Decolonial Dreamers and Dead Elephants

The 11 articles in this special themed issue examine the complexity of issues of power between individual researchers, between researchers and community organisations or higher education institutions, and between community organisations and institutions in relation to community-engaged research and scholarship. The articles uplift the pain and joy in community-engaged research, the harm and the benefits, the contradictions and tensions, and the true gifts and understanding gained in research with communities for the purpose of co-creating transformational change. We weave our own knowledge and experiences together with these individual articles as we seek ways to reimagine the future of community research and engagement. Specifically, we connect the near obliteration of African elephants and loss of Indigneous ways of knowing in Africa with the diverse communities, contexts and issues of power in community-engaged scholarship represented in this special volume. We, like the authors, hold a dream for the future of engaged scholarship that is more equitable, inclusive and morally just. We believe this dream is not only possible but achievable, as evidenced by the work of the authors in this volume. We present an African indigenous knowledge system, Ubuntu, whose principles, values and tenets simultaneously promote the conservation of the community as a whole and the harmonious existence of the individual within the community. We posit that the adaptation and adoption of this knowledge system within the scholarship and practice of community-university partnerships and community research relationships may enable the development of a mutuality and reciprocity that levels power hierarchies within the personal, organisational and societal arenas of community-university partnerships. We demonstrate that many of the cases described by contributors to this special volume resonate with this knowledge system, which itself has survived colonisation and its concomitant epistemicide. Together, the authors help paint a pathway for those who want to become decolonial dreamers (la paperson 2017) daring to reimagine the nature of power in research as we collectively find ways to dream bigger in order to uncover new and exciting possibilities for this work we call community-engaged scholarship.

Interpreting Perceptions about Coastal Fisheries in Sierra Leone: Scapegoats and Panaceas

This paper analyses the myriad perceptions about coastal fisheries in Sierra Leone expressed by respondents in 66 interviews conducted in 2017 and 2020 during two periods of fieldwork in two coastal communities (Tombo and Goderich). Most of these perceptions focused on the respondents’ explanations for the dire state of the coastal fisheries, and often these explanations sought ‘scapegoats’ to blame. Our findings are that the main ‘scapegoats’ were foreigners, industrial trawlers, artisanal fishers, fishers’ unions and the government. Other interpretations focused on the respondents’ recommendations for restoring the health of the coastal fisheries, and our findings here are that the main ‘panaceas’ were coercion, sensitisation, and co-management. In discussing these findings, we came to the conclusion that both the identification of scapegoats and the search for panaceas were unhelpful ways of understanding and alleviating the problems facing Sierra Leone’s coastal fisheries because they polarised and over-simplified the issues, sowing divisions between the stakeholders, thereby reinforcing and prolonging the crisis. A more fruitful approach is to look for ways of forging links and establishing partnerships between the disparate players, especially between the government and community organisations.

“We are not hard to reach, but we may find it hard to trust” …. Involving and engaging ‘seldom listened to’ community voices in clinical translational health research: a social innovation approach

Background Public involvement in clinical translational research is increasingly recognised as essential for relevant and reliable research. Public involvement must be diverse and inclusive to enable research that has the potential to reach those that stand to benefit from it the most, and thus address issues of health equity. Several recent reports, however, indicate that public involvement is exclusive, including in its interactions with ethnic groups. This paper outlines a novel community-led methodology – a community sandpit – to address the inclusion of ethnic groups in public involvement in research, reports on its evaluation, findings, legacy and impact. Methods Through detailed planning – thinking through and taking into account all stakeholders perspectives in the planning and design of the sandpit, relationship-building, co-design and co-delivery between the Public Programmes team based at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the Greater Manchester Black and Minority Ethnic Network - the community sandpit was held in July 2018. Results Fifteen community organisations took part in the two-day event, as well as six researchers, and six creative practitioners. Six community-based partnership projects were seed-funded; four of these received additional funding from other sources also. Conclusions Evaluation of the sandpit showed the format to be well-received by all: it levelled power relationships between community organisations, health researchers and research infrastructure; it developed capacity amongst researchers about the accessibility, role and potential of community organisations. Described as “not another community seed fund” by community partners, the sandpit offered community partners, equitable avenues for collaboration within Greater Manchester translational research and led to the formation of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Research Advisory Group (BRAG Vocal Website information, - https://www.wearevocal.org/opportunities/black-asian-and-minority-ethnic-research-advisory-group-brag/, 2021). The method has the potential to be replicated elsewhere to support inclusive public involvement in research and inclusive research.

The contribution of Ahlussunnah Waljamaah’s theology in establishing moderate Islam in Indonesia

Radicalism and Islamic phobia have the potential to cause conflict amongst religious communities so that it needs social movements in building religious moderation. This study aims to understand and analyse the Ahlussunnah Waljamaah theology in the six largest Islamic community organisations in Indonesia in implementing religious moderation. This study uses a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. Data obtained from interviews, observations and in-depth interviews regarding the process of externalising, objectifying and internalising the theology of Ahlusunnah Waljamaah in Nahdlatul Ulama, Rifa’iyah, Muhammadiyah, Al-Irsyad, Lembaga Dakwah Islam Indonesia and Front Pembela Islam organisations. Then, the data were analysed through social construction theory of Peter L. Berger and T. Luckman. The results show that the six largest Islamic community organisations in Indonesia apply Ahlussunnah Waljamaahs theology. Those Islamic community organisations differently understand the externalisation of Ahlussunnah Waljamaah theology based on its teaching. Thus, it has implications for Aswaja’s model of application (objectification) in the fields of state, preaching, social and cultural life. Aswaja’s internalisation is reflected in the moderate character of the figures and followers of mass organisations in Indonesia. The Islamic community organisations contribute to build Islamic moderation character by applying an established and consistent theology of Ahlussunnah Waljamaah in various fields.Contribution: This article provides insight into the contribution of Ahlussunnah Waljamaah’s theology in establishing moderate Islam in Indonesia. It contributes to build Islamic moderation’s character by applying an established and consistent theology of Ahlussunnah Waljamaah in various fields.

The Community Opinions on Vaccine Issues and Decisions (COVID) Survey: Using a rapid Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey in supporting a community engagement approach to address COVID-19 vaccine uptake initiatives.

Background In the UK, it is acknowledged that ethnic minority communities have lower vaccination uptake rates compared with their White ethnic counterparts. It is additionally recognised that the UK Muslim community represents diverse ethnicities, which is reflected through their places of worship, namely mosques. Given the current pandemic and the rollout of the COVID-19 Vaccination campaign, mosques, in their capacity as community organisations, have been involved in health promotion initiatives such as webinars. The objective of this project was to support and improve COVID-19 Vaccine related health promotion activities being delivered by mosques in the UK city of Leeds by using a rapidly administered KAP survey. Methods A short survey was developed, reviewed for appropriateness by relevant mosque leaders, and distributed electronically to 2 mosque congregations. Analysis involved cumulative average scores for key domains with adjustment for key demographics, as well as a review of engagement preferences. Findings were fed back during an engagement webinar hosted by one of the mosques. Results There were a total of 151 participants, majority were male (95), between the ages of 31-50 (88) and of Asian ethnicity (102). Average Knowledge, Attitude and Practice scores for participants from Leeds Grand Mosque were 67,69 and 74% respectively, with participants from Leeds Makkah Mosque scoring 65, 62 and 67% respectively. Female participants as well as those aged less than 30 years scored poorer across all domains compared with the group average. The most important sources of information in relation to the vaccine were considered to be General Practitioners (GP) and National Health Service (NHS) or Government Websites. Conclusions A KAP survey is a useful tool to develop insights on community perspectives to the COVID-19 Vaccine, and can be rapidly deployed through community organisations such as mosques. Survey findings can then be used to improve the nature of health promotion, community engagement and service delivery in relation to mosques and their congregations. Adapting the survey for other groups and communities, as well as scaling up the partnership-based approaches to survey administration would support the development of multi-component strategies to address vaccine concerns and uptake.

How do tax-based revitalisation policies affect urban property development? Evidence from Bronzeville, Chicago

Fiscal incentives are frequently used to stimulate property development in distressed communities but the efficacy and impacts of this approach have been contested. In this study, a theory of real estate production was utilised to evaluate the Opportunity Zones (OZ) policy in the USA. Qualitative data collected from interviews and fieldwork are analysed to understand how the property development scene of a predominantly African-American neighbourhood had been affected by the OZ designation. Interviewees, including black local developers, represented diverse types and scales of real estate production. It was found that new investment capital was flowing into Bronzeville but not into projects proposed by small, local developers and community organisations. This was largely for two reasons: first, the less experienced and resource-constrained players had insufficient resources and expertise to connect with the OZ-induced investors. Second, when they were connected, their projects were deemed highly risky and thus unattractive. The perception of risk was likely amplified in Bronzeville, a historically marginalised black neighbourhood. For tax-based urban revitalisation policies to increase marginalised communities’ access to capital, appropriate public interventions must be accompanied to level out the playing field for the under-resourced and historically marginalised players of real estate production. One such intervention might be to create and support a network of financial intermediaries that specialise in connecting capital to projects proposed by black developers, other non-profit developers and community organisations. Without such measures, policies such as OZ are likely to exacerbate existing inequalities rather than uplifting disadvantaged communities.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities: a qualitative study on the perspectives of BAME community leaders

ABSTRACT Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of BAME community leaders in relation to - the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their communities; and BAME community’s perception, understanding and adherence to Government guidelines on COVID-19 public health measures. Design A phenomenological approach was adopted using qualitative semi-structured interviews. Settings Community organisations and places of worships in the West Midlands region of England. Participants Community leaders were recruited through organisations representing BAME communities and religious places of worship. Results A total of 19 participants took part. Participants alluded to historical and structural differences for the observed disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Many struggled with lockdown measures which impeded cultural and religious gatherings that were deemed to be integral to the community. Cultural and social practices led to many suffering on their own as discussion of mental health was still deemed a taboo within many communities. Many expressed their community’s reluctance to report symptoms for the fear of financial and physical health implications. They reported increase in hate crime which was deemed to be exacerbated due to perceived insensitive messaging from authority officials and historical structural biases. Access and adherence to government guidelines was an issue for many due to language and digital barriers. Reinforcement from trusted community and religious leaders encouraged adherence. Points of support such as food banks were vital in ensuring essential supplies during the pandemic. Many could not afford masks and sanitisers. Conclusion The study highlights the perceived impact of COVID-19 pandemic on BAME communities. Government agencies and public health agencies need to integrate with the community, and community leaders to penetrate the key messages and deliver targeted yet sensitive public health advice which incorporates cultural and religious practices. Addressing route cause of disparities is imperative to mitigate current and future pandemics. Strengths and limitations of this study To our knowledge, this is the first study in England to investigate the understanding of risk and impact of COVID-19 using the perspectives of BAME community leaders. Participants represented diverse BAME community organisations and places of worship. Participant recruitment was limited to one of the seven regions within England with the highest proportion of BAME populations. Results may not be generalizable to any BAME communities not represented in the data.

Administration of Civil Justice in India

Since the Vedic period, India is known for its commitment to justice, democratic values, the rule of law, and the welfare of individuals. The thrust of the chapter is an examination of tools of civil justice in ancient as well as modern texts underlining the bond of ‘social contract'. The analysis aims to identify similarities and gaps in the traditional and contemporary aspects of civil justice in India. These findings would enable legal scholars and practitioners to draw from, and to connect, the history of accumulated legal guidance and reasoning to the modern mechanism of justice. The examination of those concepts in the context of contemporary relevance accompanied with the principles of interpretation can maximise the utility of these principles. The discussion may offer important clues for policymakers, community organisations, law-making agencies, and citizens to strengthen their faith in the judicial system, being a blend of aboriginal and modern.