Who are we?

Established in 2020, the Basic Income Canada Youth Network is a group of engaged young people under 35 who are passionate about basic income. 

Affiliated with BICN and working alongside them and other partners, we mobilize young people to advocate for and celebrate the benefits of a basic income through community-building, education, and activism.

What we do

Guided by our steering committee and in partnership with allies, we engage members on and offline through webinars, letter-writing campaigns, op-eds, and other youth-designed and led projects.

What we’ve been up to so far:

• Co-authored a letter to the Prime Minister with the Canadian Council of Young Feminists calling for a guaranteed livable income, with endorsements representing over one million young people from across the country
• Hosted two educational webinars on basic income, with participants hailing from across the country, as well as a virtual brainstorming session on developing the youth case for basic income
  
• Alongside the Canadian Council of Young Feminists, developed a one-pager on youth and basic income (aussi disponible en français)
• Participated in webinars with the Tamarack Institute, the Ontario Council for International Cooperation's Youth Policy-Makers Hub, and Basic Income Calgary
• Submitted a policy brief to the Senate of Canada on why basic income should be included in the COVID-19 economic recovery plan, and why this is particularly important for youth in Canada

Get involved

The best way to keep up to date with what we’re doing and learn more about how to get involved is by signing up for our newsletter and becoming a BICYN member. Members are residents and citizens in Canada who are 35 years and younger and support our work to advocate for and celebrate the benefits basic income. There is no membership fee, and almost all of our events are free. That said, we invite everyone – youth or not – to sign up and stay in the loop. 

As new projects and ways to get involved arise, we’ll share them here as well. Feel free to reach out for more information if anything speaks to you!

Current opportunities:

• Join the Ontario Council for International Cooperation’s Youth Policy-Makers Hub for a series of conversations and workshops bringing a range of voices on basic income in Canada, including members of the BICYN steering committee. Click here to learn more and register.
• Catch our steering committee member Kendal as a guest on Basic Income Calgary's upcoming community session on June 30. Click here to learn more and register.
• Our friends at the Ontario Basic Income Network are looking for youth input in planning their annual strategy meeting. If you're in Ontario and interested in getting more involved, send us an email to learn more.

Connect with us

Find us on BICN’s social media pages on Twitter and Facebook. Got an idea for a project we should take on together, or are you a young person looking to see where you fit? Send us an email at [email protected] - we’re always happy to chat.