SSHAP In-Focus: COVID-19, Uncertainty, Vulnerability and Recovery in India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Pickard ◽  
Shilpi Srivastava ◽  
Mihir R. Bhatt ◽  
Lyla Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Mass Movement ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Informal Workers

This paper addresses COVID-19 in India, looking at how the interplay of inequality, vulnerability, and the pandemic has compounded uncertainties for poor and marginalised groups, leading to insecurity, stigma and a severe loss of livelihoods. A strict government lockdown destroyed the incomes of farmers and urban informal workers and triggered an exodus of migrant workers from Indian cities, a mass movement which placed additional pressures on the country's rural communities. Elsewhere in the country, lockdown restrictions and pandemic response have coincided with heatwaves, floods and cyclones, impeding disaster response and relief. At the same time, the pandemic has been politicised to target minority groups (such as Muslims, Dalits), suppress dissent, and undermine constitutional values. The paper focuses on how COVID-19 has intersected with and multiplied existing uncertainties faced by different vulnerable groups and communities in India who have remained largely invisible in India's development story. With the biggest challenge for government now being to mitigate the further fall of millions of people into extreme poverty, the brief also reflects on pathways for recovery and transformation, including opportunities for rural revival, inclusive welfare, and community response. This brief is based on a review of existing published and grey literature, and 23 interviews with experts and practitioners from 12 states in India, including representation from domestic and international NGOs, and local civil society organisations. It was developed for the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) by Justin Pickard, Shilpi Srivastava, Lyla Mehta (IDS), and Mihir R. Bhatt. Some of the cases draw on ongoing research of the TAPESTRY project, which explores bottom-up transformations in marginal environments across India and Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Addressing inequities in maternal health among women living in communities of social disadvantage and ethnic diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Fernandez Turienzo ◽  
◽  
Mary Newburn ◽  
Agnes Agyepong ◽  
Rachael Buabeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Social Disadvantage ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Public Health Strategies ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe response to the coronavirus outbreak and how the disease and its societal consequences pose risks to already vulnerable groups such those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged and ethnic minority groups. Researchers and community groups analysed how the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated persisting vulnerabilities, socio-economic and structural disadvantage and discrimination faced by many communities of social disadvantage and ethnic diversity, and discussed future strategies on how best to engage and involve local groups in research to improve outcomes for childbearing women experiencing mental illness and those living in areas of social disadvantage and ethnic diversity. Discussions centred around: access, engagement and quality of care; racism, discrimination and trust; the need for engagement with community stakeholders; and the impact of wider social and economic inequalities. Addressing biomedical factors alone is not sufficient, and integrative and holistic long-term public health strategies that address societal and structural racism and overall disadvantage in society are urgently needed to improve health disparities and can only be implemented in partnership with local communities.

scholarly journals What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4359
Author(s):  
Carla Barlagne ◽  
Mariana Melnykovych ◽  
David Miller ◽  
Richard J. Hewitt ◽  
Laura Secco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Study Approach

In a context of political and economic austerity, social innovation has been presented as a solution to many social challenges, old and new. It aims to support the introduction of new ideas in response to the current urgent needs and challenges of vulnerable groups and seems to offer promising solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas. Yet the evidence base of the impacts on the sustainable development of rural communities remains scarce. In this paper, we explore social innovation in the context of community forestry and provide a brief synthetic review of key themes linking the two concepts. We examine a case of social innovation in the context of community forestry and analyse its type, extent, and scale of impact in a marginalized rural area of Scotland. Using an in-depth case study approach, we apply a mixed research methodology using quantitative indicators of impact as well as qualitative data. Our results show that social innovation reinforces the social dimension of community forestry. Impacts are highlighted across domains (environmental, social, economic, and institutional/governance) but are mainly limited to local territory. We discuss the significance of those results in the context of community forestry as well as for local development. We formulate policy recommendations to foster and sustain social innovation in rural areas.

scholarly journals Intersectoral approaches and integrated services in achieving the right to health for refugees upon resettlement: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e016638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dena Javadi ◽  
Etienne V Langlois ◽  
Shirley Ho ◽  
Peter Friberg ◽  
Göran Tomson
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Right To Health ◽  
Refugee Health ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
The Right

IntroductionGlobal insecurity and climate change are exacerbating the need for improved management of refugee resettlement services. International standards hold states responsible for the protection of the right of non-citizens to an adequate standard of physical and mental health while recognising the importance of social determinants of health. However, programmes to protect refugees’ right to health often lack coordination and monitoring. This paper describes the protocol for a scoping review to explore barriers and facilitators to the integration of health services for refugees; the content, process and actors involved in protecting refugee health; and the extent to which intersectoral approaches are leveraged to protect refugees’ right to health on resettlement, especially for vulnerable groups such as women and children.Methods and analysisPeer-reviewed (through four databases including MEDLINE, Web of Science, Global Health and PsycINFO) and grey literature were searched to identify programmes and interventions designed to promote refugee health in receiving countries. Two reviewers will screen articles and abstract data. Two frameworks for integration and intersectoral action will be applied to understand how and why certain approaches work while others do not and to identify the actors involved in achieving success at different levels of integration as defined by these frameworks.Ethics and disseminationFindings from the scoping review will be shared in relevant conferences and meetings. A brief will be created with lessons learnt from successful programmes to inform decision making in design of refugee programmes and services. Ethical approval is not required as human subjects are not involved.Trial registration numberRegistered on Open Science Framework athttps://osf.io/gt9ck/.

scholarly journals Pathology of Social Violence Phenomenon in Ardabil Province: A Qualitative Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Shahram Habibzadeh ◽  
Farhad Poufarzi ◽  
Mohammad Mehrtak ◽  
Saied Sadeghiyeh-Ahari ◽  
Mehdi Jafari-Oori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Expert Panel ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Physical Damage ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Social Violence ◽  
Targeted Sampling ◽  
The Social ◽  
Regional Factors

<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> In all human societies, domestic violence is known as a threat. Violence is imposing one's will on others through mental pressure and physical damage then can cause a feeling of anxiety and insecurity in them, especially for the weaker and more vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly and minority groups who are the victims of oppression and socioeconomic inequalities. According to statistics, Ardabil, in comparison with other Iran’s provinces, has the most number of violent crimes. This qualitative research was conducted with the aim of exploring pathological phenomena of social violence in Ardabil province.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> this qualitative study was conducted with expert panel. Eighteen participants were selected with targeted sampling method from professors and the heads of the administrative offices who were linked to the phenomenon of social violence and have rich experiences with the social violence issues. After obtaining an informed consent from the participants, expert panel were conducted in two sessions of 150 minutes. At each session all discourse was recorded and after that, immediately transcribed verbatim. Then, the codes, sub-themes and the themes were obtained.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The five main extracted themes included: social, historical and anthropological, cultural, economic and regional factors and 13 sub-themes were classified.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Social, economic, cultural and regional structure, which have been formed and institutionalized in the society over the years, can be influenced and changed by government policies and a variety of programs.</p>

scholarly journals Hydrokinetic Energy Opportunity for Rural Electrification in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ogunjuyigbe Ayodeji Samson Olatunji ◽  
Ayodele Temitope Raphael ◽  
Ibitoye Tahir Yomi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Optimal Investment ◽  
Rural Electrification ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Hydrokinetic Energy ◽  
Potential Site

This paper is part of the ongoing research by the Power, Energy, Machine and Drive (PEMD) research group of the Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Ibadan. The paper presents various sites with possible hydrokinetic energy potential in Nigeria with the aim of quantifying their energy potential for rural electrification application. Overview of hydrokinetic technology is also presented with the view of highlighting the opportunities and the challenges of the technology for rural electrification. A case study of using hydrokinetic turbine technology in meeting the energy demand of a proposed civic center in a remote community is demonstrated.  Some of the key findings revealed that Nigeria has many untapped hydrokinetic potential site and if adequately harnessed can improve the energy poverty and boost economic activities especially in the isolated and remote rural communities, where adequate river water resource is available. The total estimated untapped hydrokinetic energy potential in Nigeria is 111.15MW with the Northern part of the country having 68.18MW while the Southern part has 42.97MW. The case study shows that harnessing hydrokinetic energy of potential site is promising for rural electrification. This paper is important as it will serve as an initial requirement for optimal investment in hydrokinetic power development in Nigeria.Article History: Received November 16th 2017; Received in revised form April 7th 2018; Accepted April 15th 2018; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Olatunji, O.A.S., Raphael, A.T. and Yomi, I.T. (2018) Hydrokinetic Energy Opportunity for Rural Electrification in Nigeria. Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 7(2), 183-190.https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.7.2.183-190

scholarly journals Uneven Humanitarianism: Abandoned Refugees along the Thai-Myanmar Border

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86
Author(s):  
Tani Sebro
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Authoritarian Rule ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
British Colonial

This essay considers the case of uneven humanitarian aid distribution along the Thai-Myanmar border, where forcibly displaced migrants from Myanmar have been abandoned by the UNHCR and international humanitarian organizations. Based upon long-term ethnographic fieldwork along the Thai-Myanmar border amongst Tai migrants from the Shan State in Myanmar, I attend to the effects of the inequitable distribution of rights and privileges in an international humanitarian system that is predicated on the neoliberal logic of uneven development. After two centuries of British colonial occupation and later Burman authoritarian rule, the ethnic minority groups along the Thai-Myanmar border are now facing another crisis – that of abandonment as NGOs search for new and more pressing humanitarian disasters elsewhere. The essay addresses a concept I call uneven humanitarianism as a neocolonial condition for peoples living in the Thai-Myanmar borderlands by specifically focusing on Tai peoples who are living in unofficial refugee camps that lost foreign funding in 2017. I argue that the ad hoc treatment and eventual abandonment of these vulnerable groups – that are currently in the midst of the world’s most protracted civil war and displacement situation – constitutes a failure of the “responsibility to protect” humanitarian project.

scholarly journals Food Security in Ghanaian Urban Cities: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3615
Author(s):  
Robert Akparibo ◽  
Richmond Nii Okai Aryeetey ◽  
Evans Atiah Asamane ◽  
Hibbah Arabah Osei-Kwasi ◽  
Elysa Ioannou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Urban Food Security ◽  
Scoping Literature Review ◽  
Food Safety And Quality

Urbanisation in Ghana could be negatively impacting the state of food security, especially in economically vulnerable groups. Food supply, safety, and quality are all aspects of food security which could be impacted. We conducted a scoping literature review to understand the nature and magnitude of evidence available on the urban food security situation in Ghana. A literature search was conducted in Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Scopus, Web of Science, Africa Wide Information and Google Scholar to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature. 45 studies, mainly cross-sectional surveys/food samples analysis, met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were concentrated in the Greater Accra Region (n = 24). Most studies focused on food safety and quality (n = 31). Studies on supply and stability were, however, scarce. Qualitative research methods were uncommon in the included studies. The existing literature on food security are concentrated in two regions: The Greater Accra and Ashanti regions. Future studies exploring food security in urban Ghana should focus on exploring the lived experiences and perceptions of food insecurity and food stability by urban-dwellers using qualitative methods. The evidence suggesting that the safety/quality of foods sold in Ghanaian markets is poor should be a concern to consumers and policy makers.

Labour's Burden of the Epidemic COVID-19 and internal migrant workers: The case of India

2021 ◽  
pp. 143-157
Author(s):  
Ranabir Samaddar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
The State ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Internal Migrant ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
Informal Labour ◽  
Internal Migrant Workers

The COVID-19 crisis in India produced severe disruptions in labour's life and pro-cess, while it offered the rulers an opportunity to push further the neoliberal re-forms. In this context, questions of economy became a matter of life for millions of petty producers, informal labour including migrant labour, peasants, and other sections of society. The metamorphosis of economic questions into biopolitical issues had been never as evident as it was in the time of the pandemic. In the all round atmosphere of neo-liberalism where the state had retreated from public ed-ucation and public health, the priority for migrant workers was found to be absent. In this background the question of justice emerged as the backbone of rights. In-deed, one may ask: Will a rights-based approach to defend the existing entitle-ments of workers be enough? Or is there now an overwhelming need to centrally situate the issue of informal workers, of whom a significant section belongs to mi-grant population?

scholarly journals The Curated Food System: A Limiting Aspirational Vision of What Constitutes “Good” Food

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6157
Author(s):  
Lauri Andress ◽  
Carmen Byker Shanks ◽  
Annie Hardison-Moody ◽  
T. Elaine Prewitt ◽  
Paul Kinder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food System ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
System A ◽  
Production Distribution ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Good Food ◽  
Distribution Of Income

In an effort to elucidate an aspirational vision for the food system and explore whether the characteristics of such a system inadvertently set unattainable standards for low-wealth rural communities, we applied discourse analysis to the following qualitative datasets: (1) interviews with food experts and advocates, (2) scholarly and grey literature, (3) industry websites, and (4) email exchanges between food advocates. The analysis revealed eight aspirational food system discourses: production, distribution, and infrastructure; healthy, organic, local food; behavioral health and education; sustainability; finance and investment; hunger relief; demand-side preferences; romanticized, community led transformations. Study findings reveal that of eight discourses, only three encompass the experiences of low-wealth rural residents. This aspirational food system may aggravate the lack of autonomy and powerlessness already experienced by low-wealth rural groups, perpetuate a sense of failure by groups who will be unable to reach the aspirational food vision, silence discourses that might question those that play a role in the inequitable distribution of income while sanctioning discourses that focus on personal or community solutions, and leave out other policy-based solutions that address issues located within the food system. Further research might explore how to draw attention to silenced discourses on the needs and preferences of low-wealth rural populations to ensure that the policies and programs promoted by food system experts mitigate poor diets caused by food insecurity. Further research is needed to inform policies and programs to mitigate food insecurity in low-wealth rural populations.

scholarly journals Ethical Applications of Big Data-Driven AI on Social Systems: Literature Analysis and Example Deployment Use Case

Information ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Paulo Garcia ◽  
Francine Darroch ◽  
Leah West ◽  
Lauren BrooksCleator
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Social Computing ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Ongoing Research

The use of technological solutions to address the production of goods and offering of services is ubiquitous. Health and social issues, however, have only slowly been permeated by technological solutions. Whilst several advances have been made in health in recent years, the adoption of technology to combat social problems has lagged behind. In this paper, we explore Big Data-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to social systems; i.e., social computing, the concept of artificial intelligence as an enabler of novel social solutions. Through a critical analysis of the literature, we elaborate on the social and human interaction aspects of technology that must be in place to achieve such enabling and address the limitations of the current state of the art in this regard. We review cultural, political, and other societal impacts of social computing, impact on vulnerable groups, and ethically-aligned design of social computing systems. We show that this is not merely an engineering problem, but rather the intersection of engineering with health sciences, social sciences, psychology, policy, and law. We then illustrate the concept of ethically-designed social computing with a use case of our ongoing research, where social computing is used to support safety and security in home-sharing settings, in an attempt to simultaneously combat youth homelessness and address loneliness in seniors, identifying the risks and potential rewards of such a social computing application.

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