From June 14 through June 16, the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College hosted the 18th Annual North American Basic Income Guarantee (NABIG) Congress, organized by Professor Michael Lewis in collaboration with the U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network and Basic Income Canada. In 2017, Silberman was the first American school of social work to host a NABIG Congress. This year, more than 150 participants came together at the School’s East Harlem, New York campus from across the United States and internationally. Their transdisciplinary conversations focused on developments and opportunities in the universal basic income (UBI) movement, and reflected their diverse professional and disciplinary backgrounds – from social work to philosophy to economic policy – while intersecting in their common commitment to questions of socio-economic security. The entire Silberman and Hunter College community commends Professor Lewis and our co-organizing partners, as well as all staff colleagues who assisted, for the success of this significant conference.
The thing I learned most at Silberman was how to bring my full self into the work. Regardless of the population being served or problem being addressed, my time at Silberman taught me how to use my own authenticity and lived experiences to generate meaningful, high-quality outcomes for clients.