterich/von Winterfeld 2012; Blaschke/Praetorius/Schrupp 2016).

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