Solidarity Action Research Articles

Between Conflict and Solidarity: Pandemic Media Coverage of Romanian Intra-EU Labour Migrants

The Covid-19 pandemic affected Romanian intra-EU labour migrants in a particular way and challenged the established themes associated with and the social roles assigned to them in news discourses. During the first wave of the pandemic, Covid-19 hotspots were reported abroad in Romanian migrant communities, the most notorious example being at the Tönnies factory in Germany. The pandemic brought to prominence the precarious working conditions of labour migrants employed in agriculture and especially in the food industry. Wider discussions, conflicts, and solidarity actions were generated around this topic. In the present study, we identify the main themes and topics present in the Romanian media coverage of Romanian labour migrants, as well as the way foreign, particularly German, media perspectives were integrated into and domesticated in the Romanian coverage. Findings show that both the Romanian and German media used, to a certain extent, the media coverage of this exceptional pandemic situation to invite reflection on the general social costs of migration and on the responsibility of political actors in the migrants’ country of origin, in their country of destination, and at the level of EU institutions. However, the perspective of the migrants was underrepresented in the media coverage.

THE PHENOMENON OF SOCIAL SOLIDARITY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (Case Study on Music Concert #dirumahaja by Narasi TV)

This research is motivated by various social solidarity actions both offline and online that happen a lot in the community during the Covid-19 pandemic. This qualitative research method aims to get an overview of the phenomenon of social solidarity through social media conducted by Narasi TV through the Music Concert #dirumahaja Fighting Corona Solidarity. The theory used is the theory of social capital which consists of trust, reciprocity, social interaction and elements of social media 4C those are context, communication, collaboration and connection. Primary data sources were gained through observations on Instagram @narasi.tv and interviews with 5 followers of @narasi.tv who took part in the #dirumahaja Corona Fighting Solidarity Music Concert and made donations. Meanwhile, secondary data sources were gained through questionnaires to 50 followers of @narasi.tv. The results show that trust, reciprocity and social interaction as well as elements of social media 4C context, communication, collaboration and connection play an important role in increasing social solidarity through social media. The use of verified social media accounts and trusted online donation platforms as well as the involvement of well-known figures and the right communication strategies have made the #dirumahaja Corona Fighting Solidarity Music Concert became the pioneer in social solidarity actions through live streaming music concerts on social media.

New Order And Solidarity Action In Facing Covid-19 (Students Experience)

A key element in improving individual health is awareness of the risk of Covid-19, with in individuals to adjust to the new order. The purpose of this study is to find out how changes are felt by students in the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Using the phenomenological method, this research was conducted on the students of the Islamic State University Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang. This study also wants to see the social changes felt by students and how students experience in the form of solidarity action. This research found that students showed self-awareness to start a new order, besides that social awareness also began to emerge, shown by their concern for the surrounding community. Some of the reasons that underlie the change in life towards this new order; rational considerations to participate in promoting healthy living and adhering to health protocols, religious values that they believe to help alleviate suffer in the surrounding community, their empathy for the impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Young Merina Elites Facing the Uncertainties of the 1880s: Island Solidarity as an Answer?

The institutions of higher-level education founded by British missionaries in 19th-century Madagascar were concentrated in Antananarivo, in the Ambohijatovo district of the upper town. Young people from town and country received instruction in religious matters as well as more specialised teaching geared towards science, medicine, literature, economics and geography and, in consequence, developed an awareness of the major issues of the day. As they lived at a time marked by French threats and even by war with France (1883–85), their representations were profoundly influenced by the uncertainties overshadowing their nation’s future. Inspired by their teachers, the most dynamic founded associations that engaged in solidarity activities, while others, such as Ramaherilanja, committed their ideas to paper – ideas that, in the name of fihavanana, called for solidarity between the islanders to avert the mounting threat of colonisation.

The military coup in Chile in 1973, the immediate reaction of international organisations, and the founding of the first rehabilitation program for torture victims in 1977.

This paper documents the historical steps of the immediate reactions of the United Nations, Amnesty International, the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Inter-American Com-mission on Human Rights, and lawyers' or-ganisations in support of the victims of torture and others suffering gross violations of their human rights, as perpetrated by the Chilean military from 1973 to 1990. This article is also the history of the founding of the first rehabili-tation programs for torture victims in Chile in 1977 and the other care programs for victims under local and international churches' pro-tection during the worst period of the military dictatorship. The actions of denunciation and defense of the victims were possible through national and international networks sustained in collaborative work from inside and outside Chile, which lasted for 17 years. The results and lessons learned projected the creation of new commissions, funds, and international networks that continue today in the inter-national arena. The rehabilitation programs under the dictatorship began as a solidarity response to the needs of victims The reha-bilitation programs, born during the dictator-ship, projected their practice and experience to create a comprehensive health program as part of the State's reparation measures. The testimonies of the victims made it possible to understand the consequences of human rights violations on individuals and society. State policies and civil society actions have sought to contribute to the reparation of victims through rehabilitation actions directly. This paper is part of the memory of that past by reconstructing the solidarity actions of denunciation and rehabilitation, and the details of which are often unknown.

Solidarity Work as Political Action: Advocating for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the USA

AbstractVolunteers in the USA have long provided support for refugees being resettled through the UNHCR-based refugee resettlement program, as well as for asylum seekers and other undocumented migrants through local community or faith-based organizations. Individual and collective acts of solidarity on behalf of those seeking sanctuary, asylum seekers, and refugees have recently increased, reflecting public reaction to increasingly restrictive US immigration policies. Based on interviews with community volunteers and leaders, we analyse this activism in terms of whether it constitutes social solidarity, civic solidarity, and/or political solidarity. We find this solidarity action on behalf of forced migrants has been relatively ‘low-risk’ compared to other countries, where activists have faced imprisonment by engaging in ‘high-risk’ solidarity action. In the USA, these efforts have emphasized civic and social solidarity, with limited political solidarity actions even when volunteers have been confronted by explicitly racist and exclusionary policies. In addition, this response has yet to develop into a broader political movement in support of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.

Richard L. Trumka: A Labor Leader in Troubled Times

Richard L. Trumka: A Labor Leader in Troubled Times

Solidarity in the Time of COVID-19: Refugee Experiences in Brazil

Refugees have adopted solidarity actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, even after being left behind during health emergencies. This article contributes to the literature on solidarity and asylum by discussing refugees’ solidarity narratives towards vulnerable Brazilian groups, the refugee community, and the Brazilian population in general. The author conducted 29 in-depth semi-structured interviews with refugees living in Brazil between March 27 and April 6, 2020. Refugees’ past suffering experiences make them more empathic to other people’s suffering due to the pandemic, which creates an inclusive victim consciousness that seems to explain their solidarity narratives towards different groups.

Understanding employee responses to the covid-19 pandemic: a sensemaking humanitarian solidarity perspective

Most organisations in the world are facing great challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They must struggle to sustain their business operation. Through a qualitative study, this study investigates how employees make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic, driving them to take actions of humanitarian solidarity to keep their organisation sustainable. Through a semi-structured interview, eight employees from various organisations were interviewed. The data were coded and analysed inductively. The findings reveal that employees’ sensemaking towards the pandemic encourages them to take actions on humanitarian solidarity to their organisation by working together, helping and supporting each other, promoting a feeling of unity, and being productive, motivated, and enthusiastic to maintain the sustainability of the organisation. Moreover, internalization of organic organisational values to employees promotes their humanitarian solidarity behaviours due to the pandemic by collecting information, processing information, reducing ambiguous and clearing complex information, building simple information, and supporting organisation.

The Political Ecology of COVID-19 and Compounded Uncertainties in Marginal Environments

In this paper, we use a political ecology lens to look at how COVID-19 adds to a set of existing uncertainties and challenges faced by vulnerable people in the marginal environments of coastal India. Over the last few decades, local people have been systematically dispossessed from resource commons in the name of industrial, urban and infrastructure development or conservation efforts, leading to livelihood loss. We build on our current research in the TAPESTRY (https://tapestry-project.org/) project in coastal Kutch and Mumbai to demonstrate how the pandemic has laid bare structural inequalities and unequal access to public goods and natural resources. The impacts of COVID-19 have intersected with ongoing food, water and climate crises in these marginal environments, threatening already fragile livelihoods, and compounding uncertainties and vulnerabilities. Extreme weather events such as cyclones, droughts, heatwaves and floods in the last couple of decades have also compounded the problems faced in these regions, affecting seasonal migration patterns. We demonstrate how responses from “above” have been inadequate, failing to address problems, or arriving too late. Authoritarian leaders have used the pandemic to “other” and victimise certain groups and polarise society along religious lines. Lockdowns and covid restrictions have been used to surreptitiously complete environmentally destructive infrastructure projects, while avoiding resistance and opposition from affected local communities, who have also been subject to increased surveillance and restrictions on movement. While state responses have often been unpredictable and inadequate, there has been an outburst of local forms of mutual aid, solidarity, and civic action. There are also many examples of resilience at the local level, especially amongst communities that have largely relied on subsistence production. Despite the acute suffering, COVID-19 has also prompted civic groups, activists, and local communities to reflect on the possibilities for reimagining transformative pathways towards just and sustainable futures.

Https://www.arabmediasociety.com/pathways-to-global-justice-turning-points-media-and-palestine-solidarity-among-diaspora-jews/

This article examines the processes by which Jewish Americans become involved in Palestine solidarity activism through a case study of the non-profit organization, Jewish Voice for Peace. This study finds American Jews tend to attribute their support for Palestine to historical events and media rather than planned activities such as interfaith dialogue and awareness-raising initiatives. In addition, despite popular perceptions that understand Jewish Americans’ paths to supporting Palestinians as uniquely arduous, my data suggest that most Jewish activists in the Palestine solidarity movement did not go through major ideological transformations to arrive at their positions. Instead, support for Palestine appears to be more ideologically accessible to Jewish activists than previously theorized. These findings suggest that media can serve as a powerful force to reorganize diasporic commitments and generate transnational support for justice and peace in the Arab world. They also imply that Western support for anticolonial struggles in the Middle East is more likely to be won through accurately reporting on such events rather than more targeted interventions designed to change people’s minds. While many social change organizations devote considerable resources to shifting the thinking of people who oppose their cause, my data suggest that such resources may be better spent mobilizing these groups’ existing bases.

Redressing COVID-19 vaccine inequity amidst booster doses: charting a bold path for global health solidarity, together

BackgroundWith large swathes of the world’s population—majority clustered in low- and middle-income countries—still yet to receive the minimum of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine; The need to address the failures of international solidarity to equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines is now more urgent than ever to help curb the pandemic and prevent future variants. However, many high-income countries have adopted a “me first” approach, proceeding to offer COVID-19 booster doses to their entire populations, including those at least risk of severe illness, whilst the rest of the world is left unvaccinated or partially vaccinated with one dose for even their most vulnerable communities.Main bodyCOVID-19 vaccine inequity places the health of the global population at risk and exacerbates socio-economic repercussions, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Initiatives launched to combat vaccine inequity such as the Fair Allocation Framework for the COVID-19 Vaccines (COVAX) have been unsuccessful as several governments, primarily from high-income countries, have scaled down their contributions to the initiative. Furthermore, COVAX has not seriously engaged with the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Health Systems Connector, as was originally intended, leading to crucial health systems components critical to vaccine delivery to be overlooked. Several strategies can be employed to help achieve the desired global immunization goals, such as Intellectual Property waivers, increased donations, and activation of new COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing hubs. In addition, continued advocacy for vaccine equity by all involved and affected stakeholders, as well as critical amendments to existing or upcoming legislation and funding mechanisms will help address the shortcomings of current inequitable vaccine distribution.ConclusionsGlobal solidarity and collective action through pandemic governance mechanisms are urgently needed to ensure vaccine equity. These interventions are vital to rapidly mitigate ongoing health and humanitarian crises and ultimately curb the pandemic, sooner rather than later.

Global Public’ Solidarity Actions with Ukrainian People during the Russia-Ukraine War: Classification and Special Characteristics

Global Public’ Solidarity Actions with Ukrainian People during the Russia-Ukraine War: Classification and Special Characteristics

Learning and unlearning: Settler engagements in long-term Indigenous-settler alliances in Canada.

Drawing on three cases of long-term Indigenous–settler alliances in Canada, this research investigates the roles and contributions of settlers towards decolonization. As a multidisciplinary team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, our research goal has been to understand how such alliances endure and change over time, and how they negotiate power dynamics, tensions and changes, within a settler colonial context. Taking a comparative case study approach, and analysing interviews, sharing circles and archival documents, we focus here on the lessons that alliance participants have learned from their activist experiences about settler roles and responsibilities. The three cases include (1) The Right to Belong: Indigenous women’s organizing and the struggle to eliminate sex discrimination in the Indian Act; (2) Shoal Lake 40 First Nation’s Freedom Road campaign to end a century of state-imposed geographic isolation and to secure access to safe drinking water; and (3) the alliance-building and solidarity activism of Canadian ecumenical social justice coalitions now under the umbrella of KAIROS Canada. While none of these campaigns alone equates to decolonization in the sense of land return and Indigenous sovereignty, each has helped create the conditions, relationships and transformations in settler consciousness that may provide the ground for decolonization. Taken together, the three case studies illustrate the contingent environments in which alliances are forged and the ways in which settlers take up particular responsibilities based on Indigenous-defined goals.

Family well‐being during the COVID‐19 lockdown in Italy: Gender differences and solidarity networks of care

AbstractDuring the COVID‐19 pandemic, families experienced new challenges related to reorganizing living spaces and the need to renegotiate domestic and care roles. This paper aims to understand how Italian families have reacted to this situation with respect to psychological well‐being, the management of domestic and care activities and solidarity networks of care. The participants were 560 Italian subjects who reported having a parental role. The protocol included a measure of well‐being (the General Health Questionnaire‐12) and some questions related to the time dedicated to domestic activities or to caring for people, the perception of conflict within the family and solidarity networks of care. The data underline how mothers continued to devote more time to home and care activities than fathers, despite the presence of both partners at home during the lockdown. The results also indicate that mothers participated to a greater extent than fathers in solidarity activities, confirming that this dimension is linked to gender. Furthermore, fathers and mothers perceived a lower condition of well‐being in relation to the pre‐pandemic period.

EDUCAÇÃO À BEIRA DE UM ATAQUE DE NERVOS OU RELATOS DE PROFESSORAS PANDÊMICAS

This text seeks to reflect on the teaching work in the Early Years of elementary school during the pandemic, highlighting the difficulties of action and the contradictions imposed by the time of health crisis. The reality experienced by us, as a teacher at Colégio Pedro II (CP2), is a micro-cut of the situation of teachers in this pandemic period. We will present the possibilities developed by the faculty to maintain contact with students and families in order to sustain the bonds and values ​​of public school education in remote interactions, as opposed to what has become widespread as an educational alternative for the moment: "remote education". We will also present the actions of class solidarity developed by the group of workers of the institution.

Parafia w Krasiczynie jako ośrodek wsparcia dla opozycji demokratycznej i niezależnego ruchu chłopskiego oraz centrum pomocy społecznej w okresie stanu wojennego i po nim

[The Parish in Krasiczyn as a centre of support of democratic opposition and independent peasant movement and a centre of social assistance during martial law in Poland and thereafter] The aim of another publication in “Rocznik Przemyski”, which falls under the project of “oral history”, is to preserve for posterity significant events in the Przemyśl region which took place not so long ago, whose participants are still alive and have agreed to bear first-hand testimonies. This paper focuses on the role of the Roman Catholic St. Martin parish church in Krasiczyn during a crucial period in our history, i.e. the birth of democratic opposition based on the “Solidarity” movement and then public resistance after martial law had been introduced in Poland. The article consists of five parts: introduction, presentation of Rev. Stanisław Bartmiński, calendar of events between 1970 and 2008, accounts by people who in the 1970s and later, particularly during the martial law, had contact with the Krasiczyn parish, and short biographies of the interlocutors and people mentioned in the interviews. The publication is complete with the afterword of the then parish priest, Rev. Stanisław Bartmiński. The collected testimonies show the social, cultural and charity-oriented role of the Krasiczyn church rectory and its head priest, in particular Krasiczyn as the place of meetings of peasant activists who laid the foundations of independent organizations of individual farmers, as a relief centre for democratic opposition activists and later a regional relief center for the people oppressed for their Solidarity activity. Part of the material also concerns organizing in the early 1990s camps for children of Polish origin from Ukraine as well as Ukrainian children harmed during the Chernobyl catastrophe.

A Few Bad Apples or the Logic of Capitalism?

This article investigates how neoliberal globalization has been mediated through audiovisual narratives since the 2000s. It identifies a cluster of films, produced by and circulating on German public television, which use the generic conventions of the popular crime genre to constitute a sub-genre—the televisual economic crime drama. Using a content and textual analysis that focuses on the backdrop of historical context and genre norms, the article examines key tropes to assess the critical potential of this sub-genre. The analysis demonstrates that both the containment theme of “a few bad apples” and a systemic critique can structure these narratives of neoliberalism. At its best, the televisual economic crime drama argues that alternatives to neoliberalism are possible by referencing Germany’s history of the social market economy and by featuring characters as well as images of active citizenship, solidarity, and collective action in the workplace.

Breaking Isolation: Social Work in Solidarity with Migrant Workers through and beyond COVID-19.

In the early months of COVID-19’s proliferation through Canadian communities, the now largely documented uneven impacts and burdens of the illness were emerging. Among the early COVID-19 casualties were workers in Alberta’s meatpacking plants, with infection rates so high that the news quickly gained international attention. The Cargill meatpacking plant, overwhelmingly staffed by temporary foreign workers with no permanent status or citizenship rights, was the site of the largest single coronavirus outbreak in Canada. The need for a community response to this emerging crisis was a focal discussion for a newly formed network of social workers. A multileveled series of actions and systems advocacy were put in place. These actions would foment a vibrant and diverse “community of communities” while also unveiling challenges and obstacles to the work during a period of a shifting health landscape, shutdowns, and changing legislation. This article focuses on the development of a grassroots and transformative community-led response to COVID-19, describing strategies, implementation, and challenges in the “real life” context of the recent pandemic. Key learnings for postpandemic community organizing and social work solidarity actions are highlighted.

Housing motivated youth in low-income neighborhoods: How practitioners shape conditions for encounters across diversity in ‘intentional’ social mix programs in Milan and Paris

ABSTRACT The concept of social mix has been thoroughly examined in the housing literature. Research to date finds little evidence of encounters between socially diverse residents living in mixed settings. This paper provides comparative insights into new, socially mixed housing initiatives in Milan and Paris that have been conceived to promote encounters among diverse residents. Both initiatives, implemented by not-for-profit organizations, provide affordable housing for university students or young professionals in low-income social housing neighborhoods in exchange for their commitment to organize solidarity activities with and for their social housing neighbors. The paper examines how frameworks provided by housing practitioners for “intentional” encounters between motivated youth and low-income residents shape these encounters and considers the receptivity of the youth population to intentionally engage in common projects across diversity. It distils some core conditions within these programs that promote encounters among diverse residents.