About This Event
Francis says it’s time to talk about Universal Basic Income: What is it? How does it work? Does it work?
In Let Us Dream, his new book addressing the pandemic, Pope Francis says that “recognizing the value to society of nonearners is a vital part of our rethinking in the post-Covid world” and adds: “That’s why I believe it is time to explore concepts like the universal basic income (UBI), also known as the ‘negative income tax’, an unconditional flat payment to all citizens, which could be dispersed through the tax system.”
An idea whose time has come? Once a fringe idea, the UBI has been steadily gaining ground with economists and commentators on all sides as a solution to many of the challenges our society and economy now face: long-term unemployment from technology, conflicting demands on carers, as well as the need for people to give time to the community.
Responding to the Pope’s call for a discussion of the idea, this Catholic Voices webinar, organized in conjunction with the Basic Income Conversation, brings together commentators and leaders for a introductory briefing on a concept still unfamiliar to most of us. What is the UBI? How does it work … and does it work? And how does it fit with the ideals of Catholic Social Teaching?
Format
6.30pm | Welcome, Housekeeping, Introductions | Brenden Thompson, CEO of Catholic Voices
6.35pm | Introduction to Pope Francis’ comments on UBI | Austen Ivereigh, co-author of Let Us Dream
6.45pm | Reflection from John Arnold, Bishop of Salford
6.50pm | What is Basic Income? | Michael Pugh, Director of Basic Income Conversation
7.00pm | Comments from Ruth Kelly, Member of the Vatican Council for the Economy
7.10pm | Comments from Sr Alessandra Smerilli, Coordinator, Economic task-force, Vatican Covid Commission
7.25pm | Q&A, Panel discussion
7.50pm | Wrap up and What’s next?
Guest Speakers
DR AUSTEN IVEREIGH (Chair)
Austen Ivereigh is a writer, journalist and Pope Francis biographer, Fellow in Contemporary Church History at Campion Hall, Oxford, and co-founder of Catholic Voices. He is author of The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope (2014) and Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and His Struggle to Reform the Catholic Church (2019). He collaborated with Francis on the Pope's vision for the post-Covid world in Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future. In conversation with Austen Ivereigh (Simon & Schuster), which came out in December 2020. He tweets as @austeni.
Sr Alessandra Smerilli
Sr Alessandra is the coordinator of the Economic task-force Vatican Covid Commission. Smerilli graduated in Economics and Business and gained a research doctorate in Political Economics from the faculty of Economics at University La Sapienza Rome, and a PhD in Economics from the School of Economics at East Anglia University. She is a Catholic Religious Sister of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a Professor of Economics at the Pontifical Faculty of Education Sciences “Auxilium” in Rome, and in 2019 Pope Francis appointed her a Councillor of State of Vatican City.
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly was recently appointed by Pope Francis to the Council for the Economy which oversees Vatican finances. A former banker, economist and British Labour Party politician, serving as Member of Parliament (MP). Previously, she served as the Secretary of State for Transport, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Minister for Women and Equality and Secretary of State for Education and Skills, serving under both Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.
Michael Pugh
Michael is Director and Co-Founder of the Basic Income Conversation. He's a community organiser by trade with a background in the Living Wage Campaign having worked at Citizens UK. He sees Universal Basic Income as vital to shaping our future and seeks to blend community organising, advocacy and research to make it a reality. Twitter: @MichaelPugh
Bishop John Arnold
John Arnold is the eleventh Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford. Bishop Arnold also serves as the chair of trustees of Cafod, the Catholic oversees aid and development charity.