The Basic Income Earth Network has just announced the 2026 BIEN Congress will be held in Toronto, Aug 20, 21, 22 this year, with a Canada pre-congress event on the afternoon of the 19th.
Canada was invited to put in a bid for the Congress when the initial American location was no longer possible. That bid was just accepted, with organizers calling it “a tremendous opportunity for both Canadian and international basic income movements.”
BIEN reports this decision was taken “in light of challenging political circumstances in the US, to support broad international participation and to reduce uncertainty for attendees travelling from a wide range of countries.”
“Canada offers a more predictable and accessible entry environment for many international participants, helping to ensure that the Congress remains inclusive and representative of BIEN’s global membership,” states the BIEN website. “We are grateful to our colleagues in Canada for their willingness to host the Congress and for their flexibility in accommodating this change, and to our US colleagues for putting so much work into making this year’s congress happen. We note with great appreciation that the University of Pennsylvania team will continue sponsoring the Congress and form part of its Scientific Committee.”
The chair of the Basic Income Canada Network, Sheila Regehr, says “we at BICN, along with valued colleagues who all worked to put in the proposal, are beyond excited that Canada has been chosen as host.”
“The BIEN team are great to work with and we can’t wait to welcome people to Toronto. It’s a tremendous opportunity for the basic income movement in Canada and internationally.”