MOBILIZING FOR BASIC INCOMES. SOCIAL INNOVATION IN MOTION

ended

The research project “MOBILIZING FOR BASIC INCOMES. SOCIAL INNOVATION IN MOTION (MOBILISE)” investigates the role and influence of civil society organizations (CSOs) on the unprecedented launching of several Basic Income (BI) pilot tests across Europe. Rising levels of unemployment, poverty and increasing income insecurity in several European countries have prompted greater attention around innovative social protection schemes. Grassroots movements often pursue more universal social policies, yet their role and capacity to influence policymaking have been insufficiently studied to date. MOBILISE addresses this gap with a 36-month project that adopts a comparative research design, including two levels of analysis (local and national), and fieldwork in three EU cities. MOBILISE pursues three main goals: (i) to develop state-of-the-art research on the role of CSOs in the reforms of social policy in comparative perspective; (ii) to enhance the future career opportunities and inter-sectoral employability of the researcher through an effective two-way knowledge transfer with host and secondment organization; (iii) to produce and disseminate knowledge on the development of innovative social protection policies, thus contributing to the objectives of the ‘European platform against poverty and social exclusion’ (Europe 2020). MOBILISE achieves these goals through a comprehensive program providing excellent training-through-research and on-the-job skills development at the Université de Genève, and a secondment at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). Furthermore, it includes an ambitious dissemination and communication plan to promote knowledge exchange between the researcher and partner organizations, as well as the production of practical knowledge that will inform both policy makers and CSOs at EU, national and local levels.