Community-building Initiatives Research Articles

EXPLORING THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES FOR LESS-SKILLED, SEMI-SKILLED AND SKILLED MIGRANT WORKERS OF BANGLADESH: PROSPECTS, CHALLENGES & WAY FORWARD

The purpose of this paper intends to explore the employment opportunities in East European countries (EECs) for less-skilled, semi-skilled and skilled migrant workers of Bangladesh through prospects, challenges & way forward. This study, using qualitative approach, has utilized the purposive and snowball sampling technique for executing thirty in-depth interviews along with two FGDs. Data has been analyzed by content analysis and thematic analysis. The findings reveal some lucrative job sectors in the labor market of East European countries, along with a few financial and nonfinancial prospects for Bangladeshi migrants. Some of these prospects include attractive compensation packages, medical allowances, public health facilities, and prompt remittance-sending facilities. Nevertheless, some highly weighted challenges, such as high migration costs, limited knowledge about government services, lack of access to finance, language barriers, cultural differences, and legal support, pose hindrances also. To overcome these challenges, policies and actions such as increasing tax incentives, affordability, easy access to loans, ensuring financial transaction protection, education and awareness campaigns, economic incentives, community building initiatives, easy access to services, and anti-discrimination laws and policies can assist a lot. The government of Bangladesh is providing some support, but most current and prospective workers are not well aware of these services. However, the result of this paper has found EEC to be a prominent source of overseas employment for the less-skilled, semi-skilled, and skilled labor force of Bangladesh.

Finno-Ugric Identity in Estonia: Visual and Discursive Analysis

AbstractThis article seeks to discover how this contemporary Finno-Ugric identity has been politically instrumentalized and negotiated in Estonia. First, we look at how the Estonian state engages with the concept of Finno-Ugric world and inscribes it into Estonia’s foreign policy goals. Then, we delve into the role of Finno-Ugric traditionalism in Estonian populist and far-right discourses. Third, we discuss how local identity constitutes and cements community building initiatives and projects in the Seto region known for its local specificity and cultural peculiarity.

In search of ‘cultural invisibility’: cultivating Iranian-American diasporic citizenship in rural kentucky

ABSTRACT Within the Iranian-American community in rural Kentucky, pre-migratory ideas and practices from the homeland play crucial roles in community formation. They use their compromised pre-migratory identities, middle-class achievements, and adherence to local norms to create a community composed of cultural citizens. Drawing upon their upwardly mobile middle-class status, my interlocutors challenged local racialization dynamics while adopting local norms that emphasized the importance of faith, church, and community. Through negotiations of their contested past cultural citizenships, they were able to create unique forms of claiming U.S. cultural citizenship, which enabled them to build a unified and harmonious diasporic community. The Iranian case compels us to consider how a full spectrum of factors, including educational and professional achievement, social class, local norms, the homeland contested identities, national politics, and local community-building initiatives, interplay in shaping the endeavours of Muslims to combat racialization and achieve cultural citizenship within American society.

Recommendations for supporting healthcare workers' psychological well-being: Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare workers are at risk of adverse mental health outcomes due to occupational stress. Many organizations introduced initiatives to proactively support staff's psychological well-being in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. One example is the STEADY wellness program, which was implemented in a large trauma centre in Toronto, Canada. Program implementors engaged teams in peer support sessions, psychoeducation workshops, critical incident stress debriefing, and community-building initiatives. As part of a project designed to illuminate the experiences of STEADY program implementors, this article describes recommendations for future hospital wellness programs. Participants described the importance of having the hospital and its leaders engage in supporting staff's psychological well-being. They recommended ways of doing so (e.g., incorporating conversations about wellness in staff onboarding and routine meetings), along with ways to increase program uptake and sustainability (e.g., using technology to increase accessibility). Results may be useful in future efforts to bolster hospital wellness programming.

Queer umbrella: a student-employee collaboration to enhance 2SLGBTQ+ well-being and belonging

Students and employees from Colorado State University School of Social Work partnered to co-lead a comprehensive student and employee community-building initiative focused on enhancing 2SLGBTQ+ student and employee well-being and belonging. The Queer Umbrella, created in response to queer and trans-identifying students and employees’ experiences within a heterosexist and cissexist departmental climate, obtained funding from the university to improve departmental climate and 2SLGBTQ+ student and employee retention by focusing on three priority areas: visibility, action, and resilience. The ambitious semester-long grant initiative incorporated a variety of activities such as resiliency-based mutual aid groups and 2SLGBTQ+ alumnx lectures, advocacy, and queer and trans celebratory events. The purpose of this brief is to 1) share our experiences as leaders of the Queer Umbrella initiative, 2) highlight the impact of the initiative, and 3) identify and assess systemic barriers encountered while executing the initiative.

Bridging the BAME Divide: Unveiling the Impacts of Covid-19 on Ethnic Minority Students and Empowering Change—A Case Study at the Open University

This study investigates the evolving impact of COVID-19 on the learning experiences and study performance of ethnic minority students enrolled in Level 1 Computing modules at the Open University. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative data analysis, literature review, and two focus groups was employed to provide fresh insights. Findings from the literature and focus groups highlight persistent challenges faced by ethnic minority students, including economic disadvantage, digital divide, housing instability, employment difficulties, family responsibilities, mental health issues, racism, discrimination, and unconscious bias. Importantly, this study reveals the dynamic nature of these challenges, illustrating how they have evolved throughout the ongoing pandemic. The study underscores the pivotal role of structural and institutional factors in shaping students’ ever-changing experiences. In response to these dynamic challenges, recommendations include targeted interventions, policy revisions that reflect the shifting landscape, innovative community-building initiatives, a renewed focus on diversity promotion, enhanced support services, unconscious bias training, and revised tuition strategies. Addressing these dynamic challenges is crucial for fostering equitable educational opportunities and outcomes for ethnic minority students. This research significantly contributes to promoting equality, inclusivity, and a more comprehensive understanding of the ever-evolving experiences of ethnic minority students during the pandemic and beyond.

Establishing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Model

Rapid urbanization in Malaysia has led to an increasing crime rate, necessitating an understanding of the relationships between crime, the environment, and community. This study examines the causal connections among fear of crime, sense of community, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) using a quantitative approach with 171 respondents in Selangor and Putrajaya. Previous research has highlighted the psychological effects of crime and the efficacy of defensible space and CPTED in reducing crime in residential areas. However, the causal relationship between sense of community and CPTED requires further investigation. The study's causal model confirms that fear of crime does significantly influence CPTED implementation and the sense of community. Additionally, a strong sense of community significantly impacts CPTED, underscoring the role of community engagement in enhancing crime prevention strategies. These findings have practical implications for policymakers and urban planners, emphasizing the importance of addressing fear of crime to create safer environments that foster community cohesion. Strategies may include improved lighting, surveillance systems, and community-building initiatives. Further research can explore underlying mechanisms and moderating factors. Ultimately, addressing fear of crime, sense of community, and implementing CPTED can enhance community well-being and promote a sense of security.

Systems thinking guides a community building journey in Malaysian public housing

ABSTRACT Malaysia’s urban poor have been successfully rehoused in high-rise buildings during the country’s rapid development. However, quality of life and livelihoods in these complexes are deteriorating, widening inequalities. Considering housing as a complex system, this case study designed an iterative place-based community-building initiative with residents, covering multiple dimensions. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated residents’ vulnerabilities, from job losses to food security. In turn, the programme restructured to meet residents’ emerging needs, adjusting existing plans. Surprisingly, pandemic-related programme changes also had positive outcomes. We share insights for methodology, implementation, scalability, policy implications, evaluation, and funding from a praxis perspective.

How to Increase Emotional Infrastructure of Higher Education Institutions

Purpose: Studying how to increase the emotional infrastructure of higher education institutions is essential to foster a supportive and nurturing environment that promotes the well-being of students, faculty, and staff. This research examines strategies, practices, and policies aimed at enhancing emotional support, mental health services, and community-building initiatives to create an inclusive and conducive atmosphere for learning, personal growth, and academic success. The ultimate goal is to create higher education environments where individuals can thrive emotionally, academically, and socially, leading to improved student retention, satisfaction, and overall institutional success in a competitive educational landscape. Concept: Emotional infrastructure in higher education institutions refers to the system of support, resources, and practices designed to nurture the emotional well-being of students, faculty, and staff. It encompasses initiatives that promote mental health, community building, mentorship, and a culture of empathy and inclusivity. A robust emotional infrastructure is crucial for creating a positive learning environment, enhancing student engagement, and ensuring that individuals within the institution feel valued, supported, and equipped to thrive academically and personally. Methodology: This is exploratory research and makes use of the information obtained from various sources like scholarly articles, AI-based GPTs to analyse, compare, evaluate, and interpret the concept of emotional infrastructure for Higher educational institutions. Results/Analysis: The paper analyses and evaluates the key elements of emotional infrastructure required for autonomous Colleges and research Universities. It also discusses how to increase the emotional infrastructure for autonomous teaching colleges and research Universities based on organizational strategies. ABCD Analysis of Emotional Infrastructure from Various Stakeholders Point of Views are carried out. Originality/Value: Based on systematic analysis, the paper suggests some ideas to increase emotional Infrastructure of HEIs to attract global students and faculty members. Type of Research: Exploratory research.

Mutual Efficacy, Self-Efficacy, and Collective Efficacy Theory: An Examination of Empowerment and Activism.

Empowerment refers to the ways in which individuals and groups gain greater control over their lives. To date, the majority of studies focus on empowerment at the individual level. Further, research typically focuses on how to make people feel empowered and not how communities exercise their power. The present study utilizes collective efficacy, a community-level theory, to explore community characteristics that may empower individuals to engage in household activism, and communities to participate in neighborhood activism. The findings suggest that mutual efficacy and social cohesion are key drivers of participation in both household and neighborhood activism. Self-efficacy is associated with household activism only. Findings suggest that it is important to use individual-level skill-building opportunities as a method for fostering a collective identity and train community members to recruit others. In addition, community-building initiatives are more likely to result in activism if they focus on building mutual efficacy in the community.

Feasibility of Implementing the STEADY Wellness Program to Support Hospital Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction:The COVID-19 Pandemic negatively impacted the mental wellbeing of healthcare workers worldwide. Many organizations responded reactively to their staff needs. The novel, evidence-informed Social Support, Tracking Distress, Education and Discussion Community (STEADY) program was implemented, with senior leadership support across a large hospital. STEADY is a multi-pronged program developed to mitigate occupational stress injury in healthcare workers and first responders. This project examined the feasibility of implementing STEADY across hospital units during a pandemic.Method:STEADY was implemented in five acute care units and across the rehab site of a large hospital. Data was collected on the five program components (drop-in peer support groups and critical incident debriefs, psychoeducation workshops, wellness assessments, peer partnering, community-building initiatives). Most peer support groups were facilitated by the program manager trained in peer support and one of six clinical staff.Results:The program was iteratively adapted to meet the needs of target units/groups. More than 300 sessions were run in ~one year, for an average of ~1.15 sessions per unit per week. With flexible adaptation to the mode of facilitation, ~75% of planned workshops and ~85% of peer support sessions were run. Three critical incident stress debriefs were held. The formal partnering program was offered via e-mail with minimal uptake. Ninety-five wellness assessments were completed by target end-users, with 36 personalized responses sent. Gratitude trees were posted in each unit for community-building. Eight target unit staff completed formal peer support facilitation training. Twenty additional groups across the organization requested STEADY programming support and ten requested gratitude trees.Conclusion:Results indicate that most components of the STEADY program were feasible to implement in hospital units during the pandemic. On-site, interactive programming was most engaging for end-users. Leadership support and flexible, continuous adaption by program leaders were identified as facilitators to program implementation and uptake.

Looking for impact in all the wrong places: Setting realistic expectations and measurable outcomes for small-scale community building initiatives

ABSTRACT This paper examines the process and outcomes from a five-year, community-based participatory research (CBPR) study of a community building initiative to strengthen two neighborhoods in a mid-size, Mid-Atlantic city. In addition to supporting over 50 resident-led projects during the five-year initiative, outcomes included positive changes in resident perceptions about some aspects of neighborhood safety, cleanliness, greening, and vibrancy, and in both neighborhoods respondents who were most involved with the lead community-based organizations (CBOs) reported significantly higher social capital compared to those least involved. Nevertheless, analysis of the evaluation process revealed certain data were more meaningful to stakeholders during and at the end of the initiative, and other data were less worth the effort and cost to collect. This study offers insights for how foundations and nonprofit organizations can best use their evaluation resources in small-scale community-building efforts.

Core Books and Post-Pandemic Pedagogy

Abstract Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased feelings of isolation and lack of support among faculty. Grounded in collaborative curriculum and professional development, the Core Books at CUNY project offers faculty the opportunity to work together to incorporate texts from Columbia University's core curriculum into first-year writing (FYW) courses. The project invites faculty to collaboratively develop, implement, and reflect on the shared curriculum. As an Open Educational Resource (OER), the resulting curriculum was well positioned to become part of CUNY's Model Course Initiative that makes consistent curriculum easily shareable on the college's OpenLab, an open platform for teaching, learning, and collaboration. This curriculum provides the agility necessary for post-pandemic teaching as it builds a sustained community among participating contingent and full-time faculty and across community-building initiatives. It provides support on multiple levels, is flexible and adaptable for new situations—pandemic or otherwise—and ameliorates the isolation of teaching. Community through shared curriculum is therefore a way forward and a model for English departments in the post-pandemic future.

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES: A STUDY OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN INDIA AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT

During my 9th and 10th grades, from March 2020 to December 2021, I witnessed the extensive impact of COVID-19 on all aspects of life. Seeing how businesses shut down and individuals and communities were impacted, I realized that I wanted to pursue business, but with a specific focus on the role business can play in the community. Although I had always been interested in business and entrepreneurship, this period solidified my decision. I searched for opportunities to study or intern in companies during my summer holidays, but due to the pandemic, these possibilities did not exist. Instead, I followed the news, which was dominated by growing COVID-19 numbers, vaccinations, and mainly the human aspect. I saw how people were struggling with their jobs, taking care of their families, and adapting to several new realities of life. However, what impressed me the most was how the Indian corporate sector, including Indian companies of all sizes and multinationals in India, went the extra mile to help people who had lost their jobs or were facing hardships within their families. I realized that these activities fell within the scope of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which companies regularly do. I also witnessed my mother working in community-building initiatives even before the pandemic. I realized that CSR is a crucial aspect of business, particularly in India, and that I wanted to explore it further. My research paper focuses on CSR, its types, scope, the top 10 companies in India by CSR spends. It also features case studies of two large Indian corporations that I admire for their diversity, namely ITC and TCS, as well as Cosmo First, with which I was personally involved in CSR.

Is using the term wellbeing with students a mistake? Evaluating a wellbeing intervention in a UK Law School - suggestions for repositioning strategies to address the impact of deficit-discourse

ABSTRACT This paper evaluates a curriculum-based and student co-created approach to improving student wellbeing and psychological resilience in a law school. The pilot employed an enhanced pedagogic framework informed by an evidence-based psychological literacy model compatible with self-determination theory (SDT). Level 4 students were introduced to a simple psychological model for recognising the role of emotion regulation in successful learning and the relevance to this of developing supportive connections and a sense of belonging within an inclusive learning community. Student “Wellbeing Champions” received further peer support and leadership training referencing this model and were then supported in developing the role primarily through community-building initiatives. Staff were also issued with a bespoke “Student Success” framework, encouraging them to support student motivation and success by incorporating activities for building relationships, creating a sense of community and belonging with safety to make mistakes, and scaffolding understanding of assessment and feedback. Recognising the limiting positions offered within a medicalised or deficit-focused narrative about wellbeing and mental health, the findings evaluate the effectiveness of the repositioning strategies represented within the pilot interventions, including a focus on learning success and leadership.

The secret sauce of online community of practice during COVID-19 pandemic: Nonviolent Communication

The challenges of work-family balance while being asked to move to remote instruction and engage students creatively have affected us all globally on multiple levels - from our professional identity, to our own health, mortality and purpose in life. The idea behind Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is that as Rosenberg (2015/1999) put it, it is a language that celebrates life. Applying these practices in a community building initiative of the Media Education Lab during the COVID-19 pandemic supported our community not only for their professional needs, but also and most importantly in their social and emotional resiliency to keep positive their family and work. This short article of voices from the field describe this secret sauce using the four elements of NVC (observation, sharing feeling, naming needs and requesting a feasible action) during the 2020 Virtual Viral Hangout (VVH) daily online meetings.

318 Virtual Open House: A Novel Community-Building Initiative in an Emergency Medicine Residency Program

Burnout is highly prevalent in resident physicians and is associated with increased rates of depression, substance use disorder, and suicide. As a result, the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education has recognized the importance of addressing and preventing resident burnout, encouraging residency program leaders to support policies and practices that emphasize resident wellness. Residents’ pre-existing social support networks are integral to enhancing overall wellness. Unfortunately, the geographic separation inherent to the residency match process may limit in-person social support from residents’ families and friends. This emotional and physical distance may exacerbate residents’ existing levels of emotional exhaustion and increase barriers to communication with loved ones. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel virtual open house (VOH) in fostering the residency community while enhancing residents’ and loved ones’ perceived comfort initiating and engaging in future discussions about workplace stressors. This was a prospective, observational, single-center study. All 76 residents at the Los Angeles County Emergency Medicine Residency Program and their self-selected loved ones were invited to attend a two-hour structured VOH during the regularly scheduled educational conference in April 2021. At the conclusion of the VOH, all residents and guest attendees received a voluntary anonymous electronic survey. A total of 155 individuals attended the VOH, including 60 residents (38.7%), 86 guests (55.5%), and 11 faculty (7.1%). Forty residents (66%) and 47 guests (54.7%) responded to the post-VOH survey (N=146). Overall, attendees reported that they enjoyed the VOH (95% of residents, n=38; 98% of guests, n=46). Most residents reported that the VOH fostered a greater sense of community (85%, n=34), believed their loved ones now had a better understanding of their training (88.6%, n=31), and felt more likely to discuss workplace challenges with their loved ones moving forward (77.2%, n=27). Similarly, guests felt more a part of the residency family (72.3%, n=34) and noted a better understanding of their loved ones’ residency experience (95.7%, n=45) and the characteristics of the workplace environment (93.6%, n=44). Finally, guests reported feeling more comfortable engaging in (93.6%, n=44) and initiating conversations (87.2%, n=41) about workplace challenges with residents. Themes from the free response section referenced guests’ appreciation for the virtual format in light of travel restrictions and greater insight into the intangibles of residency training. Our findings suggest that VOH is a sustainable and low-cost intervention that may augment residents’ social networks and encourage residents and their loved ones to engage in and initiate discussions about challenges during residency. Given the importance of social support in promoting resident wellness and the frequent geographic separation between residents and their pre-existing social networks, it may be useful for residency program leaders to incorporate a VOH in their existing residency curricula.

105 Actually, it is easy being green: Ten years of the Canadian PAediatric Society Annual General Meeting viewed through a sustainability lens

Abstract Introduction/Background The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) recently released the “Global climate change and health of Canadian Children” statement. As climate rapidly evolves from “change” to “crisis” there is an increasing pressure toward sustainable conferencing. Knowing the value of attending meetings, the growing body of literature evaluating travel-related carbon cost and convention sustainability can inform environmental harm minimization. Conferences can pressure venues to increase sustainability by choosing sites and venues wisely and communicating their requirements to rejected venues. They can also offer carbon offset purchase through credible companies (e.g. Gold Standard). Over the last 10 years the CPS has conducted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at host cities that reflect Canada’s large geographic footprint. Venues included both hotel and standalone conference centers. There is no published evaluation of sustainable practices for CPS meetings. Objectives Evaluate the past 10 CPS Annual General Meetings (AGMs) for: Design/Methods Travel-related carbon cost was estimated with a round-trip calculator for economy seating the most direct available flights (https://co2.myclimate.org/en/offset_further_emissions). Cities of origin for attendee were the 11 CaRMS-matched pediatric residency training programs (https://www.carms.ca/match/psm/program-descriptions/). Venues were evaluated based on current publicly available self-reported information using conference sustainability criteria suggested through a literature review and public rating tools (Green Key, Quality Standards of the International Association of Convention Centres). Ground transportation from the airport was scored /3 by: public transport from airport (1), formal shared transport (1), fee deterrence for parking (1). Venue type was split by hotel-associated (H) and standalone convention centre (CC) meeting facilities. Sustainability of meeting facilities was divided into supports /2 (rentable supports, links to local vendors, catering and personnel) for exhibitors (1) and event planners (1), policies /3 by: sustainability, promotion of a green community (1), and waste management (1), and walkability from accommodation /1. Results The last 10 CPS AGMs were held in western (3; Vancouver 2010, Edmonton 2013, Vancouver 2017), eastern (1; Charlottetown 2016) and central (6; Quebec City 2011, London 2012, Montreal 2014, Toronto 2015, Quebec City 2018, Toronto 2019) provinces; in 2020 it is in Vancouver. Central Canada sites had the lowest air travel carbon cost per attendee. Average air travel-related carbon cost per attendee for different host cities ranged from 0.479 (London) to 0.919 (Vancouver) tonnes, with Ontario and Quebec sites averaging 0.518, Charlottetown 0.654 and Edmonton 0.756 tonnes. Ground transportation scores differed by city from Montreal (3/3 with public transit, formal transportation share and parking fees to dissuade driving) to London (0/3), with more favorable public transit options in larger cities. Venues differed when divided by hotel with meeting facilities (H) vs standalone conference center (CC), with CC outranking H for clearly posted sustainability plans (1.6 vs 1.2/2; 2=venue-specific, 1=company chain policy, 0=no plan), green and sustainable community building plans (1.6 vs 1.2/2; 2=greening local communities, 1=company chain policy, 0=no plan) and green waste management policies (1.2 vs 0/2; 2=venue-specific, 1=company chain policy, 0=no plan). Walkable accommodation was equal and present for all venues, with attached accommodation for all but one CC (Montreal), which had immediately adjacent hotels available. Conclusion As expected, the carbon cost of air transportation per attendee was lower in central provinces. Ground transportation from the airport was better in larger host cities. Standalone conference centres had more sustainable event support and locally focused policies regarding sustainability, environmentally friendly community building initiatives and waste management solutions, three major components of “greening” conferences. Based on the available resources across Canada, we recommend that the CPS considers these sustainability criteria in planning future events.

Making Original Men: Elijah Muhammad, The Nation of Islam, and The Fruit of Islam

Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam converted thousands of African American men to Islam during the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement. Muhammad's men neither protested for Civil Rights nor subscribed to the militancy of the Black Power Movement. Indeed, they construed both to be fundamentally flawed routes to justice, freedom, and equality. Nation men, or Fruit of Islam (FOI) as they are more commonly known, believed that through Islam, racial separation, and community building initiatives they could ultimately reclaim their freedom, self‐respect, and manhood. The NOI provided men with a newfound sense of self and purpose and in doing so imbued them with a deep‐rooted appreciation for Islam, as taught by Elijah Muhammad. Rank‐and‐file male members of the faith community remain largely overlooked in the extant scholarship on the NOI. This article seeks to recover the stories of rank‐and‐file FOI. It assesses the organisation's appeal to men, the varied means by which it challenged them and the burdens the community placed on FOI.

Let’s Write Together: Designing Inclusive Write-on-Site Events to Support Campus Community-Building and Scholarly Productivity Initiatives

Let’s Write Together: Designing Inclusive Write-on-Site Events to Support Campus Community-Building and Scholarly Productivity Initiatives