Items

• 
  2022-03-07

  There’s A ‘Vibe Shift’ On Reddit—People Are Sharing Heartfelt Stories Of Loneliness And Isolation Due To The Pandemic And Working From Home

  This is a news story from Forbes by Jack Kelly. This story is about loneliness felt from isolation that people are discussing on Reddit. Subreddits like r/antiwork and r/wallstreetbets, a lot of these conversations are sharing details about their feelings they might not want to share elsewhere. Since Reddit allows people to submit anonymously, it gives others an environment they can give more details on subjects they maybe wouldn't tell to even their family members. Some of these discussions are about those that are single and work from home, which creates a very solitary experience. One woman, 27, on Reddit describes trying to join Facebook groups and do online dating to have more interaction during the pandemic. She says she felt a slight panic seeing her other friends get married, have kids, or engaged, which made her feel even lonelier. Others describe the challenges with finding remote work and needing support to help cope with that hardship. The lack of socialization has had massive effect on young adults just starting out in life, and it has given some worse mental health as a result. While some might thrive with being alone, others have suffered. Another woman, 32, says that prior to the pandemic, she was a 'social butterfly' and outgoing, but is now antisocial and a shut-in. She says that she lacks the motivation to go places like she used to. In addition to this, her place of employment is considering permanent work-from-home for employees, making some of those social struggles even worse. Some Redditors ended up giving advice for people that shared stories like these, such as smiling every day towards someone, or going outside for 15 minutes or longer. Simple things like this were common suggestions to help with some people's mental health issues induced because of the pandemic isolation. I think that this story helps show some of the negative effects young people have had with readjusting their entire lives, and then feeling lost once they get too used to it when things are starting to go back to "normal."
• 
  2020-06-04

  Small Town, Big Affairs

  The challenges of both COVID-19 and the lockdown illuminated the disproportionate burden black and brown communities have been facing with jobs, communities, and police. In the midst of the profound trauma of George Floyd's death, many communities had to come together to address what parameters were they enforcing for both the health and safety for its member. Many protest like the one shown in Anderson, South Carolina took place May-August of 2020 to demonstrate how a growing pandemic forced individuals to think about others' vulnerabilities--specifically those inflicted from police brutality.
• 
  2020-04-13

  Mental Health and the Covid-19 Pandemic

  Uncertain prognoses, looming severe shortages of resources for testing and treatment and for protecting responders and health care providers from infection, imposition of unfamiliar public health measures that infringe on personal freedoms, large and growing financial losses, and conflicting messages from authorities are among the major stressors that undoubtedly will contribute to widespread emotional distress and increased risk for psychiatric illness associated with Covid-19. Health care providers have an important role in addressing these emotional outcomes as part of the pandemic response.
• 
  2021-09-22

  Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theories are Getting Worse

  A friend shared this public Facebook post with me. An anti-vaxxer theorizes about a conspiracy (by whom it’s unclear) to “kill” anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers WITH COVID because so many anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers have died of COVID. My mind is blown that they wouldn’t consider the possibility that their inability to protect themselves and others from the virus has made them particularly vulnerable.
• 
  2021-02-22

  Black history and the COVID-19 pandemic

  This post tags an article titled "The Black Plague" which states that according to the Reuters report African Americans are more likely to die from Covid-19 than any other group in the U.S.. The article goes further in to explain the synopsis of affected and deaths of certain states but it importantly states that black people are more likely to have pre-existing health conditions that weaken their immune systems causing them to be easily infected. Though this is one reason why; other reasons including, as stated in the article "Trumpanian Malfeseance" is another major cause. With the testing locations around the U.S having major breakpoints, it was noted that zipcodes of higher-income families had the closest and many available sights of getting tested compared to zip codes with low-income families. Further studies showed that out of these lower-income locations, the majority was filled by black people. This limited the opportunity for black people to get tested and explains how the pandemic is affecting black people.
• 2020-11-09

  HIST30060

  1. The Trump family contracting Covid When my friend first texted me about Donald and Melania Trump contracting Covid-19, I let out a hysterical laugh. To me, it wasn’t Trump, the person, contracting the virus that was funny but rather Trump, the one who belittled the effects of the virus and avoided taking meaningful measures to minimise its impact, that was funny. It was a stark reminder that boundaries between the powerful and the powerless, between the wealthy and the disadvantaged, between the authorities and the ones subject to authority, between varying socioeconomic standings can be blurred, especially in the case of a global pandemic. While pandemics have an undeniable impact on the disadvantaged or those with lower socioeconomic means, its impact on a figure such as Trump somewhat demonstrated that no one is beyond a virus. 2. Stigmatising Migrant Communities in Victoria When the second outbreak unfolded in Victoria, it was really interesting to, firstly, see the socioeconomic inequalities come into light and, secondly, the Victorian migrant communities framed as the problem. They were projected to be the cause of the second outbreak in Victoria which prompted the media to monopolise on this racist and bigoted rhetoric of migrants causing trouble. The media and some members of the public (through social media) insinuated that migrant communities’ culture was, by default, antithetical to the Australian way of life and thrust Victoria into another lockdown. It later became clear that the Victorian government’s hotel quarantine disaster prompted a second outbreak. The security personnel and other staff employed by the Victorian government spread the virus to a handful of postcodes in Victoria. The areas where the outbreaks first began to emerge were areas with lower socioeconomic standing and migrant communities. Considering that these staff members were from these postcodes, the outbreak seemed to be prompted and furthered by the migrant culture which supposedly allowed for the flouting of restrictions, mass gatherings and, therefore, quick local transmission of the virus. The wealthier suburbs or postcodes weren’t hit as hard. Thus, demonstrating the existing socioeconomic inequalities in Victoria and the way in which some communities were hit harder than others. It was striking to see how easily a community can be framed and dismissed as the other and the troublemaker. Additionally, this may speak to the debates or concerns which are left outside the national discussion which, in turn, can contribute to a specific historical record based on the dominant narrative. In Victoria’s case, perhaps this can be the more general covid lockdown narrative which for the average Victorian is divorced from any ethnic implications whilst for other Victorians, the connotations associated with their ethnic identities, particularly in the context of the covid pandemic, is warped and bigoted. 3. Burqa vs. facemask hypocrisy – facemasks can become the normalcy but burqa’s never will With the introduction of the coronavirus restrictions around the world, it was interesting to see the discourse around face-covering change, particularly, in the West. For about two decades, following 9/11 in America, there has been negative messaging around the burqa some Muslim women choose to wear. It was deemed socially unacceptable and antithetical to societal norms or appropriateness. Muslim women have been subjected to vilification and have been told that the burqa limits communication and is a symbol of an anti-western patriarchal tradition. There seems to be a hypocrisy around this issue in that while a health concern can normalise a face covering, religious reasoning seems insufficient. While the historical baggage associated with the burqa far surpasses this debate of covering versus revealing the face and, of course, while the health benefits of a face mask is of great importance, there is room to view it with a somewhat binary approach. Put more plainly, it seems while the health implications of any form of face covering or clothing items can allow officials to impose policies around mandatory face covering, religion or, more importantly, freedom of choice, does not offer enough of an incentive for officials to consider burqas as societally and socially acceptable. I believe the policies begat from health concerns are of prime importance. However, these policies can coexist alongside policies of acceptance. Thus, the reframing of societal norms to accommodate for another’s interpretation of their religious obligations. 4. Family member in hospital during Covid With the Covid pandemic, 2020 is probably one of the worst years to approach a hospital in any way. My family and I were unfortunate to have experienced a situation (not Covid-19 related) which required us to rush a family member to the hospital. I found that it was one of the hardest things I have had to cope with throughout my life. This is a photo of my family member’s patient wristband. As nurses in the emergency were asking one another about whether the incoming patients were swabbed for covid, the added difficulties of this situation were clear. The limited contact I was able to have with my family member due to the hyper alert covid environment at the hospital deeply frustrated me. These were perhaps the organic happenings of life, however, not having the option of being beside my family member and only seeing my family member for 2 hours in a day was tormenting. It was also a reminder of how varied the experiences of the lockdown and restrictions could be. Alongside the general difficulties of the pandemic and the lockdown, there could be added layers of complexity which may range from living arrangements, work, race, socioeconomic status to, in our case, an unexpected health condition. 5. TikTok dance Similar to the millions of others out there during the lockdown, I had my fair share of busting some dance moves on TikTok with my house mate. This made me appreciate the little fleeting moments of happiness even in a very grim-looking world with the virus ravaging communities across the globe. Making this video, learning the dance moves and continuously getting the moves wrong was the most upbeat, thrilling and enjoyable fun I had during quarantine. Also, given that I thought I would never use TikTok, I somewhat understood the solace most of its users found in the app, especially, more than ever, during a global pandemic.
• 
  2020-06-18

  "LGBTQ Inequality and Vulnerability in the Pandemic"

  "Around the world, LGBTQ people are more vulnerable to the pandemic — especially where their status intersects with poverty."
• 
  2020-07

  Jewish Melbourne: Survivors in Isolation - A different isolation

  In July Elly Brooks - who is a photographer, member of the Board of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, and President of Friends of JHC - worked with the JHC to take photos of Holocaust survivors at their front doors. In line with Melbourne's lockdown procedures, the JHC was closed, and everyone was required to be at home, so these photos show the survivors as they stayed home to isolate. Elly Brooks reflected: "Holocaust Survivors and other elderly people are perhaps more impacted in this time of covid isolation than younger people as they are confined to their homes under the country’s partial lockdown and many find themselves far from their usual network of support. What shines through this series of images of Holocaust survivors in Melbourne is a strong spirit to overcome adversity, with an understanding that it is a temporary. Most of the survivors pictured, have been coming to the Jewish Holocaust Centre for many years, presenting their testimony to students and the general public and being connected to a community. In early March, when the pandemic was becoming an inevitable danger in Melbourne, the survivors were the first to be asked to stay home, away from the JHC. For some, the memories of our survivors are always there just below the surface and this enforced isolation makes our elderly feel vulnerable and threatens their independence. As a photographer, I wanted to capture the strength and dignity of survivors as they posed on their doorsteps of their homes during this lockdown.As a longtime friend to most of them, I have been missing them so it also gave me good reason to visit them and hear their wise words. For some the virus brought back memories: “that feeling of dread all the time. You never know if other people on the street are going to give you the virus, or they were going to turn you in to the Gestapo because you were a Jew.” Each survivor had their photo taken and they each contributed a reflection: Joe de Hann: I keep occupied by reading and cooking for myself. I have been alone a long time so I am used to being by myself but I miss the Holocaust Centre and the people Henry Buch: I feel unchallenged and lack motivation. My son visits but my daughter is in isolation. Jewish Care assists me but when you are isolated like this memories and worries come back Irma Hanner: “It’s not a war! “We are in a lucky country but even so we must be aware of and call out racism. The extremes of politics both right and left sides are bad. “I miss my work at The Jewish Holocaust Centre” Gisa Frayman: I am lucky that my children come to visit which means that I am not alone. We talk everyday on the phone and as long as they are well, they visit me John Lamovie: I have a large family and before this isolation they visited often but not now. That is the hardest for me at this time.Life during the pandemic ihas an unsettling resonance, especially the isolation from family members. Some of my family drive by to wave to me. A couple of family deaths were very hard to reconcile at this strange time of isolation. I attended a virtual funeral. Overall I feel lucky and nothing to complain about. Abe Goldberg: It’s not a war but it is very hard for me because my wife Cesia is in care and I cannot visit her. That is devastating for me not being allowed to visit her. We have been together so many years Sarah Saaroni: I’m perfectly fine and see my family from a distance. I am fully occupied and well looked after. Henri Korn: Life during the pandemic is unsettling especially the isolation from my friends and family. “It pains me that I cannot be with my family, with my friends,” Wolf Deane: We are happy to be living here and have our family close by. Joe Swarczberg: I miss The JHC, the students, staff and my friends. I used to go often and now I just stay at home. I hope I live long enough to see the new Centre. David Prince: I miss my work at The Holocaust Centre especially seeing the students. I am used to being independent and have friends and family nearby. It is an unsettling time and I hope we can go back to the way it was and I am around to see the new Centre. Viv Speigel: I miss going to The Centre but I am lucky to see my family from a distance and I have all that I need. Maria Lewitt: I am happy to be close to my family and well cared for. John Chaskiel: I am fine and my family visits from a distance. They come to my driveway but I miss The Holocaust Centre and the students. I hope I will see the new museum
• 
  2020-06-01

  "PACIFIC ISLANDERS UNITE TO FIGHT COVID AMIDST EXTREME CLIMATE CHANGE EVENTS"

  "COVID-19, measles, and dengue fever are not the only risks the Pacific islands face. These island nations collectively emit less than one percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, yet they disproportionately experience the impacts of the climate crisis. There are 20 sovereign island nations in the Pacific, with between 20,000-30,000 islands covering more than 16 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean. The region possesses one of the world’s richest biodiversities and unique cultures, with more than 1,500 Indigenous spoken languages. Papua New Guinea alone is home to well over 800 Indigenous languages, more than most other countries in the world. The remoteness of this constellation of islands within the southern hemisphere puts the region at a distinct advantage over COVID-19. However, relatively small land masses with growing populations heighten the region’s susceptibility to the multiplicative effects of the measles and dengue fever epidemics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the brutal impacts of climate change."
• 
  2020

  OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19

  "International solidarity is vital for the survival of Indigenous Peoples and all our relations. There is a special need to support ground-breaking initiatives managed by Indigenous governments, local community organizations, women, and youth, who know what is needed on the local level and are on the ground to carry it out."
• 
  2020-06-10

  OPEN LETTER TO JAIR BOLSONARO: BRAZIL IS FAILING TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DURING THE #COVID19

  "Brazil’s current policies concerning the health and protection of its Indigenous citizens are nothing less than genocidal."
• 
  2019-06-04

  FOR THE RIGHT TO BE NAMED AND COUNTED: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE EXCLUDED FROM COVID-19 STATISTICS

  "We have a great diversity of Indigenous Peoples in the world, Peoples who have been affected in different ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. To name us is to recognize our existence, which is the result of hundreds of years of resistance against invasions and previous epidemics similar to COVID-19. "
• 
  2020

  COVID-19 impacts in Indigenous Peoples

  "Due to the need to present information disaggregated by Indigenous Peoples (IP), Cultural Survival is producing this map to collect and disseminate information to show the IP situation. Due to the constant increase of cases and the lack of testing in rural areas, the data presented here will vary over time. It is a continuous and not exhaustive effort and we invite you to contribute with us"
• 
  2020-06-09

  Diné College researchers believe more reasons behind high Covid-19 Cases on Navajo

  "Diné College science professors release research paper on Native Americans susceptibility to the virus."
• 
  2020-05-11

  "Wearing Your Mask Protects Our Elders and Our Vulnerable"

  "Wearing a protective face mask helps lower the transmission of COVID-19, and helps protect those who are at most risk from contracting it."
• 
  2020-06-02

  Why colored paper in a doorway is a key part of Maine tribes’ Coronavirus response

  “Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Passamaquoddy Tribe elder Sarah Stanley’s world has shrunk to her home and a house across the street where three of her grandchildren live on the Pleasant Point reservation. It’s about as far as she feels safe going. Stanley, 60, has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, putting her in the high-risk category for the virus. Despite family being close, Stanley said she feels isolated most of the time and does not feel safe going out even with a mask and gloves. If she needs something, Stanley posts a colored sheet of paper in her doorway: yellow for supplies, red for illness, or blue if she needs someone to talk with. At 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day, workers will drive by her home to check if a color is posted and they get what she needs.” Passamaquoddy Tribe
• 
  2020-05-20

  9 Ways Indigenous Rights Are At Risk During the COVID-19 Crisis

  “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated existing inequalities and human rights abuses that affect Indigenous Peoples around the world. At the same time, governments are taking advantage of the attention that is directed to virus response in order to proceed with projects and policies that further violate Indigenous rights.” Examples provided include: deepening health disparities, lack of access to information, violence against Indigenous peoples takes advantage of global attention on COVID-19, extractive industries greenlighted to continue operations despite threats to health and safety, government responses to COVID-19 exacerbate bad policing, exacerbation of poverty, increased food insecurity, increased land grabs, and mistreatment of migrants.
• 
  2020-05-29

  We Know What Is Best for Us.' Indigenous Groups Around the World Are Taking COVID-19 Responses Into Their Own Hands

  “We’ve had epidemics before. We’ve had viruses before. In general, we’ve had a lot of things attack us before,” says Freeland, who has since recovered fully. But this is “the worst case scenario.”
• 
  2020-05-14

  Indigenous realities in a COVID-19 world: Africa

  "Now we hear that Corona virus is in town; that we cannot go there anymore. We fear to go to town. And if the disease cannot be treated traditionally, it will be a threat to our life,” Oloshuro Saruni, a member of the Akie community in Tanzania, said.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Malaysia's indigenous people flee into forests to escape coronavirus

  "After blocking the entrance to their village with logs, half the people of Jemeri fled into the surrounding forest in fear as the coronavirus spread in Malaysia, infecting the first indigenous 'Orang Asli' person."
• 
  2020-05-13

  A’uwẽ-Xavante Leaders Denounce Bogus Consultations Regarding 3 Hydroelectric Dams, Demand halt to Commercial Transport on Federal Highways during COVID

  "The lives and cultures of A’uwẽ-Xavante and Boe-Bororo depend on the river’s vitality as well as on the flora and fauna that are also sustained by a healthy river. For this reason, the leaders demand their right to autonomy and independence in constructing the consultation process"
• 
  2020-05-14

  In Amazon city, indigenous chief felled by COVID-19 buried with dance and singing

  ""Thanks to Chief Kokama, we have a place here where we can maintain our culture, our sacred songs and dances, and make our manioc flour and our arts and crafts," said nurse Vanda, as she is known in her community."We will continue fighting to make his dream come true."
• 
  2020-05-19

  Coronavirus threatens remote Indigenous communities in the Amazon

  Pan American Health Organization warns the virus is spreading rapidly in Amazon areas between Brazil, Colombia, Peru.
• 
  2020-05-18

  COVID-19 places Iran’s nomadic pastoralists at a crossroads

  "Nomadic pastoralists in Iran play an important role in national food security and sovereignty.1 Since the arrival of COVID-19, they have been deeply concerned about the impact that the pandemic is likely to have on them. Their recently established national platform, the Union of Indigenous Nomadic Tribes of Iran (UNINOMAD),2 is taking action. UNINOMAD outlined its members’ concerns and proposed solutions in a letter sent to key national authorities on 10 March. We will outline the main points of the letter and reflect on what the overall situation might mean for nomadic pastoralism in Iran."
• 
  2020-04-03

  Central Asia and Coronavirus: When Being Nomadic Isn’t Enough

  "COVID-19 is revealing a great deal about the character of Central Asia’s people and their governments. "
• 
  2020-04-27

  Covid-19: Lessons from the Yanomami of Brazil

  "Since their initial contacts with outsiders beginning in the 1940s, the Yanomami have lived through wave after wave of deadly viral epidemics, notably the measles and flu."
• 
  2020-05-11

  Doctors Without Borders Dispatches Team to the Navajo Nation

  “Jean Stowell, head of the organization's U.S. COVID-19 Response Team, told CBS News that Doctors Without Borders has dispatched a team of nine to the hard-hit Navajo Nation in the southwest U.S. because of the crisis unfolding there. The team consists of two physicians, three nurse/midwives, a water sanitation specialist, two logisticians and a health promoter who specializes in community health education. ‘There are many situations in which we do not intervene in the United States, but this has a particular risk profile,’ Stowell said. ‘Situationally, the Native American communities are at a much higher risk for complications from COVID-19 and also from community spread because they don't have access to the variety of things that make it possible to self-isolate… You can't expect people to isolate if they have to drive 100 miles to get food and water.’ Navajo Nation, home to roughly 170,000 people, now has more coronavirus cases per capita than any state in America. Due to a shortage in nursing and specialized medical staff, the most critical patients have to be airlifted to hospitals outside of the reservation. On top of that, Navajo people carry a high rate of diabetes and hypertension, rendering them more susceptible to infection. And as of early May, the region has a higher coronavirus death rate than that of 46 states.”
• 
  2020-05-30

  How Native Americans Are Fighting a Food Crisis

  “Getting to food has long been a challenge for Pine Ridge residents. For a lot of people, the nearest grocery store is a two-hour drive away. Many rely on food stamps or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, a federal initiative that provides boxes of food (historically lacking in healthy options) to low-income families. Diabetes rates run very high. The coronavirus crisis — one case has been reported on the reservation — has only made access to food harder, as shelves of the few groceries empty out, shipments of food boxes are delayed because of supply chain disruptions, and hunting and gathering are restricted by government regulations and environmental conditions. But the Oglala Sioux, like many other Native Americans across the country, are relying on the practices — seed saving, canning, dehydrating — that their forebears developed to survive harsh conditions, with limited supplies.”
• 
  2020-04-02

  The Ethnocid Effect of COVID-19 on the Indigenous Peoples of Guatemala

  “In Guatemala, the first infected with Covid 19 was revealed on March 13. Until recently March 26, the government had only carried out 564 tests for the virus and the situation was: 25 infected, and of them, one deceased and 5 cured. The government says that it has already contained the virus, epidemiologists say no and that perhaps the worst may be yet to come…”
• 
  2020-04-30

  A Plan for All Won’t Work for All: COVID-19 and Māori in New Zealand

  "The higher rates of chronic conditions among Māori raise the probability of serious COVID-related complications. These conditions in turn are exacerbated by inadequate access to health care and prescription drugs."
• 
  2020-04-22

  Isolated indigenous tribes risk extinction from coronavirus, experts say

  "The threat of COVID-19 in the Amazon to indigenous peoples and the peoples in isolation is a very real threat of possible ethnocide,"