A Panel on the State of Universal Basic Income
Mohonk Consultations proudly presents an interactive panel and discussion in the parlor of Mohonk Mountain House on Sunday, October 16th from 2 to 5pm.
This in-person event is open to the public. Registration is required.
As our world finds daunting problems on multiple fronts, the concept of Universal Basic Income—a policy to provide a regular income to every citizen without eligibility requirement, no questions asked—has gone from a fringe idea to the actual implementation of a variety of its versions in the last few years. We have seen some possible consequences and results garnered from a number of Guaranteed Income (GI) pilots, programs, and even on a national scale through stimulus, Pandemic relief, and Child Tax Credit.
Now is an opportune time to have a public discussion on this subject, focusing especially on how it might play out in our own community, the greater Hudson Valley. Hosted in the historic Mohonk Mountain House Parlor, this program will bring experts together to illustrate the many different perspectives on Universal Basic Income, followed by a long, lively breakout session of idea-exchange with the audience.
Panelists
Almaz Zelleke (PhD Harvard University), Professor of Practice in Political Science at NYU Shanghai. Her research interests are in political theory and public policy, feminist political theory, and comparative political economy. Her articles on basic income, distributive justice, welfare policy, and feminist political theory have been published in Basic Income Studies, Political Quarterly, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, Policy and Politics, Review of Social Economy, and Journal of Socio-Economics. More information at almazzelleke.com.
Stephen Nuñez “As the Lead Researcher on Guaranteed Income (GI), Dr. Stephen Nuñez leads Jain Family Institute’s research into guaranteed income policy, testing its practical application and design by taking on empirical work that offers unique opportunities to understand how GI programs affect individuals and communities. He has also supported modeling work to understand economy-wide effects of GI policy, and the implications for different approaches to financing.
Before coming to JFI, Steve was Research Manager at ImpactMatters and a Research Associate in MDRC’s Low-Wage Workers and Communities policy area. He has= special expertise in housing, workforce, and community development. Steve holds a PhD in sociology, studying social network analysis with sociologist Mark Granovetter. He also completed a masters in economics at Stanford University, and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University.”
Conrad Shaw
Conrad Shaw is a researcher, producer, writer, and activist in the Universal Basic Income (UBI) space. A mechanical engineer turned filmmaker, in 2016 he launched into full-time UBI work when he teamed up with his now wife and partner Deia Schlosberg on a docuseries project called Bootstraps, for which he designed and managed the Bootstraps Basic Income Experiment – delivering basic incomes of $1K/month to 22 Americans across 10 states for 2.5 years – and field-produced for the film production side of the project. Conrad also created UBIcalculator.com as a tool for the movement, wrote a couple dozen essays on different facets of UBI, and in 2020 became a co-founder of Comingle (comingle.us), a startup company building a next gen mutual aid platform designed along basic income principles.
Keiko Sono
Keiko Sono founded Forge Collective to explore a system that aligns with the intrinsic values and motivations of people, especially artists and creators. She served as a think tank member for Creatives Rebuild New York, a large-scale guaranteed income and employment initiative for New York State artists. She directed Catskill Waters, a public outreach program funded by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. She is a recipient of the Pollock-Krasner fellowship and two Arts Mid-Hudson Individual Artist Grant. She served as Visiting Artist at SUNY Ulster Community College and at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
Accessibility Notes:
Mohonk Mountain House has an accessible public entrance that can be accessed by car with optional valet parking, a lift on the back porch, and a wheelchair-accessible ramp leading to the Pavilion where this event will take place. Service animals for people with disabilities are welcome. More accessibility information about Mohonk Mountain House.