The specter of race in global Covid-19 responses: the future is decolonial.

The Covid-19 pandemic reified pre-existing inequalities predicated on anti-Black racism, imperial geographical cartography, and the violent language of biomilitarism. In this reflective essay I deploy tools of historical sociology to underscore the importance of race, racism, racialization, and global responses to pandemics. I considerer the following questions. First, how can world society develop ideas and concepts for the imagination of a post-imperial global health regime? Second, can alternative futures be imagined if the monopolistic control of power, global scientific processes and knowledge regime is framed around a problematic lexicography of a Eurocentric totalizing project of being human? Lastly, if there is a scientific consensus that we need alternative futures, what kinds of knowledge is needed to bring about a post-imperial liberated order? The future of global health regime is a decolonial one predicated on a new biopolitics. I provide four paradigmatic approaches to subvert imperial global health: (i) pivoting ecocide in the imperial global health regime; (ii) abandonment of a Eurocentric conceptualization of racial hierarchy and modernity; (iii) disbanding the commodification of public health; and (iv) organizing a new world order through health reparations.

Ecopsychosocial accompaniment: Cocreating with humility.

When Seymour Sarason, the founder of American community psychology, looked back on his life and work, he singled out the importance of personal humility and of developing collaborative learning relationships. He worried that humility was too lacking in psychology. To cultivate humility, we need to engage in an ongoing practice of critical self- and group-examination that enables us to understand more fully the effects of our positionalities, historical, and cultural contexts. Alongside this we need to try to understand the ecopsychosocial and historical contexts of those we have been invited to accompany. For those who are European descended, this requires a deepening realization of how we, as W. E. B. Du Bois would say, have been and are a "problem." Unawares, we have saturated psychology with our own cultural perspectives and ways of being. "White" people require their own pedagogy to become more conscious of their standpoints and to redress the harms created by their group. Our task is not to evangelize psychological theories and practices born from within our own particular cultural perspective, but to learn from the cultural workers and community members in the group we are working with. We must ask of ourselves questions that enable us to understand the broader historical, social, and ecological context of the issues that are presenting. To indicate this, I preface the term "accompaniment" with the adjective "ecopsychosocial." Ecopsychosocial accompaniment requires humility. It is humility that opens the door to being able to imagine and desire together, to cocreate, and cosustain the kinds of decolonial spaces, places, and ways of working and living with one another that are so desperately needed.

'They Just Let Us Rot to Death:' Anti-Colonialism, Contestation, and Resistance to Reparations for Indian Residential School Abuse.

In the wake of increasing attention to reparations for settler colonialism in recent years, the politics of refusal and contestation of reparations has remained an underexplored area in socio-legal research. This article addresses this gap by foregrounding the perspectives of the colonised as a focal point to examine the strategies they mobilise to stage resistance to state-sponsored redress and to expose the harmful logics and legacies of ongoing settler colonialism. Strategies of resistance are discussed in the context of the Independent Assessment Process - a financial compensation process designed to provide redress to survivors of the physical and sexual violence they had suffered while attending Canada's Indian Residential Schools. This article explores how survivors disrupted the compensation process to advance an anti-colonial agenda, to politicise the violence, and to compel the settler state to recognise their lived experiences and realities of structural violence in the settler colonial present.

Reparations for people living with dementia: Recognition, accountability, change, now!

There is a significant and longstanding problem of harm to people living with dementia in long term care institutions ('LTC institutions', referred to by others as 'care homes', 'nursing homes', 'long term care', 'residential aged care facilities'), along with a failure to redress the harm or hold people accountable for this harm. This article reports on an Australian project that found reparations must be a response to harm to people living with dementia in residential aged care. Using a disability human rights methodology, focus groups were conducted with people living with dementia, care partners and family members, advocates and lawyers to explore perspectives on why and how to redress harm to people living with dementia in Australian LTC institutions. Researchers found four key themes provide the basis for the necessity and design of a reparative approach to redress - recognition, accountability, change, now. The article calls for further attention to reparations in dementia scholarship, with a particular focus on the role that can be played in the delivery of reparations by the LTC industry, dementia practitioners, and dementia scholars. Ultimately, this article provides a new understanding of responses to violence, abuse, neglect and other harms experienced by people living with dementia in LTC institutions, which centres justice, rights, and transformative change.

Unfulfilled Needs in the Detection, Diagnosis, Monitoring, Treatment, and Understanding of Glaucoma in Blacks Globally.

Glaucoma is an ophthalmic disorder that affects a significant number of Blacks globally. A leading cause of this condition is an age-related enlargement of the lens and increased intraocular pressure. Although Blacks are affected by glaucoma at a higher rate than their Caucasian counterparts, there remains a lack of emphasis placed on the detection, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of glaucoma in this population. Education regarding glaucoma in the African and African American populations is essential to reducing rates of glaucoma-related visual impairment and improving treatment success. In this article, we highlight specific issues and limitations to the management of glaucoma, which affects Blacks at a higher rate. In addition, we also review the backgrounds of Blacks globally and examine historical events that have contributed to financial inequality and wealth/health disparities affecting glaucoma management. Lastly, we suggest reparations and solutions that health care professionals can use to improve glaucoma screening and management.

Understanding and addressing populations whose prior experience has led to mistrust in healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Policy makers need to maintain public trust in healthcare systems in order to foster citizen engagement in recommended behaviors and treatments. The importance of such commitment has been highlighted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Central to public trust is the extent of the accountability of health authorities held responsible for long-term effects of past treatments. This paper addresses the topic of manifestations of trust among patients damaged by radiation treatments for ringworm. METHODS: For this mixed-methods case study (quan/qual), we sampled 600 files of Israeli patients submitting claims to the National Center for Compensation of Scalp Ringworm Victims in the years 1995-2014, following damage from radiation treatments received between 1946 and 1960 in Israel and/or abroad. Qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and correlations were analyzed with chi-square tests. Verbal data were analyzed by the use of systematic content analysis. RESULTS: Among 527 patients whose files were included in the final analysis, 42% held authorities responsible. Assigning responsibility to authorities was more prevalent among claimants born in Israel than among those born and treated abroad (χ2 = 6.613, df = 1, p = 0.01), claimants reporting trauma (χ2 = 4.864, df = 1, p = 0.027), and claimants living in central cities compared with those in suburban areas (χ2 = 18.859, df = 6, p < 0.01). Men, younger claimants, patients with a psychiatric diagnosis, and patients from minority populations expressed mistrust in health regulators. CONCLUSIONS: Examining populations' perceived trust in healthcare institutions and tailoring health messages to vulnerable populations can promote public trust in healthcare systems.

Transitional Justice after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a real challenge for health systems and public policies. Both the pandemic and the measures taken to mitigate it have affected the freedoms and rights of the different sectors of society, especially the most vulnerable ones, and have increased the already existing structural inequalities. Consequently, the pandemic must be analyzed from the perspective of human rights. Transitional Justice (TJ) has proven to be useful after conflict situations, helping societies to confront abuses perpetrated and to find solutions for the future, as well as repairing damages that have arisen as a consequence of these conflicts in different areas. Thus, TJ processes have been successfully used after armed conflicts and during peace negotiations, to respond to abuses perpetrated in consolidated democracies, and even after environmental crises. Therefore, the creation of a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the COVID-19 pandemic", which launches the TJ processes of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition can help to find solutions to conflicts arising from the pandemic in a simple way. In addition, it would establish the foundations to prevent the violation of human rights in similar situations to come.

A Statistical Representation of the Inequities Encountered by African Americans Living in Atlanta During COVID: A Time for Action.

This research analyzes the statistically significant differences that exist between Blacks and Whites living in Atlanta via their social, economic, educational, and housing characteristics during COVID. Hypothesis tests confirmed what visual scatterplots and correlations inferred. The statistics overwhelmingly substantiate that all six of the important quality of life metrics viewed in this study are more favorable towards predominately White neighborhoods, as opposed to predominately Black neighborhoods. In particular, neighborhoods with a super majority of White residents tended to have higher life expectancies at the times of their births, sustained lower violent crime rates, held higher median household incomes, had a smaller percentage of its children living below the poverty level, had higher percentages of residents with at least a high school diploma, and maintained more occupied housing units, when compared to neighborhoods with a super majority of Black residents.

"At risk" languages and the road to recovery: a case from the Yukon.

This article traces the various ways that "languages at risk" in the Yukon Territory, Canada, are imagined and managed across a range of "stakeholders." Predicated on a history of oppression and the management of risk in the U.S. and Canada, aboriginal language endangerment has arisen from insecurities about communicative diversity. Conversely language revitalization has arisen from insecurities about the loss of diversity. As this article demonstrates, ideologies of loss and the insecurities entailed therein resonate differently across different speakers, language activists, and institutions, resulting in different perceptions of loss, different experiences of risk, and different approaches to recovery. Moving from policy and the institutionalization of aboriginal languages to people's reflections and concerns about their own welfare, this article argues that insecurities about language are ultimately insecurities about other vulnerabilities, including the shifting political-moral terrain of the nation-state and First Nations.

Experiences of Gendered Norms and Mobilizing for Rights of Women Living With Disabilities in the Post-war Context in Sri Lanka.

This paper juxtaposes existing legal/policy frameworks, national and international, with narratives of women living with disabilities in the post-war context in Eastern Sri Lanka. These narratives highlight their lived experience and needs. The paper draws from a process of consultations among women living with disabilities and the authors, who are long standing allies of this struggle in their capacity as activists and researchers. It focuses on key aspects of myriad gendered norms that were articulated during the consultations and describes the structural discrimination that emerges from such norms, as experienced by women living with disabilities. The paper ends with some thoughts and key proposals of women living with disabilities for the future of this struggle for justice.

A U.S. Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Social Work's Role in Racial Healing.

A U.S. truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) can advance racial justice by acknowledging the historical trauma tied to the United States' legacy of slavery and subsequent racism. This truth telling can facilitate a national reckoning with the past and set the stage for social transformation. This article aims to present insights into how such a U.S. TRC might work. It begins by defining TRCs and exploring their theoretical foundation of restorative justice. It connects TRCs to aspects of social work practice, including human rights-based approaches, trauma-informed care, and community practice. Then each of a TRC's core functions is analyzed: truth seeking, reconciliation, education, and engagement. Related topics of healing, accountability, and reparations are also discussed. The article draws from a diverse range of global experiences to emphasize lessons learned. It also highlights where local precedents in the United States have started this work, which can be drawn upon and developed further. The article concludes by noting the limitations of TRCs and calling on social workers to advocate for such a TRC to further racial justice.

A Measure of Justice: Alternatives to Pursuing Criminal Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka.

Recent research conducted in Sri Lanka has revealed that victim survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and their notions of justice and accountability are influenced by their lack of trust in an ineffective criminal justice process. Moreover, the fear of reprisal by State allied perpetrators deters them from accessing formal justice. The failure of a criminal justice system steeped in patriarchal, discriminatory gender insensitive procedures in which CRSV victim survivors search for justice is analyzed through a recent judgment. The case highlights that searching for accountability in the current political context is not feasible and that CRSV victim survivors must be provided with support systems and forms of relief to move on with their lives until justice and accountability can be achieved. The article argues that although criminal accountability is the ideal, alternative possibilities for justice for CRSV victim survivors in Sri Lanka need to be explored, given the Sri Lankan political context and a criminal justice process fraught with many challenges. The role of the Office for Reparations in providing reparations to CRSV victim survivors and the options of a "partial" justice are discussed.

Should the USA Offer Reparations to Africa for the Transatlantic Slave Trade?

This article begins with background information on the international social movement for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. I then propose that the USA ought to offer reparations, including participation in and financing of a truth commission on the slave trade; apology for the harms caused by the trade; and symbolic financial assistance to establish monuments to the slave trade, museums exhibits, and educational programs. The article concludes with a discussion of whether the USA would have the political will to offer reparations to Africa.

Children's Reflection and Sympathy as Predictors of Reparative Behavior.

This study investigated the links between reflection, sympathy, and reparative behavior in an ethnically diverse sample of 4-, 6- and 8-year-old children from Canada (N = 752). Primary caregivers responded to questionnaires assessing their children's reflection, sympathy, and reparative behaviors. The links between these variables were examined using structural equation modeling. In accordance with our hypotheses, children's reflection and sympathy were both related to reparation. We did not, however, find any interaction between reflection and sympathy in relation to reparation. These findings suggest that the pathways to reparative behavior through reflection (a cognitive capacity) and sympathy (an affective capacity) are independent. We discuss these findings in relation to the differential roles of cognitive and affective processes in promoting reparative behavior.

Rethinking the issue of reparations for Black Americans.

The differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color in the United States along with the civil unrest taking place in 2020 in response to the killing of unarmed Black men and women by the police have increased awareness of the structural racism pervading US society. These developments have reraised the issue of reparations for Black Americans, usually proposed in the context of providing financial compensation for the injustices of slavery to the descendants of those who were enslaved. This paper will discuss the systematic racial inequality and structural racism in US society that have significantly disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities while giving advantages to white Americans, which most recently have resulted in significantly higher mortality and morbidity among Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans during the pandemic. The paper will conceptualize reparations within the context of theories of reparative justice. It will also consider whether reparations are owed, and if so, by whom, to whom, and in what form. The final section will offer a proposal for collective reparations to the Black community and other people of color.

Webs of reciprocity: Colonial taxation and the need for reparations.

My BJS lecture considered how dominant understandings of distributive justice and welfare have been conceptualised through the "nation" and argued that a more adequate framing requires them to be addressed also in the context of colonial and imperial relations. It argues that a just politics in the present has to account for this history and that one way of doing this effectively would be through a reparative frame. In this short response, I engage with the commentaries on my lecture.

Uterus collectors: The case for reproductive justice for African American, Native American, and Hispanic American female victims of eugenics programs in the United States.

In this article, I offer historical, jurisprudential, and moral analyses of racial eugenics campaigns against African American, Native American, and Hispanic American women. I argue that African American, Native American, and Hispanic American women were sterilized at a time in US history when doctors working for/with the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the Indian Health Service, and Medicaid engaged in forced and coerced sterilizations with impunity. As a result, Black and Brown women did not have equal protection of the laws nor unimpeded access to the courts. Therefore, they had few options for protecting themselves from harm or redressing their grievances against the state. For these reasons, I conclude that African American, Native American, and Hispanic American women who were sterilized without their knowledge or consent by doctors working for public health agencies ought to be awarded reparations by the United States Congress. Additionally, I conclude that federal prosecutors and the American Medical Association ought to bring criminal charges and professional sanctions against the doctors and healthcare workers involved. Finally, I conclude that medical professionals ought to engage in a nationwide effort to reconcile people in Black and Brown communities with the healthcare community in the United States.

The Case for Health Reparations.

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racially marginalized communities has again raised the issue of what justice in healthcare looks like. Indeed, it is impossible to analyze the meaning of the word justice in the medical context without first discussing the central role of racism in the American scientific and healthcare systems. In summary, we argue that physicians and scientists were the architects and imagination of the racial taxonomy and oppressive machinations upon which this country was founded. This oppressive racial taxonomy reinforced and outlined the myth of biological superiority, which laid the foundation for the political, economic, and systemic power of Whiteness. Therefore, in order to achieve universal racial justice, the nation must first address science and medicine's historical role in scaffolding the structure of racism we bear witness of today. To achieve this objective, one of the first steps, we believe, is for there to be health reparations. More specifically, health reparations should be a central part of establishing racial justice in the United States and not relegated to a secondary status. While other scholars have focused on ways to alleviate healthcare inequities, few have addressed the need for health reparations and the forms they might take. This piece offers the ethical grounds for health reparations and various justice-focused solutions.

Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reparations: The Debt We Owe (and Continue to Accumulate).

Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) is rife with exploitation and oppression of Black individuals and disparate health outcomes. We posit that racial disparities in OBGYN are fueled by racism and the racial wealth gap stemming from slavery, legal segregation, and institutionalized discrimination against Black Americans. We believe reparations are not only morally requisite, but would also improve health outcomes for our patients. Supporting legislation to explore and remedy the harms of slavery and its legacy is critical to address systemic racism that results in disparate health outcomes.