The role of civil society in the fight against Coronavirus: The fundamentals and social cohesion

May 7, 2020

In light of the quick spread of the coronavirus pandemic across the world, national governments are doubling efforts to respond effectively to this public health emergency. The human and financial resources at their disposal are increasingly put under strain by the exponential growth in number of confirmed cases. This situation undoubtedly calls on a burden sharing by all relevant stakeholders in order to offer adequate healthcare and vital services to the public. Under these special circumstances, it is crucial that governments, private sector and civil society organisations (CSO) work together to tackle the issue at hand efficiently. In this context, civil society can play a role of utmost importance in the fight against the current pandemic as it can contribute to a better appropriation of social distancing recommendations by the populations and accelerate the implementation on the ground of the different measures taken at the governmental level. Within this perspective, this webinar will address ways in which civil society can help governments drive an effective response to the COVID-19 health emergency, from communication measures to advocating for funds allocation.

Speakers

RELATED CONTENT

  • April 24, 2020
    Policymakers across the world face a dilemma: to lockdown the economy, and see output and employment collapse, or to open and face a surge of COVID-19 infections and deaths that could overwhelm the medical system? The choice is especially stark in poor countries, where many depend on what they earn day to day, and where the medical system is entirely unequipped to deal with the virus. In this brief we assess the likely path and geographic spread of the epidemic. We do so by examinin ...
  • Authors
    Naakoshie Mills
    April 24, 2020
    The Coronavirus’ ugly and fierce spread throughout the world underscores the limitations of health infrastructure and shortcomings in public health administration. What’s more troubling, is the pandemic’s especially pernicious effects on vulnerable populations in the United States—ethnic and racial minorities, disabled persons, women, the elderly, and impoverished communities. The virus knows no boundaries and, yet, structural inequality makes it all the more terrifying for marginal ...
  • Authors
    Seleman Yusuph Kitenge
    April 24, 2020
    Globalization has major linkages to the spread of diseases. This paper analyses the link between globalization and the COVID-19 pandemic and provides an overview of how Africa’s economy is being impacted by this new disease. It highlights the impacts on GDP growth and economic sectors. It provides recommendations of what should be done by African governments to address the problem. It concludes by calling on African governments to consider the socio-economic circumstances of their p ...
  • Authors
    Leila Farah Mokaddem
    April 24, 2020
    Alors que les pays africains semblaient être épargnés par le coronavirus en début de crise, il apparait clairement aujourd’hui que ces derniers souffriront également des retombées négatives de cette pandémie. Compte tenu du nombre de cas relativement bas en comparaison avec les autres régions du monde, les systèmes de santé ne sont pas encore soumis à la pression observée ailleurs mais cela ne saurait tarder. Cependant, les effets négatifs sur l’économie sont eux déjà largement per ...
  • Authors
    April 24, 2020
    This Policy Brief looks at successive attempts to transform the African university, in initiatives that have alternately been termed part of a larger Africanization or decolonization project. We chart attempts at intellectual decolonization launched by African-born scholars such as Ali Mazrui and Samir Amin, as well as scholars from the African diaspora, including W.E.B. Du Bois and Walter Rodney. We will examine decolonization projects as launched in Makerere University and the Uni ...
  • Authors
    Hynd Bouhia
    April 23, 2020
    Le Maroc est aujourd’hui cité comme exemple pour son agilité, son leadership, sous l’impulsion de Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI, et, surtout, sa cohérence dans la prise de décision et dans l’implication de la population, à travers le Fonds spécial Covid-19 et les médias pour maintenir la confiance publique. En effet, la sécurité des Marocains a été privilégiée par rapport à toute autre considération, ce qui a permis d’accélérer la prise en main dès évènements et encadrer la prise en ...
  • Authors
    April 23, 2020
    Que ne doit-on concéder de nos libertés pour être protégés du Coronavirus ? partout dans notre monde en détresse -même chez les plus libéraux- l’Etat est appelé à la rescousse, il est sollicité et, même, avec insistance. Il est le seul à pouvoir déployer les moyens nécessaires à nous sauver, et personne d’autre que lui n’est assez fort pour imposer la discipline salvatrice. Exit tous les autres acteurs, place à l’Etat. Silence et respect, le Régalien est de retour. Hobbes retrouve s ...
  • Authors
    April 23, 2020
    Donald Trump a mis à exécution sa menace annoncée quelques jours avant sa prise de décision. Les Etats-Unis vont suspendre leur contribution financière à l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS), alors que la pandémie de Covid-19 tue toujours des milliers de personnes quotidiennement. Dans les arguments égrenés par le président pour justifier sa position, est revenue en force la cible de l’Organisation internationale, sa mauvaise gestion de la crise Corona, son alignement sur les p ...
  • Authors
    الطيب بياض
    April 23, 2020
    لم تكن الأوبئة التي ساهمت، إلى جانب المجاعات، في تحديد الواقع الديموغرافي لمغرب ما قبل الاستعمار، بالشيء الجديد الطارئ على هذا البلد، الذي ارتبط استقرار نموه البشري بمحددات طبيعية، عجز لحدود تلك الفترة في التحكم فيها. فالوباء ضارب في القدم، وساق في طريقه إلى الحتف جماعات وأفراد من شعوب وأمم مختلفة، اختلفت في تمثله والتعامل معه، بين اعتباره قضاء وقدرا أو عقابا إلاهيا. ولما كان الفشل مصير العديد من محاولات درئه أو التصدي له أو الشفاء منه، فقد كان طبيعيا أن يتم استبطان ثقافة سلبية في ا ...
  • Authors
    April 23, 2020
    When in early March, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti declared a lockdown in his nation, and urgently requested help from his European partners—medical equipment for hospital staff, including gloves and protective clothing, and ventilators, and testing kits—it took several days before there was a response. The BBC reported actions by Germany, France and the Czech Republic which “caused unease, when they decided to block exports of emergency equipment to neighbors in need, unti ...