Supporting Just Response and Recovery to COVID-19 in Informal Urban Settlements: Perspectives from Youth Groups in Sub-Saharan Africa
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Politics and International Studies
Abstract
This project works with Slum Dwellers International and its Youth Federation members in six Sub-Saharan African cities to understand the inequalities and injustices associated with COVID-19 and associated responses in informal settlements. This will inform a normative analysis of how such injustices might be addressed in immediate response planning, but also in ways that create resilience to future outbreaks as well as to other risks faced by the urban poor. The medium is a series of video-diaries informed by ethical analysis and co-designed and produced with youth groups in the cities. These will be the foundation for a series of briefs shared through SDI with local authorities, in a two-way exchange of knowledge with the youth groups which will also include the dissemination of health information to vulnerable population groups. Cross-learning between the cities is aimed both to capacitate the youth groups in peer-to-peer exchange, but also reveal underlying ethical issues associated with the pandemic and its responses that occur out of different histories of pre-existing structural injustice and attempts to remedy those.
Publications
Byskov M
(2022)
Epistemic injustice in Climate Adaptation
in Ethical Theory and Moral Practice
Byskov M
(2022)
Who Should Represent Future Generations in Climate Planning?
in Ethics & International Affairs
Ford JD
(2022)
Interactions between climate and COVID-19.
in The Lancet. Planetary health
Oyebode O
(2021)
Introducing the Multi-Dimensional Injustice Framework: a case study in climate-related health risks
in Journal of the British Academy
| Description | From the video narratives created by the young teams across the eight cities and the six follow-up focus group discussions, clear themes emerged concerning how young people living in informal settlements experienced the pandemic and its associated control measures. Articulated here in relation to the multidimensional injustice framework, this firstly showed how COVID-19 control measures impacted distribution of goods, resources, and capabilities (distributive injustice) and secondly, the extent to which young people were excluded from the procedures by which policies were developed, in terms of lack of recognition, representation, and participation (procedural injustice). From the ideas that young people from the eight cities expressed both in their video diaries and the follow up focus groups, as well as the examples of good practice they cited, a set of prioritised recommendations emerged: to ensure inclusive social protection, invest in youth skills development and livelihoods resources, increase the accessibility of public health interventions, provide mental health support, build resilience and young peoples' needs into infrastructure provision, create an enabling environment for youth participation, provide youth with the tools and knowledge to self-organise, and require youth representation. These speak to both the distributive and procedural elements of the justice framework, and in doing so, highlight ethical and justice considerations that policymakers should take into account when planning for future outbreaks, COVID-19 recovery measures and relevant resilience policies in urban areas. The project created impact at a number of levels. SDI youth groups reported feeling a greater sense of recognition and capacitation as a result of the project, and their role in SDI has been enhanced through highlighting in the Federation itself the importance of making space for youth voice, and building their capacities. An end-project survey asked the youth groups what the benefits of the project had been, responses included: "The project managed to support mobilisation and training of more young people to document as KYCTV youth" (Kenya) and "Through the project, the youth have been able to further exercise their film and documentation skills as well as diversify their knowledge in research." (Zimbabwe) In terms of how the youth teams were able to influence their communities and city-level stakeholders, the project kick-started important discussions in communities. In Kenya, "the project granted us a unique opportunity to capture community reflections", while in South Africa, the project led to broader reflection on advocating for change: "people started to understand the influence of asking people about their challenges and that the way to resolve things are with ordinary peoplewe were also able to attract TV programmes and people were outspoken." In Zimbabwe, the project directly led to young people getting involved in sessions with Community Care Workers. During the sessions, young people, local authorities and government officials engaged through virtual platforms discussing challenges faced by communities during COVID 19 and to understand more on the vaccine uptake by the community. These discussions served stakeholders aim to develop strategies of raising awareness in marginalised communities and improving accessibility and availability of the vaccines. This led to young people together with government ministries working together creating interactive platforms with communities to properly educate, disseminate appropriate information and make vaccines accessible to everyone. This also led to increased deployment of health care workers and covid vaccination centres. At the level of global advocacy, the project developed a policy brief and research report which were embedded in a dedicated website Supporting Just Response and Recovery to COVID-19 in Informal Urban Settlements and highlighted on social media. The project was included in a winning entry to participate in the COP26 Universities UK network stand at COP26 in Glasgow, and a short film about the project was shown in the COP Green Zone in November 2021 (with the showing viewed in real time by the youth groups themselves), along with a poster and the dissemination of project cards. It was also included in a University of Nottingham public exhibition to time with the COP, showing in a central Nottingham public space for two weeks over the conference. This was followed by the publication of a blog about the project with think tank IIED, whose audience includes a large number of urban development practitioners, and who shared the publication on twitter (where they have 69,000 followers) and linkedin (where they have 59,000 followers). |
| Exploitation Route | SDI youth groups across the 8 cities of the project will continue to use the findings to advocate for their needs, and their participation, in their communities and their policy-making structures. Slum Dwellers International will be taking forward the findings in the development of their own strategy for youth participation and capacitation. The outcomes may be used by relevant local officials and ministries of the countries concerned to plan for and include, young people in relevant policies for health and for improving livelihoods in informal settlements. International NGOs and urban practitioners may incorporate the findings in future planning for service delivery and planning. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | https://www.ethicsindevelopment.org/research/supporting-just-response/ |
| Description | The findings have been used by partner youth groups, their communities, relevant local policy-makers and the wider Federation of our non-academic partner Slum Dwellers International. SDI youth groups' role in SDI has been enhanced through the findings highlighting in the Federation itself the importance of making space for youth voice, and building their capacities. In terms of how the youth teams were able to influence their communities and city-level stakeholders, the findings kick-started important discussions in communities. In Kenya, "the project granted us a unique opportunity to capture community reflections", while in South Africa, the project led to broader reflection on advocating for change: "people started to understand the influence of asking people about their challenges and that the way to resolve things are with ordinary peoplewe were also able to attract TV programmes and people were outspoken." In Zimbabwe, the project directly led to young people getting involved in sessions with Community Care Workers. During the sessions, young people, local authorities and government officials engaged through virtual platforms discussing challenges faced by communities during COVID 19 and to understand more on the vaccine uptake by the community. These discussions served stakeholders aim to develop strategies of raising awareness in marginalised communities and improving accessibility and availability of the vaccines. This led to young people together with government ministries working together creating interactive platforms with communities to properly educate, disseminate appropriate information and make vaccines accessible to everyone. This also led to increased deployment of health care workers and covid vaccination centres. The findings have also been used to support global good practice. The project was included in a winning entry to participate in the COP26 Universities UK network stand at COP26 in Glasgow, and a short film about the project was shown in the COP Green Zone in November 2021 (with the showing viewed in real time by the youth groups themselves), along with a poster and the dissemination of project cards. These were also included in a University of Nottingham public exhibition to time with the COP, showing in a central Nottingham public space for two weeks over the conference. This was followed by the publication of a blog about the project with think tank IIED (whose audience includes a large number of urban development practitioners) and who shared the publication on twitter (where they have 69,000 followers) and linkedin (where they have 59,000 followers). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2001 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | Development of a Youth Inclusion Framework by partner Slum Dwellers International |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | Improved healthcare for marginalised communities in Zimbabwe |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | In Zimbabwe, the project directly led to young people getting involved in sessions with Community Care Workers. During the sessions, young people, local authorities and government officials engaged through virtual platforms discussing challenges faced by communities during COVID 19 and to understand more on the vaccine uptake by the community. These discussions served stakeholders aim to develop strategies of raising awareness in marginalised communities and improving accessibility and availability of the vaccines. This led to young people together with government ministries working together creating interactive platforms with communities to properly educate, disseminate appropriate information and make vaccines accessible to everyone. This also led to increased deployment of health care workers and covid vaccination centres. |
| Description | GNCA |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | City of Cape Town Authorities |
| Organisation | City of Cape Town |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Worked with Directors at Cape Town city government to shape climate adaptation planning policy and to incorporate justice considerations across city government policymaking. Designed training course for use within city government. Our research included in Cape Town City Stakeholder Management Guidelines document, in city government project management courses, and in a draft position city government paper on a 'Just Transition for Cape Town'. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Sharing of policy issues |
| Impact | Ongoing collaboration around ethics and cliamte adaptation |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Slum Dwellers International and Youth Affiliates in 8 subsaharan African cities |
| Organisation | Shack and Slum Dwellers International |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Working with youth groups in informal settlements to understand risks associated with Covid-19 and policy responses, and interacting risks such as climate change |
| Collaborator Contribution | Advocacy and development of research |
| Impact | Policy impacts and research outputs |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | COP26 Film Screening |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Youth videos from project made into short film about resilience shown in public Green Zone at COP26 in Glasgow, alongside poster and business cards for the project. The stand was hosted by the COP26 Universities Network and interested visitors spoke about the project with a project representative and took business cards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Youth policy workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Youth policy workshops around impact of Covid19 and justice issues |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |