Distributed records in the Rohingya refugee diaspora: Arweave and the R-Archive

Purpose: This article delineates the pilot implementation of the Rohingya Archive (R-Archive). The R-Archive seeks to both confront and exploit the roles of documentation and recordkeeping in forced displacement of Rohingya people through targeted physical and bureaucratic violence in Myanmar. This grassroots activist intervention is located at the intersection of technology, rights, records, jurisdictions and economics. Using Arweave's blockweave, the R-Archive secures copies of records, such as identity documentation, land deeds and personal papers, carried into diaspora by Rohingya refugees against unauthorised alteration, deletion and loss, providing a trust infrastructure for accumulating available evidence in support of rights claims and cultural preservation. Design/methodology/approach: Iterative development of functional requirements, data collection processes and identification of a technological solution for the community-based, post-custodial, blockchain-inspired R-Archive;design and testing of the R-Archive pilot;and analysis of trust and economic concerns arising. Findings: A complex set of interconnecting considerations is raised by this use of emerging technologies in service to a vulnerable and diasporic community. Hostile governments and volatile cryptocurrencies are both threats to the distributed post-custodial R-Archive. However, the strength of the community bonds that form the archive and articulated in its records speak to the possibility of perdurance for a global Rohingya archive, and working through the challenges surfaced by its development offers the possibility to serve as a model that might be adaptable for other grassroots archival activist projects initiated by oppressed, marginalised and diasporic communities. Research limitations/implications: Personal and community safety and accessibility concerns, especially in refugee camps and under Covid-19 restrictions, presented particular challenges to carrying out the research and development that are addressed in the research design and future research plans. Practical implications: The goal of this pilot was to collect and store examples of a range of documents that demonstrate different aspects of Rohingya culture and links to the homeland as well as those that record formal evidentiary relationships between members of the Rohingya community now in diaspora and the Burmese state (e.g. acknowledgements of citizenship). The pilot was intended to demonstrate the viability of using a blockchain-inspired decentralised archival system combined with a community-driven approach to data collection and then to evaluate the results for potential to scale. Social implications: The R-Archive is a community-centred and driven effort to identify and preserve, under as secure and trusted conditions as possible, digital copies of documents that are of juridical, cultural and personal value to the Rohingya people and also of significance as primary documentary evidence that might be used by international legal institutions in investigating genocide taking place in Burma and by academic researchers studying the history of Burma. Originality/value: The R-Archive is novel in terms of its technological application (Arweave), the economic concerns of a vulnerable stateless population it is trying to address, and its functional complexity, in that its goal is simultaneously to serve both legal evidentiary and community archive functions. The R-Archive is also an important addition to other notable efforts in the diasporic Rohingya community that have attempted to employ the tools of technology for cultural preservation. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Documentation is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Arbovirus and its potential to lead the next global pandemic from sub-Saharan Africa: What lessons have we learned from COVID-19?

Risk and predisposing factors for viral zoonoses abound in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region with significant public health implications. For several decades, there have been several reports on the emergence and re-emergence of arbovirus infections. The lifetime burden of arboviral diseases in developing countries is still poorly understood. Studies indicate significant healthcare disruptions and economic losses attributed to the viruses in resource-poor communities marked by impairment in the performance of daily activities. Arboviruses have reportedly evolved survival strategies to aid their proliferation in favorable niches, further magnifying their public health relevance. However, there is poor knowledge about the viruses in the region. Thus, this review presents a survey of zoonotic arboviruses in SSA, the burden associated with their diseases, management of diseases as well as their prevention and control, mobility and determinants of infections, their vectors, and co-infection with various microorganisms. Lessons learned from the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic coupled with routine surveillance of zoonotic hosts for these viruses will improve our understanding of their evolution, their potential to cause a pandemic, control and prevention measures, and vaccine development.Copyright © GERMS 2022.

Social Contacts and Compliance with SARS-CoV-2 Distancing Measures in the First Lockdown 2020 among Refugees from Syria and Afghanistan in Vienna

The article deals with the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and related measures on the social interactions of refugees from Afghanistan and Syria in Vienna during the first lockdown in March/April 2020. The focus is on the challenges for these vulnerable groups in the field of tension between the contact minimisation prescribed in the Corona regulations of the federal government on the one hand and cramped housing conditions, precarious labour market positions, homeschooling and the "digital divide” on the other. Further focal points are how refugees deal with the measures of "social/physical distancing”, its consequences in view of the colliding cultural norms, the extent of contact reduction and its causal factors. The empirical basis was provided by a quantitative online survey and qualitative interviews with refugees as well as experts from refugee support NGOs and organisations from both groups of origin, who were involved in the underlying project within the framework of a community-based participatory approach. Contrasting with the criticism sometimes voiced in the media that primarily certain groups with a migration background have been less compliant with the measures to contain the pandemic, a more differentiated picture is drawn. Above all, the factors of family status, age and housing conditions have had a strong influence on compliance with the distancing measures. The inaccessibility of public space, which is a particularly important resource for the refugees, as well as the discontinuation of social services offered by NGOs have particularly affected these vulnerable groups. © 2022 Austrian Geographical Society. All rights reserved.

Ethnic Reflections of the Global Outbreak: A Multi-Dimensional Examination on Syrian Refugees and Settlements in the First Phase of the Coronavirus Outbreak

This study aims to examine the effects of the coronavirus pan-demic on Syrian refugees at the neighbourhood level within the framework of perceptions, personal protection experiences, economic and social structure, and practices of neighbourhood usage. The major data source of this qualitative study included in-depth interviews with Syrian refugees living in Ulubey-Onder Neighbourhoods (Ankara). The findings displayed the effects of the pandemic on Syrians and their settlements, and a compari-son before and after the outbreak. The study demonstrated that the effective information sources of Syrians are composed of so-cial and communicational networks, and social media platforms. Their religious beliefs and social and economic needs both shape their perception on not being contaminated, and explain their reaction towards and resistance to respect the measures of the outbreak. Their lack of knowledge on available health services, attitudes of ignoring the use of face masks and social distanc-ing rules, family structures, and living and working conditions in-crease the risk of the spread of the virus. Although the crowded streets proved that human movement and commercial vitality in Syrian settlements continue as it was before the pandemic, the family incomes and standards of living diminished due to laid offs and limited access to donations of NGOs. This led to empowerment of solidarity networks and social relations in the area. Additionally, this study found out both gender differences in socialization opportunities, and negative effects of curfews and suspension of congregational praying activities on social life dur-ing pandemic times.

Vulnerability and antimicrobial resistance

It is now well-recognised that antimicrobial resistance (AMR), or the ability of organisms to resist currently available antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs, represents one of the greatest dangers to human health in the 21st Century. As of 2022, AMR is a top-10 global public health threat. Various national and transnational initiatives have been implemented to address accelerating AMR, and the pressure to find local and global solutions is increasing. Despite this urgency, surprisingly limited progress is being made in rolling back or even slowing resistance. A multitude of perspectives exist regarding why this is the case. Key concerns include an enduring dependency on market-driven drug development, the lacklustre governance and habitual over-prescribing of remaining antimicrobial resources, and rampant short-termism across societies. While rarely presented in such terms, these disparate issues all speak to the social production of vulnerability. Yet vulnerability is rarely discussed in the AMR literature, except in terms of 'disproportionate effects' of AMR. In this paper, we offer a reconceptualisation of vulnerability as manifest in the AMR scene, showing that vulnerability is both a predictable consequence of AMR and, critically, productive of AMR to begin with. We underline why comprehending vulnerability as embodied, assembled, multivalent and reproduced through surveillance matters for international efforts to combat resistance.Copyright © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Special educators' use of culturally responsive family-professional partnership practices with refugee families

Refugee families who have children with disabilities encounter numerous systemic barriers that impact their opportunities to partner with schools and special educators. This study explored early childhood special education and elementary special education teachers use of culturally responsive family-professional partnership practices with refugee families and the impact of current events (e.g. political and immigration rhetoric and COVID-19) on special educators' partnerships with refugee families. Fourteen special educators who taught students in early childhood (n = 8) or elementary (n = 6) levels and worked with at least one student whose family was from a refugee background in the past five years completed an online questionnaire. Nine special educators also engaged in semi-structured interviews to obtain input on their experiences supporting refugee families before and during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. First, the data highlighted contextual factors, such as teachers' understanding of families' backgrounds, teachers' perceptions of families' experiences in special education, and access to interpreters, that highlighted the need for family-professional partnerships. Second, teachers reported high rates of using family-professional partnership practices with refugee families but reported lower rates of helping refugee families gain skills and information to assist their child in their special education programming. Third, teachers shared strategies that they used before and during IEP meetings to engage and partner with refugee families. Fourth, teachers discussed how changes to immigration laws and rhetoric had minimal impact on their partnerships with refugee families, but there was significant impact on partnerships due to COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A Longitudinal Study Examining the Effects of COVID-19 on Refugees Four Years Postresettlement in the United States.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many refugee communities faced intensified economic and social challenges. This longitudinal study began three years prior to the COVID pandemic and examined the effects of COVID on refugee outcomes in the United States including employment, health insurance, safety, and discrimination. The study also examined participant perspectives on COVID-related challenges. Participants included 42 refugees who resettled approximately three years prior to the onset of the pandemic. Data were collected at six months, 12 months, two years, three years, and four years postarrival, with the pandemic beginning between years 3 and 4. Linear growth models examined how the pandemic impacted participant outcomes over time. Descriptive analyses examined perspectives regarding pandemic challenges. Results indicated that during the pandemic, employment and safety significantly decreased. Participant concerns regarding the pandemic centered on health, economic challenges, and isolation. Attention to refugee outcomes during the COVID pandemic highlight the need for social work practitioners to promote equitable access to information and social supports, particularly during times of uncertainty.

COVID-19 in Patients with a Primary Refugee-Associated Language in a Kentucky Emergency Department During 2020.

COVID-19 has heavily impacted the refugee population in the United States due to exposure risks, living and working conditions, and healthcare access, but little is known about outcomes. We reviewed emergency department visits to a Kentucky hospital among 2163 patients from March-December 2020, studying incidence of COVID-19 diagnosis for patients with a primary refugee-associated language compared to English speakers, and outcomes after diagnosis including hospitalization, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. Patients in the population of interest had higher odds of COVID-19 diagnosis in the hospital (OR = 12.31, 95% CI 7.80-19.40), but, among those with COVID-19, lower odds of hospital admission (OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.90) and shorter median length of stay (4.1 vs. 10.5 days) compared to English speakers. The study corroborates reports of comparatively higher COVID-19 incidence in patients speaking a primary refugee-associated language, but implies milder illness severity, possibly reflecting this population's baseline health.

Views and experiences of migrants and stakeholders involved in social and health care for migrants in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had major and potentially long-lasting effects on mental health and wellbeing across populations worldwide. However, these impacts were not felt equally, leading to an exacerbation of health inequalities, especially affecting vulnerable populations such as migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Aiming to inform the adaptation and implementation of psychological intervention programmes, the present study investigated priority mental health needs in this population group. METHODS: Participants were adult asylum seekers, refugees and migrants (ARMs) and stakeholders with experience in the field of migration living in Verona, Italy, and fluent in Italian and English. A two-stage process was carried out to examine their needs using qualitative methods including free listing interviews and focus group discussions, according to Module One of the DIME (Design, Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation) manual. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analyses approach. RESULTS: A total of 19 participants (12 stakeholders, 7 ARMs) completed the free listing interviews and 20 participants (12 stakeholders and 8 ARMs) attended focus group discussions. Salient problems and functions that emerged during free listing interviews were discussed during the focus group discussions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ARMs struggled with many everyday living difficulties in their resettlement country due to social and economic issues, revealing a strong influence of contextual factors in determining mental health. Both ARMs and stakeholders highlighted a mismatch between needs, expectations and interventions as factors that may hamper proper implementation of health and social programmes. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings could help in the adaptation and implementation of psychological interventions targeting the needs of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants aiming to find a match between needs, expectations, and the corresponding interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number 2021-UNVRCLE-0106707, February 11 2021.

Lives of the Rohingya children in limbo: Childhood, education, and children's rights in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

The Rohingyas, an ethnic minority of Myanmar, have been denied human rights, including nationality. For decades, they have suffered from brutal oppression, discrimination, violence, torture, unjust prosecution, murder, and extreme poverty. Hostile situations in Rakhine State have forced the Rohingyas to flee from their homes and seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh and other countries, including India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even distant Saudi Arabia. Many of the Rohingya refugees are children who escaped from their homeland with traumatic experiences and memories. In Bangladesh, the Rohingya children live in desperate conditions in overcrowded, makeshift refugee camps. They are exhausted, frustrated, and poorly nourished, and they have been battling diseases, including Covid-19, as their conditions have become more challenging and volatile. This article explores the historical context of this crisis and analyzes, from the human rights perspective, issues associated with the Rohingyas' displacement and the impact it has had on the Rohingya children.

A Matter of Time: Anticipation Work and Digital Temporalities in Refugee Humanitarian Assistance in Turkey

Scholarly work interrogating time and temporality in CSCW predominantly focuses on the temporal coordination of work in high-resource settings and is usually based in Global North. This paper aims to complicate and complement this scholarship by investigating the temporal entanglements of digital humanitarian work with refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey during COVID-19. We interviewed 22 humanitarian workers to understand their experiences and concerns as well as strategies they employed to support refugees and immigrants at a distance. The data reveal the complex temporal, informational, and infrastructural dimensions of technologically-mediated refugee support work, challenging the trope of "pivot to remote work", as popular in western countries. Our findings contribute to the CSCW research on the theory of anticipation work and its relationship with the concept of collaborative rhythms to explicate the relational and situated aspects of the temporal experiences of humanitarian workers in low-resource settings. © 2023 ACM.

Refugee Women's Receptiveness for Virtual Engagement on Reproductive Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Refugee women who leave their country due to persecution and violence have multiple barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. The COVID-19 pandemic added an additional barrier to in-person reproductive health education, dialogue, and clinical care. This study aimed to assess the potential of using virtual group meetings as a forum for refugee women to learn about and discuss reproductive health concerns such as cervical cancer screening, family planning, childbirth, and postpartum care. METHOD: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 refugee women and stakeholders to assess factors that impact refugee women's receptiveness for virtual platforms to obtain information and engage in discussions on reproductive health. Thematic analysis was conducted using the software Dedoose. RESULTS: Openness to engage in virtual platforms varied by refugee community, women's demographic, and life experience. The women's involvement with local refugee groups facilitated their engagement with virtual platforms. Furthermore, individuals' family structure and marital relationship, along with literacy and English proficiency, and access to and familiarity with technology impacted engagement. Virtual groups needed to mirror confidentiality and women expressed a strong preference that groups were all-women. CONCLUSION: Refugee women are receptive to virtual groups on SRH when they are offered in a culturally appropriate manner that considers the living situations and access to technology after arrival to the USA. Findings from this study provide a framework to develop and tailor effective virtual or hybrid virtual-in-person programs for women in refugee communities.

The Forgotten Human Service Sector: Leadership Narratives of Immigrant and Refugee-Led Community-Based Ethnic Organizations

Although community-based ethnic organizations (CBEOs) play a crucial role within the human services landscape, their role often remains unacknowledged. Our study examines the role of CBEOs in the context of the larger human services environment. Purposive sampling was used to interview immigrant/refugee CBEO leaders (N = 7). Four overarching themes emerged: perceived role of CBEOs in immigrant/refugee services;CBEO challenges in the human services environment;inclusion versus exclusion in the HSO network;and CBEO positioning as a way forward for human services. We argue for increased legitimization of CBEOs serving immigrant and refugee communities for an equitable human services environment.

Zero COVID 19 Occurrence among 206 of 1023 Migrants of War from Syria at the Czech Border (Rapid Research Note)

Recent war conflicts in Europe and Middle East generate new refugee wawes and possible dissemination of Covid I9 variants from countries with low vaccination activity due to armed events.Therefore we have tested all migrants of war(206) coming via Hungarian Slovak Czech Border,within one week among 1023 refugees of war..who had symptoms of respiratory infection.None of tested symptomatic individuals was pos- itive by rapid antigen test.Therefore the the risk ofCOVID I9 dissemination was not been confirmed.

Health Emergency and Asylum Law in the European Union

The rapid spread of COVID-19 in Europe has led to the further deterioration of the crisis concerning the application of the provisions of European Union (EU) asylum law in most Member States. Accordingly, this article aims to shed light on the impact that the health emergency is having on the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). This requires a twofold legal analysis. First, the article discusses whether health emergencies, like that caused by COVID-19, should affect the scope of States' obligations stemming from the CEAS, such as the principle of non-refoulement and access to asylum procedures. In this connection, it reviews, in light of international law obligations and the EU border control regime, the policy responses and legislative measures adopted by EU Member States during the first few weeks of the pandemic that resulted in the closure of borders to asylum seekers. Secondly, the article investigates whether the CEAS legal toolbox contains adequate provisions that can be applied in emergency situations. Thus it analyses the impact of the health emergency on reception conditions for asylum seekers. Based on the findings of this twofold analysis, it is concluded that certain rights, such as the right to seek asylum, cannot be suspended - not even during a situation of health emergency - and that it is all the more urgent to redesign a CEAS that takes account of the challenges posed by future situations of health emergency.

Action, Reaction and Resignation: How Refugee Women and Support Organisations Respond to Labour Market Integration Challenges during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Even without the impact of a global pandemic, refugee women face obstacles to their integration into the labour market. Complex integration challenges are situated across different, yet interwoven, levels. These include restrictive policies at the institutional level, limited funding for support measures at the organisational level and a lack of skills at the individual level. Many of these are gendered and specifically affect women. Some might be further intensified by Covid-19. However, the pandemic's effect on the labour market integration of refugee women has yet to be explored. This paper examines specific challenges support organisations and refugee women have faced during the pandemic and their responses to these. Following a process perspective, we utilise a qualitative methods approach with semi-structured interviews. We collected our data in Austria, a European country that hosts numerous refugees and has an elaborate support network. Results show that the external shock of the pandemic amplified the importance of developing digital skills to support post-pandemic labour market integration. In addition, the pandemic exacerbated challenges for refugee women and support organisations. This led to ‘action', ‘reaction' and ‘resignation' responses. We discuss these, and provide avenues for further research and practice. © 2023 The Authors

Displacement and return in the internet Era: Social media for monitoring migration decisions in Northern Syria

According to UNHCR reporting there are over 27 million refugees globally, many of whom are hosted in neighboring countries which struggle with bureaucracy and service provision to support them. With the onset of Covid-19 in early 2020, gathering data on the location and conditions of these refugees has become increasingly difficult. Using Syria as a case study, where since 2011 80% of the population has been displaced in the civil war, this paper shows how the widespread use of social media could be used to monitor migration of refugees. Using social media text and image data from three popular platforms (Twitter, Telegram, and Facebook), and leveraging survey data as a source of ground truth on the presence of IDPs and returnees, it uses topic modeling and image analysis to find that areas without return have a higher prevalence of violence-related discourse and images while areas with return feature content related to services and the economy. Building on these findings, the paper uses mixed effects models to show that these results hold pre- and post-return as well as when migration is quantified as monthly population flows. Monitoring refugee return in war prone areas is a complex task and social media may provide researchers, aid groups, and policymakers with tools for assessing return in areas where survey or other data is unavailable or difficult to obtain. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

The Impact of COVID-19 on the ‘Culture of Deportation' for Refugees from African Countries in Germany

‘Culture of deportation' is a term used primarily by refugee-activist movements in Germany to describe the tradition of involuntary returns and deportations of refugees, the threat thereof, and the prevention of social inclusion. This chapter critically discusses the political context of the ‘culture of deportation' within the German asylum system and the European border system, its neo-colonial foundation, and future implications. It demonstrates the complex impact that the systematic enforcement of this tradition has on the lives of African refugees in Germany and after involuntary return. These effects include barriers, isolation, and fears in nearly all areas of the lives of those who have no stable residency status in Germany. Furthermore, the impact that Covid-19 has on the ‘culture of deportation' is discussed. The (temporary) suspension of deportations by worldwide travel restrictions brought a small glimpse of hope and peace to the lives of African refugees in Germany. Lastly, the role of international social work in the described scenario is discussed. The chapter is based on the analysis of documents and interviews and observations of the author from her work with African refugee activists and asylum seekers. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Five Years Lost: Youth Inclusion in the Rohingya Response

While youth are routinely lauded as "change-makers,” they are often underserved and unsupported in refugee responses. As the Rohingya face protracted displacement in Bangladesh, what is the state of youth inclusion in the response? Do youth and adolescents feel supported, or are they ignored and left behind?To answer these questions, the paper uses: Literature on youth participation and inclusion in humanitarian programming;Key informant interviews with practitioners from national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies;Focus group discussions and key informant interviews with refugee individuals and groups across nine camps for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. It finds that: Refugee Rohingya youth and adolescents remain firmly on the margins of humanitarian programming, and are largely excluded from decision-making processes;Approximately 96 percent of surveyed youth between 18 and 24 years of age report being unemployed;For surveyed women aged 18–24 years, unemployment rates bordered on 99 percent;and Stress and anxiety are omnipresent amongst the community: an overwhelming majority of respondents reported experiencing disturbing thoughts and resorting to negative coping mechanisms. The paper ends with a series of recommendations to the Strategic Executive Group (SEG) and the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), to donors, the international community, and the government of Bangladesh. 1

Refugees in the Digital Economy: The Future of Work among the Forcibly Displaced

The current scale and duration of displacement prompts renewed urgency about livelihoods prospects for displaced people and the role of humanitarian organisations in fostering them. This special issue focuses on how aid organisations, together with the private sector and other actors, have worked to include refugees in new forms of online work within the web-based digital economy. Building on comparative analysis and a comprehensive review of the field of digital livelihoods among the forcibly displaced, in this introductory article we argue that including refugees in this digital economy is currently neither a sustainable form of humanitarian relief nor is it a development solution that provides large-scale decent work. We show how digital livelihoods approaches have gained a special footing in the middle ground between short-term economic relief and long-term development. Indeed, digital economies seemingly offer a variety of ‘quick-fix' solutions at the transition from humanitarian emergency towards long-term development efforts. While digital economies harbour significant potential, this cannot be fully realised unless current efforts to include refugees in digital economies are complemented by efforts to address digital divides, uphold refugees' rights, and ensure more decent working conditions.