Keeping an open venue and working face to face during the Covid-19 outbreak: challenges for civil society organizations working with people living precarious lives in Sweden

This article examines how representatives of Swedish civil society organisations (CSOs) reflected on and acted to provide daily functional social work to people living precarious lives during the early phase (March-April 2020) of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sweden. The empirical material consists of 20 qualitative interviews with representatives of CSOs. The results highlight how the CSOs, and their venues, constituted a safe place where visitors were considered grievable and that working face-to-face with the visitors was deemed necessary. However, the pandemic posed challenges for how the CSOs were used to organise their social work, while many visitors lacked other alternatives. When Covid-19 hit, it meant adapting and responding to deliver well-functioning social work and a place for people lacking other alternatives despite the pandemic. The measures taken implied possible challenges to the relationship between the CSOs and their visitors. Still, there were indications that the visitors saw the measures as a protection, as rituals of grievability. However, not all measures were welcomed by the representatives or visitors. Turning people away or prioritising among visitors were challenging and cannot always be said to frame people as grievable. Regardless, it seems that the challenging measures taken during the pandemic were already embedded in everyday practices where the visitors were treated relationally and considered grievable before the pandemic. This embeddedness made it possible to extend grievability throughout the pandemic, even when social distancing measures were used, thus emphasising the importance of places of grievability being accessible to people before societal crises occur. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Insights into the Activities of Civil Society in Croatia during the Pandemic of the Covid-19 Disease

The COVID-19 pandemic that started at the beginning of 2020 has put great constraints and significant challenges in organization of social and economic life. This paper analyses the civil society response to the COVID-19 pandemic and presents specific adaptations and opportuni-ties to contribute to the society in the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.The stories that civil society organizations published on the webpage ZADobroBIT.hr have been analysed by the means of a qualitative research. Thematic analysis in different scopes of activities shows that civil society organizations were more focused on the general population and various vulnerable groups. Vulnerable groups were recognized as those needing particular additional support in the course of this period. The activities aiming at general population fo-cused on newly emerged needs related to civil protection. Civil society also worked on keeping the everyday routines in communities by conducting various types of activities. Informing and educating aimed at creating new and maintaining existing information and education-al practices that adapted to pandemic circumstances. The results of the research show also that organizations have significantly changed, and quickly adapted their work with the help of technology and by using volunteer work.The results of the analysis suggest that civil society has proved flexible and able to respond quickly to emerging social needs, but also emphasized the contextual limitations of the ac-tions. Thus, the paper discusses the position and role of civil society in the "new normal ", and the impact it has on its further development in the Croatian social and political environment.

Stepping into the Void: Lessons Learned from Civil Society Organizations during COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil experienced some of the highest rates of COVID-19 globally. This was complicated by the fact that 35 million of its citizens have limited access to water, a primary resource necessary to stem the spread of infectious diseases. In many cases, civil society organizations (CSOs) stepped into this void left by responsible authorities. This paper explores how CSOs in Rio de Janeiro helped populations struggling with access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) during the pandemic, and what coping strategies are transferable to similar contexts. In-depth interviews (n = 15) were conducted with CSO representatives in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing social inequities among vulnerable populations, undermining their ability to protect their health. CSOs provided emergency relief aid but faced the counterproductive actions of public authorities who promoted a narrative that diminished the risks of COVID-19 and the importance of non-pharmacological interventions. CSOs fought this narrative by promoting sensitization among vulnerable populations and partnering with other stakeholders in networks of solidarity, playing a vital role in the distribution of health-promoting services. These strategies are transferrable to other contexts where state narratives oppose public health understandings, particularly for extremely vulnerable populations.

Contributions and Challenges of Civil Society Organizations in Tourism in Kenya

The purpose of this chapter is to present survey findings on the important contributions by civil society groups and organizations involved in tourism in Kenya. This seeks to make them more understood and make a case for their involvement in efforts towards revival of tourism post COVID-19. The research objectives are to investigate contributions of these groups to tourism in Kenya as well as investigate challenges they face. The methodology used is largely qualitative whereby a survey of key informants was carried out. This allowed the researcher to be familiarized with the issues at hand. A semi-structured interview guide was developed that was pretested with four key informants. Key informants included a wide variety of stakeholders in tourism including tour guides, small restaurants owners, travel agency owners, farmers, local chiefs, women, and youth groups. Findings show the contributions of these groups including provisions of unique experiences for tourists as well as challenges experienced including poor road network. The conclusion shows that even as government and other stakeholders engage them post COVID-19, they need to pay attention to their challenges and support them so that they can make greater contributions in the sector. © 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited.

The collaboration between governments and civil society organizations in response to emergency situations / Colaboração entre governos e organizações da sociedade civil em resposta a situações de emergência / Colaboración entre gobiernos y organizaciones de la sociedad civil en respuesta a situaciones de emergencia

Resumo A pandemia da COVID-19 é um exemplo de grande emergência que desafia a administração pública ocasionalmente. A despeito da variedade de eventos dessa natureza, recai sobre o governo, majoritariamente, a responsabilidade pelas ações emergenciais nesses momentos. Organizações da Sociedade Civil (OSCs) podem, no entanto, contribuir para uma resposta rápida e adequada a tais ocorrências. Neste artigo, são discutidas as características das OSCs que as habilitam a contribuir para as medidas de emergência adotadas pelos governos. Analisa-se também a possibilidade de ampliação dos arranjos colaborativos entre governos e OSCs.

Resumen La pandemia de COVID-19 es un ejemplo de gran emergencia que ocasionalmente desafía a la administración pública. A pesar de la variedad de eventos de esa naturaleza, el gobierno es el principal responsable de las acciones de emergencia en esos momentos. Sin embargo, las organizaciones de la sociedad civil (OSC) pueden contribuir a una respuesta rápida y adecuada a estas emergencias. Este artículo analiza las características de las OSC que las califican para contribuir a las medidas de emergencia adoptadas por los gobiernos. También se analiza la posibilidad de ampliación de los acuerdos de colaboración entre gobiernos y OSC.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of a large-scale emergency that defies public administration. There is a variety of large-scale emergency events, and the government is responsible for responding to such situations. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) can contribute to a fast and appropriate response to these emergencies. This article discusses the characteristics of CSOs that qualify them to contribute to the government's emergency responses. We also analyze possible collaborative arrangements between governments and CSOs.

Local Government Efforts to Mitigate the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic among Older Adults.

As the coronavirus crisis spreads swiftly through the population, it takes a particularly heavy toll on minority individuals and older adults, with older minority adults at especially high risk. Given the shockingly high rates of infections and deaths in nursing homes, staying in the community appears to be a good option for older adults in this crisis, but in order for some older adults to do so much assistance is required. This situation draws attention to the need for benevolent intervention on the part of the state should older adults become ill or lose their sources of income and support during the crisis. This essay provides a brief overview of public support and the financial and health benefits for older individuals who remain in the community during the pandemic. It reports the case example of Austin, Texas, a city with a rapidly aging and diverse population of almost a million residents, to ask how we can assess the success of municipalities in responding to the changing needs of older adults in the community due to COVID-19. It concludes with a discussion of what governmental and non-governmental leadership can accomplish in situations such as that brought about by the current crisis.