Separate But One: How Humanity is Coming Together During the COVID-19 Crisis

By: Noor Yassein

As panic and uncertainty rise in this unprecedented time, so too does the positivity and strengthened spirit of humanity. Even in the wake of COVID-19, through events like the worldwide thanking of frontline workers, we have shown that we can pull together in this time of need. It has given us all a glimmer of hope that we can, and will, get through this. The appreciation of frontline workers has developed into a worldwide trend. The idea is to show our appreciation for those who are putting their lives at risk every day in order to ensure our safety; those working to get everything back to normal as soon as they can. In early March, Italians engaged in nationwide applause for their frontline workers. Social media users coordinated with one another to make this possible. Italy was one of the countries worst hit in terms of death and infection rate at the time. But there was positivity directed at those at arguably the highest risk, showing them how much they are appreciated. According to the New York Times, this demonstrates how the people of Italy are able to stand together in a spirited, resilient fashion, even in the face of the worst national emergency since World War 2. Even with a

Photo by Lorie Shaull

nationwide lockdown, people still found a way to come together and make sure that their fellow Italians knew they were not alone. Italy is not the only place where the goodness of humanity is shining through. The nationwide applause became a trend throughout the United Kingdom as well, with people emerging from their houses to clap in support, bang pots and pans, and just make noise to show their appreciation (however it should be noted that some countries, such as Spain or Brazil, in which citizens are outside banging pots and pans, it is in protest rather than in solidarity). In Iran, there were videos of doctors fully geared up and dancing in the emergency room, to keep the spirits high.

Throughout Canada, people have written messages in chalk along the sidewalk, thanking the workers and spreading positivity. People have made signs, thank you videos, and posted pictures of their loved ones working on the front lines.

Local businesses have gotten involved as well. Crave is a donut shop in Whitby, Ontario. Shortly after the crisis hit, they decided to take their donuts to those working on the frontline to show their appreciation. They posted pictures on social media of various workers enjoying their donuts, including firefighters, grocery store workers, nurses, doctors, and hospital workers. In London, Ontario, the companies Carmina de Young and MLD Solutions Inc. have come together to produce gowns and masks to help the shortage of supplies for healthcare workers. This has allowed them to hire back those they had to lay off as a result of the pandemic, as well as support those working on the frontlines.

As awful as it is, this pandemic has brought communities together, and helped bring meaning to those in isolation by giving them opportunities to show support.

In an article in Psychology Today, the author urges readers to do their part, focus on what they can control, and remember that people are working hard to make this better. We need to wait this out, but we can also use this time to come together with neighbours and friends through technology and social media, and support those putting their lives at risk so we can stay safe. It’s easy to focus on the negative. That is what we are shown, everyday. We are bombarded with more deaths, more people congregating in the parks, more government officials informing us that this lockdown could last for months. However, the good is still out there, and thanking the frontline workers is just one example of how people have been pulling together. The sheer volume of participation demonstrates the good of humanity still present in our world. We can get through this, and we will get through this. As long as we focus on the positive and continue to stay home, we will one day be able to tell our children and grandchildren that we did everything we could, and that the goodness of humanity prevailed.

Technology, Community, Hope: Academic Conferences in the Time of COVID-19

By: Bibi Imre-Millei

Photo by Alexandra Koch

In February and March, as COVID-19 began to affect countries outside of China, academic conferences worldwide began contemplating the idea of cancelling or moving online. By the middle of March, this quickly became a reality. Most conferences were either forced to cancel, or if they had the resources, forced to make the transition to online platforms as governments in Canada and around the world enforced emergency measures. Academic communities have responded with both praise and criticism for online conferencing. Access can always be improved, and online conferences do pose challenges for people with internet connectivity problems, complex caring and family responsibilities, and those who don’t interact with the online world in the same way that others do. However, online conferences on a large scale offer us a glimpse of what a more inclusive academic format might look like as we adapt to the needs of Global South scholars, people who find it difficult to travel, and people with different or dis/abilities who may have had trouble interacting with in person conference arrangements, and might have insights into how to make the online world more inclusive. Some conferences have engaged in multimedia endeavours, such as the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) annual conference, which used Zoom, Vimeo, and Twitter to hold a film festival, and hundreds of panels. Others, like the Toronto branch of Women In International Security (WIIS) Canada, have stuck to one platform methods. WIIS-Toronto hosted a one day Twitter conference with panelists, discussants, and question periods. Some conferences have or are planning to use their own websites as hosting platforms, where they will share video presentations and interactive materials. Different types of adaptation measures bring different results, and different levels of access. For example, conferences which use only one platform and make it difficult for people who don’t have access to that platform to participate. Some reasons could include privacy concerns, lack of access from certain countries, or financial barriers. There are additional barriers if there is no way to adapt to lack of internet access within the confines of the conference guidelines and proceedings. While roughly 92% of Canadians have regular internet access, this is not even across the country, as rural areas often experience low quality internet (63% experience lower speeds than what is considered standard). Limited access and investment affects not only the rural population in general, but also disproportionately affects the Indigenous population, with only 24% of Indigenous households having access to standard internet in 2017. 39% of Canadian 18-34 year olds experienced harassment on the internet, creating more barriers for those who might feel unsafe online. But while online conferences continue to have both unique problems, as well as ones shared with in-person conferences, there are

significant benefits to hosting online. For example, scholars from the Global South are often underrepresented at major academic conferences, which tend to be located in Western countries. Countries such as Canada, the US, and the UK are expensive to get to by plane, and certain nationalities are sometimes banned. In 2018 and 2019, Canada denied the Visas of several African scholars trying to attend the Neural Information Processing Systems conference. Graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, adjuncts, and other early career researchers also have barriers to attending physical conferences, as funding is usually less available for these groups, and they get paid less than their tenured or tenure track counterparts. Caring responsibilities are easier to navigate around online conferences, which tend to have more flexible formats, with no travel required. Online conferences allow people to engage at their own pace, and only attend what they can, especially when adaptability is incorporated in a concerted way by conference planners. The participation of women might also increase when there is more focus on flexibility, as women still perform most caring duties in many countries worldwide.

Scholars with different abilities or dis/ abilities who are unable to travel, or find it difficult to participate for other accessibility reasons such as Deafness, mobility issues, or social anxiety also have a hard time participating in in-person conferences. While these barriers are hard to fully overcome, Deaf and blind individuals often have extensive practice using the internet, and their knowledge could be employed to help organisers create more inclusive conference spaces online.

Online conferences could lift some of the barriers to participation, and offer interesting and unique ways to include various underrepresented groups. They also allow for the easier introduction of mixed methods practices, such as documentary and art showings, as the logistics for both time to view these pieces and their transportation are less burdensome. It also broadens avenues for collaboration with other disciplines, as people may be forced to interact with those outside their disciplinary bubbles. One interesting benefit is that this situation forces people to use certain professional chat technologies such as Slack and Microsoft Teams, which are useful in facilitating connections even at in-person conferences. This might mean that more people will learn to integrate and use these technologies who might have otherwise been resistant (but it does detriment those who may have a higher learning curve on this kind of technology, or have a variety of access issues). The increased use of online platforms might also urge companies themselves to be more inclusive, update their accessibility features, and tighten security. A phenomena known as “zoombombing,” where trolls access links to public events like conferences and spread hateful rhetoric or explicit images has become more common during the pandemic. This happened at CIES, where tens of trolls entered chat rooms, showing degrading pornography and yelling racist slurs. There have also been concerns about the difficulty that Deaf or vision-impaired folks have with accessing online presentations, which do not offer transcription or description services. Hopefully, there will be more dialog between companies and organisers to address some of these issues while working with organisations who provide accessibility services (therefore providing more jobs during the current economic downturn). Online conferences offer hope and positivity in this pandemic, allowing continued professional development and social interaction. Even as the world shifts back offline, we should continue to take into account the access considerations online conferences bring to light. As global south scholars, young scholars, and scholars with different or dis/abilities are highlighting their experiences, it may be hard to go back to how we used to conference as academics. As we try to adapt to a new world shaped by COVID-19, we have the opportunity to grow different and deeper connections, to promote a deeper focus on equity, and to engage in unique community building measures within academia.