Speaker
Prof Maria E Silva
Professor
Universidade Federal do Maranhão/Brazil
Income Transfer Programs in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Post Pandemic: the reality of Latin America and the Caribbean
Abstract Narrative
The paper to be presented at the 22nd Biennial Conference of the International Consortium for Social Development is the result of an investigation in development by some researchers at Brazilian, Argentine and Uruguayan Universities: “FOCALIZED INCOME TRANSFER PROGRAMS AND UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND POST-PANDEMIC: follow up and analysis of the Latin American and Caribbean reality”, which I coordinate. The objective of this study is to identify, systematize, question and publicize the historical dynamic, the debate, the formulation of proposals and the focalized implemented income transfer programs and universal basic income in Latin America and the Caribbean, from 2020 to 2023. Considering the perspective used in the research, the income transfer programs are considered social policy measures to decrease inequality and poverty, as well as to decrease the rise of unemployment, informal work and waste of income. The following will be considered: the results of a survey about preexistent income transfer programs and proposals of formulation and new programs created to meet the social and economic consequences resulting from Covid 19 on the target population of those programs. To develop the survey of the income transfer programs and proposals in Latin America and the Caribbean, the applied research methodology was bibliographic and documental studies; use of secondary data; access to information available at program websites and mainly data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The outcomes of the developed survey showed the growth of the preexistent focalized income transfer programs and the creation of new programs and proposals to meet the economic and social consequences generated by the Covid-19 pandemic on the population where the research has been developed. However, despite increased debate, the existence of proposals under formulation was not identified, nor programs on Universal Basic Income under implementation, characterized by the principles of universality and unconditionality.
KEY WORDS: Income transfer programs. Pandemic. Latin America. Caribbean.
Abstract: Full Paper
Biography
PhD in Social Work; professor of the Graduate Program in Public Policies at Federal University of Maranhão State; coordinator of the Group for the Evaluation and Study of Poverty and Policies Focused on Poverty (GAEPP ) at that University; researcher, level IA, of the National Council of Scientific Development (CNPq)
Ms Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker
National Advocacy Manager
Black Sash
An analysis of the social relief measures introduced in South Africa in response to the pandemic from a human rights perspective
Abstract Narrative
Background
South Africa ratified the United Nations (UN) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in January 2015. A recommendation from the UN Committee in October 2018 was for the SA government to address the current gap in social security provision to “ensure that those between the ages of 18 to 59 years have access to social assistance” and that the country report on progress by October 2020, which it failed to do to date.
South Africa’s lockdown since March 2020, to curb transmissions of the coronavirus, caused jobs losses, endangered livelihoods, caused hunger and heightened exposure to violence. With a 7% negative growth in the economy by the end of 2020, over 11 million people are now unemployed. In its statement on the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Committee on ICESCR acknowledged the “devastating impacts across the world on all spheres of life – health, the economy, social security, education and food production”. States are under an obligation to take measures to prevent or mitigate negative impacts, which is reinforced by a constitutional obligation to provide financial support for those who cannot provide for themselves.
The SA government initiated emergency economic and social relief measures in April 2020 to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These included: 1) Top ups for all social grants of R250 for six months, and R300 for one month for Child Support Grant beneficiaries; 2) A COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for Caregivers of R500 for five months which ended on 31 October 2020; 3) A COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 for six months, which was extended for a further six months ending April 2021; and 4) An extension of the temporary disability grant until the end of December 2020.
Aim
The Black Sash submission will focus on the impact of the South African government’s measures to provides social assistance for the 18 to 59 cohort with no or little income during the pandemic which highlights the urgency of introducing permanent social assistance which is a constitutional and international imperative.
Method
We will consider the government’s actions, and the impact on the ground where we will consider community based monitoring, case studies and research that informed our analysis of the government measures implemented. It will consider various aspects including the impact of digitization on right and access to social security; the feminisation of Social Relief of Distress measures; and competing policy imperatives between government departments. Through our advocacy efforts independently and in collaboration with partners in the sector, we are putting pressure on government to introduce permanent social assistance or basic income support for those of working age.
Findings
We will share our findings which emphasise that the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant was helpful in a context of poverty and hunger. Many beneficiaries were able to use the grants for their immediate needs, preventing them from falling into extreme levels of poverty. However, the grant was insufficient to alleviate the multiple forms of hardship that individuals and the households encountered on a day-to-day basis, exacerbated by the pandemic. which support the call for basic income support for the unemployed.
Conclusion
Permanent social assistance for the unemployed is an urgent measure that has to be introduced in South Africa. Whilst the government has acknowledged that the unemployed need financial support, government must be pressurised to have political will from a human rights perspective by prioritising the needs of its people.
Biography
About the Black Sash…
The Black Sash Trust is a 65-year-old veteran human rights organisation advocating for social justice in South Africa. Our mission is to work towards the realisation of socio-economic rights, as outlined in the South African Constitution, with emphasis on social security and social protection for the most vulnerable, to reduce poverty and inequality. In our work we engage with the impact of digital technologies on social security and social assistance and its impact on the vulnerable.
Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker has a legal background which she has used to focus on advancing human rights Hoodah currently holds the position of National Advocacy Manager for the Black Sash which is a veteran human rights organisation in South Africa. She seeks to advocate for the right to social security with particular emphasis on social protection and social assistance. She previously used her expertise to advance women’s rights through strategic impact litigation.
She developed her legal skills by working in the corporate sector and in private practice locally and internationally.
Dr Hilary Weaver
Associate Dean For Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
University At Buffalo, State University Of New York
Native Americans respond to the COVID-19 pandemic: Highlighting opportunities for social development
Abstract Narrative
“Native Americans experience health and educational disparities exacerbated by a colonial context where many have inadequate access to basic needs such as clean water, sanitation, and broadband internet (Godin, 2020). These challenges were heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic as under-resourced Indigenous communities became COVID-19 “hot spots” (Center for Indigenous Cancer Research, 2020; Kristof, 2020). US public health responses reflect on-going tensions between Indigenous sovereignty and federal paternalism. Services remain chronically underfunded and typically substandard. Timely and appropriate medical attention is difficult in communities where governments failed to build a health infrastructure, requiring some people to travel hundreds of miles to the nearest medical facility (Godin, 2020). In the pandemic, Indigenous health services had difficulty getting test kits and appropriate personal protective equipment. In a macabre example, the Seattle Indian Health Board requested COVID-19 testing supplies but instead received a shipment of body bags (Ortiz, 2020). During the pandemic many schools and universities moved instruction on-line; an action that proved problematic for people without home internet. As the 2018 Strategic Arizona Statewide Broadband Strategic Plan noted, 95% of people living on tribal lands have either unserved or underserved telecommunication infrastructure needs (American Indian Policy Institute, 2020.) Many public spaces that provide access to the internet such as libraries closed during the pandemic. Exercising their inherent sovereignty, Native Americans responded to the pandemic, with or without federal assistance (Abourezk, 2020). Native communities developed channels for sharing information, implemented precautions (including stay at home orders and travel restrictions), and continue to encourage traditional ways of fostering wellbeing (Center for Indigenous Cancer Research, 2020). Social development that recognizes the distinct government-to-government relationships between Native American Nations and the US is imperative (Hershey, 2019). This presentation describes how Native American communities educated themselves about COVID-19 and supported community members in practical, culturally-appropriate ways within the context of limited infrastructure. It highlights opportunities for social development including building better partnerships for health and education, developing systems grounded in respect for sovereignty, and creating true partnerships between Native American Nations and settler societies. References Abourezk, K. (2020). “I’m protecting my people”: Tribal citizens defend coronavirus checkpoints amid threat from state. Indianz.com. https://www.indianz.com/News/2020/05/11/im-protecting-my-people-tribal-citizens.asp. American Indian Policy Institute. (2020). Tribal Digital Divide: Policy Brief and Recommendations. https://aipi.asu.edu/sites/default/files/tribal_digital_divide_stimulus_bill_advocacy.pdf. Center for Indigenous Cancer Research. (2020). Cancer and COVID: Indigenous virtual fireside chat. Webinar available at https://www.roswellpark.org/CICRfiresidechat. Godin, M. (2020). “We know what is best for us.” Indigenous groups around the world are taking COVID-19 responses into their own hands. Time, 5/29/20, p. 1. Hershey, T.B. (2019). Collaborating with sovereign tribal nations to legally prepare for public health emergencies. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 47(S2), p. 55-58. Kristof, N. (2020). Top hot spots: Indian lands. New York Times, 5/31/20, p. 6. Ortiz, E. (2020). Native American health center asked for COVID-19 supplies. It got body bags instead. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/native-american-health-center-asked-covid-19-supplies-they-got-n1200246. ”
Biography
Hilary N. Weaver, DSW (Lakota) is a Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the School of Social Work, University at Buffalo (State University of New York) and currently serves as President of the Indigenous and Tribal Social Work Educators’ Association. She was inducted as an NASW Social Work Pioneer in 2020 and was named the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Social Worker of the Year in 2020. Dr. Weaver has presented her work regionally, nationally, and internationally including presenting at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations. She has numerous publications including the text, Explorations in Cultural Competence: Journeys to the Four Directions (2005), the edited book, Social Issues in Contemporary Native America: Reflections from Turtle Island (2014), and Trauma and Resilience in the Lives of Contemporary Native Americans: Reclaiming our Balance, Restoring our Wellbeing (2019).
Ms Apoorva Patel
Assistant Professor Of Social Work And Head, Centre For Law And Society
Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Nutrition and Food Security in India: A Review of Social Policy and Entrepreneurial Initiatives
Abstract Narrative
India has made momentous progress in reducing multidimensional poverty, according to estimates from the 2018 global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). One of the particularly acute, significant, and largest contributors to multidimensional poverty is “poor nutrition” which has strong interlink with “livelihood”, impacting the purchasing power and other determinants of wellbeing.
The Food and Agriculture Organization’s flagship publication ‘The State of The World series’ states – ‘hunger’ is significantly worse in countries with agricultural systems that are highly sensitive to, and where the livelihood of a high proportion of the population depends on agriculture. In case of India, around 70 percent of rural households’ agriculture, including livestock, remains the principal source of livelihood. This has its huge challenges manifested by varied uncertainties and dynamic factors like rainfall and temperature variability including food and agricultural policies.
In the context of nutrition security, apart from proactive policy initiatives taken up by the government of India; Social Entrepreneurship (SE) has evolved as a significant contributor. In theory, it has the potential to improve livelihood, empower communities, and tackle various kinds of constraints in the whole food value chain.
Adopting an exploratory design, this paper aims to first critically review the state policies and program initiatives. Further, it aims to explore the incidental impact and role of social entrepreneurship in making progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 2 – ‘Zero Hunger’; through a systematic review of extant literature, reports and case studies.
The study presents an overview of the proactive policy initiatives by the Government of India to foster inclusive growth and mitigate poverty through its anti-poverty programs, food security policy, social protection systems, etc. The extant review of the literature shows that though India has done well to expand food production and build up adequate safety stocks of food grains; millions continue to experience acute deprivations in health, nutrition, schooling, and sanitation.
The study further indicates that social entrepreneurship emerges as one of the sustainable pathways to address these issues. It also found that while the state and non-state actors and civil society leave several avenues for improvements, social entrepreneurship appears to fill the existing gap by merging social policies and entrepreneurial values.
Biography
Ms. Apoorva is trained in Professional Social Work, with ‘Health and Development’ as specialization, from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Post to which she has eight years of multi-disciplinary work experience. She was associated with esteemed institutes like Azim Premji Foundation, Bangaluru; Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi; and Faculty of Social Work, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, INDIA. She is affiliated with the Gujarat National Law University for over five years now as Assistant Professor of Social Work and Head, Centre for Law and Society. She is also currently pursuing her doctoral study at GNLU. She has served as editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed Journal titled ‘Law & Society Review’ Volume II (July 2020) published by the GNLU Centre for Law and Society. Recently, she has also got honored to get selected as Teach SDGs Ambassador and join the cohort of the global community of Teach SDGs educators working together to meet the UN 2030 Agenda to reach the Global Goals!
Mr Mohd Uzair
Assistant Professor
Aligarh Muslim University
Response to global challenges through Gandhian social work in education
Abstract Narrative
“Gandhian perspective on various issues of social development has its prominence. Gandhi’s ideas on peacebuilding, rural-urban development, grassroots development, Swadeshi, Swaraj, and education are towards social change and development. He advocated for the promotion and protection of human rights. Nai Taleem (basic education), promoting cottage industries, democratic decentralisation are some of his ideas towards social development and change. His ideas provided India with democratic decentralisation at the rural and urban level in Panchayati Raj Institutions, Urban Local Bodies, Universal Primary Education, Skill development Programmes, promotion of language, etc. He has not only provided freedom to India but also provided a vision towards self-sustain democracy and economy. He believed in the individual capacity to change and respect the individual’s inherent dignity and worth. His ideas have moved the world and were the influencing factors for many social reformers. The Gandhian social work is directly influenced and guided by the Gandhian ideology and teachings. This paper strongly argues that all forms of global inequalities and divide can be solved through Gandhian social work. This paper focuses on the pertinence of teaching and learning Gandhian Ideology to students and generations. Further, the paper argues that a special curriculum and fieldwork should be designed so that students from all subjects can practice Gandhian social work. KEYWORDS: Gandhian Social Work, Field Work, Nai Taleem, Swaraj, Swadeshi ”
Biography
Mohd Uzair is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work, Aligarh Muslim University. He has also worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology & Social Work, Central University of Jammu, J&K, Guest Faculty at Delhi School of Social Work, University of Delhi, Delhi and Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. During his association with the Department of Sociology & Social Work, the Central University of Jammu, J&K, he actively assisted in the structuring of the M.A. (Social Work) curriculum, designed and implemented Field Work practicum structure for M.A. (Social Work) and networking with Government and Non-Government Organisations for Students Field Work Placement. He is active in various academic and administrative roles. He is also associated with many Non-Governmental Organisations to provide support and capacity building.