The 16th Basic Income Earth Network Congress will take place in Seoul, South Korea, from July 7-9, 2016. The overarching theme is “Social and Ecological Transformation and the Basic Income”. Activists, politicians and academics from across the world will gather to discuss the current realities and possible futures of basic income, in the context of ongoing global economic and ecological crises.

The Congress will be hosted by Sogang University and will coincide with Korean Basic Income Week, from July 4-10, when concerts, film screenings, performances and campaigns will take place across the country.

Eight keynote speakers have been confirmed at the time of writing: Louise Haagh (York University, England), Toru Yamamori (Doshisha University, Japan), Jan Otto Andersson (Åbo Akademi University, Finland), Sarath Davala (India), Zephania Kameeta (Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Namibia), Zhiyuan Cui (Tsinghua University, China), Gonzalo Hernández Licona (CONEVAL, Mexico) and Evelyn L. Forget (University of Manitoba, Canada). Click here for more information on the speakers.

A call for papers and proposals has been issued by the conference organizers. Interested people can make submissions until January 31, 2016. You can read the full call for papers and proposals here, including instructions on how to submit. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Economic models after neoliberalism, and the position and role of basic income in them;
• The role of basic income in the expansion of democracy in the political arena and in society as a whole;
• The role of basic income in the transition to an ecological society and related cultural issues;
• The role of basic income in moving away from a work-based society and contributing to the de-commodification of the labor force;
• The precariat and basic income;
• The role of basic income in enhancing gender equality;
• Basic income as a tool to tackle youth unemployment;
• Evaluation and prospects of various pilot projects;
• Post-human prospects and basic income.

For all other details, visit the Congress’ website, which is also available in Korean.