30 June 2015                                                                                                                         

Dear Coalition Members

RE: Confronting Poverty and Inequality – A call for a universal SADC-wide Basic Income Grant

The year 2015 presents an opportune moment for renewed action on the call for a Southern African Development Community (SADC) – wide Basic Income Grant (BIG) – a critical element of a comprehensive social protection system within the SADC region. With the year 2020 earmarked as a milestone for the mainstreaming of the BIG within the region, it is time for a reinvigorated approach towards the realization of the BIG.

The BIG is a step towards the alleviation of the very high levels of poverty and inequality within the SADC region. A BIG would provide people with a modest monthly stipend, which would provide a safe, regular foundation towards meeting basic needs, especially if pooled at a household level. At the same time this would stimulate economic growth, and promote family and community stability. The BIG, as presently envisaged, is a workable, affordable and creative approach to the alleviation of poverty in the short-term, and to economic growth in the long-term.

The strides taken thus far by civil society organisations committed to the realisation of the BIG have made explicit the idea of solidarity between rich and poor as it relates to the concept of human dignity which underpins any dealings with human poverty. It goes without saying that in too many developing countries, people have seen little benefit from the extractive industry operations taking place in their countries and are yet to profit from this national wealth. As such, the motivation for a SADC-wide BIG is to harness revenue from proceeds of extractives industries – supplementing existing and other financial sources to finance not only the BIG, but also other social protection programmes in the region and at country level. A BIG will ensure that every person in SADC receives a share of the region’s mineral wealth.

The debate on cash transfers should no longer be focused on their feasibility, affordability or effectiveness, and for the BIG it’s not about whether we implement, but rather when. As we embark on the next phase of the campaign, we call on the SADC-wide BIG coalition partners to express their renewed commitment to the campaign.

Therefore, this communication serves as an enquiry to your organisation’s on-going presence, involvement and endorsement of the SADC BIG Campaign. We have attached the SADC BIG Coalition principles and an endorsement form that we would like you to read, fill-in and send back to us at your earliest convenience.

We urge you to “Make the Change Happen!” – Support the call for a SADC BIG.  Our Right! Our Wealth! Our Share.

See the principles and objectives of the SADC-wide BIG campaign and endorse at link

Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us via email or telephone.

In solidarity,

Busiso Moyo

Campaigns and Advocacy

(email: busiso@spii.org.za; Tel:+27 11 833 0161/2).