Disasters, Global Health Security, Sustainable Development, World Politics

Ethical Governance of Global Health Security in an Age of Polycrisis

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Dr. W. Andy Knight and Dr. Rosalind Warner

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed critical gaps in the effort to improve global health security and highlighted the need for ethical frameworks to guide preparedness and response efforts. This study examines the ethical challenges in governing global health security amidst intersecting crises. The objective is to identify and analyze key ethical dilemmas and propose principles for equitable, accountable, and effective global health security governance.

Poster prepared for Canadian Association for Global Health Conference October 23-25, 2024

Vancouver, BC Canada

Ethical Governance of Global Health Security in an Age of Polycrisis Dr. W. Andy Knight and Dr. Rosalind Warner (1)Download

Selected References

Equity and Fairness

Balabanova, D., McKee, M., Mills, A., Walt, G., & Haines, A. (2010). What can global health institutions do to help strengthen health systems in low income countries. Health Policy Research and Systems, 8, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4505-8-22

Connolly, K. (n.d.). Freedom and Fairness: Covid Vaccine Passport Plans Cause Global Unease. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/07/freedom-and-fairness-covid-vaccine-passport-plans-cause-global-unease.

Deivanayagam, T. A., English, S., Hickel, J., Bonifacio, J., Guinto, R. R., Hill, K. X., Huq, M., Issa, R., Mulindwa, H., Nagginda, H. P., de Morais Sato, P., Selvarajah, S., Sharma, C., & Devakumar, D. (2023). Envisioning environmental equity: Climate change, health, and racial justice. The Lancet, 402(10395), 64–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00919-4

Dewan, A. (n.d.). A Fight between the EU and UK Reveals the Ugly Truth about Vaccine Nationalism. CNN. Cable News Network. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/europe/uk-eu-astrazeneca-vaccine-nationalism-gbr-intl/index.html.

Elbe, S. (2010). A Global Pharmacy for the poor? Endemics and Other Human Insecurities. In Security and Global Health (p. 220). Polity Press.

Loh, M. (n.d.). Who Chief: It’s ‘Seriously Disappointing’ That Rich Countries Are Ordering Booster Shots While Other Nations Need Vaccines. Insider. Insider. https://www.insider.com/who-admonishes-rich-countries-buying-booster-shots-others-need-vaccines-2021-7.

O’Neill Institute For National & Global Health Law Georgetown Law & Center for Transformational Health Law. (2022, April). Equitable Access Review of CEPI’s COVID-19 Vaccine Development Agreements. https://oneill.law.georgetown.edu/publications/equitable-access-review-of-cepis-covid-19-vaccine-development-agreements/

Smith, R., Beaglehole, R., Woodward, D., Drager, N., & Smith, R. (2003). Global public goods for health: Health economic and public health perspectives. Oxford University Press.

Van De Pas, R., Widdowson, M. A., Ravinetto, R., N Srinivas, P., Ochoa, T. J., Fofana, T. O., & Van Damme, W. (2022). COVID-19 vaccine equity: A health systems and policy perspective. Expert Review of Vaccines, 21(1), 25–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2022.2004125

Beneficence and Non-Maleficence

McDougall, L. (2016). Discourse, ideas and power in global health policy networks: Political attention for maternal and child health in the millennium development goal era. Globalization and Health, 12(1), 309. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-016-0157-9

Pike, J., Bogich, T., Elwood, S., Finnoff, D. C., & Daszak, P. (2014). Economic optimization of a global strategy to address the pandemic threat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(52), 18519–18523. https://doi.org/10.1073/PNAS.1412661112

Autonomy and Privacy

Dror, A. A., Eisenbach, N., Taiber, S., Morozov, N. G., Mizrachi, M., Zigron, A., Srouji, S., & Sela, E. (2020). Vaccine hesitancy: The next challenge in the fight against COVID-19. European Journal of Epidemiology, 35(8), 775–779. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10654-020-00671-Y/FIGURES/3

Packard, R. M. (2016). A History of Global Health: Interventions Into the Lives of Other People.

Sallam, M. (2021). Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy worldwide: A concise systematic review of vaccine acceptance rates. Vaccines, 9(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/VACCINES9020160

Salmon, D. A., Haber, M., Gangarosa, E. J., Phillips, L., Smith, N. J., & Chen, R. T. (1999). Health consequences of religious and philosophical exemptions from immunization laws: Individual and societal risk of measles. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282(1), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.282.1.47

Turnbull, S. (n.d.). Here’s What Canada’s Privacy Commissioners Say Must Be Considered for Vaccine Passports. Coronavirus. CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/here-s-what-canada-s-privacy-commissioners-say-must-be-considered-for-vaccine-passports-1.5434967?fbclid=IwAR1Qu_olw-hmvgTkxJpDJCIYhCQ2mwKUKoEb1b3BchNJrjX7LU6YFAYdk7A.

Global Solidarity

Acharya, A. (n.d.). A ‘Third Way’ for World Order after Covid-19: Think Global Health. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/third-way-world-order-after-covid-19.

Duff, J. H., Liu, A., Saavedra, J., Batycki, J., Morancy, K., Stocking, B., O Gostin, L., Galea, S., Bertozzi, S., Zuniga, J. M., Alberto-Banatin, C., Dansua, A. S., del Rio, C., Kulzhanov, M., Lee, K., Scaglia, G., Shahpar, C., Ullmann, A. J., Hoffman, S. J., … Szapocznik, J. (2021). A global public health convention for the 21st century. Lancet Public Health, 6(6), 428–433.

Eaton, L., & Humphreys, G. (2020). The need for a coordinated international pandemic response. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 98(6), 378–379. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.020620

Gostin, L. O., & Friedman, E. A. (2014). Ebola: A crisis in global health leadership. The Lancet, 384(9951), 1323. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(14)61791-8

Gupta, N., Singh, B., Kaur, J., Singh, S., & Chattu, V. K. (2021). Covid-19 pandemic and reimagination of multilateralism through global health diplomacy. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(20). https://doi.org/10.3390/SU132011551

Heymann, D. (2006). SARS and emerging infectious diseases: A challenge to place global solidarity above national sovereignty. Annals Academy Of Medicine Singapore, 35(5), 350.

Jamison, D. T., Summers, L. H., Alleyne, G., Arrow, K. J., Berkley, S., Binagwaho, A., Bustreo, F., Evans, D., Feachem, R. G. A., Frenk, J., Ghosh, G., Goldie, S. J., Guo, Y., Gupta, S., Horton, R., Kruk, M. E., Mahmoud, A., Mohohlo, L. K., Ncube, M., … Yamey, G. (2015). Global health 2035: A world converging within a generation. The Lancet, 382(9908), 1898–1955. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(13)62105-4

Taghizade, S., Chattu, V. K., Jaafaripooyan, E., & Kevany, S. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic as an Excellent Opportunity for Global Health Diplomacy. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPUBH.2021.655021

Tong, S., Samet, J. M., Steffen, W., Kinney, P. L., & Frumkin, H. (2023). Solidarity for the Anthropocene. Environmental Research, 235, 116716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116716

Individual vs Collective Rights

Global Health Governance: Health Security Vs. Human Rights? (n.d.). Australian Institute of International Affairs. Retrieved 23 September 2023, from https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/global-health-governance-health-security-vs-human-rights/

HAYDEN, P. (2012). The human right to health and the struggle for recognition. Review of International Studies, 38(3), 569–588. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210511000556

Hollingsworth, T. D., Ferguson, N. M., & Anderson, R. M. (2007). Frequent travelers and rate of spread of epidemics. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 13(9), 1288–1294. https://doi.org/10.3201/EID1309.070081

Hostmaelingen, N., & Bentzen, H. B. (2020). How to operationalise human rights for COVID-19 measures. BMJ Global Health, 5(7), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003048

Kata, A. (2012). Anti-vaccine activists, Web 2.0, and the postmodern paradigm—An overview of tactics and tropes used online by the anti-vaccination movement. Vaccine, 30(25), 3778–3789. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.VACCINE.2011.11.112

UNGA (United Nations General Assembly). (2022, July 28). UN General Assembly declares access to clean and healthy environment a universal human right | UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1123482

Proactive vs Reactive

Ayala, A., Brush, A., Chai, S., Fernandez, J., Ginsbach, K., Gottschalk, K., Halabi, S., Hosangadi, D., Mapatano, D., Monahan, J., Moretti, C., Pillinger, M., Ramirez, G. S., & Rosenfeld, E. (2022). Advancing Legal Preparedness through the Global Health Security Agenda. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 50(1), 200–203. https://doi.org/10.1017/JME.2022.26

Cáceres, S. B. (n.d.). Global Health Security in an Era of Global Health Threats—Volume 17, Number 10—October 2011—Emerging Infectious Diseases journal—CDC. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1710.101656

de Guttry, A. (2020). Is the International Community Ready for the Next Pandemic Wave? A Legal Analysis of the Preparedness Rules Codified in Universal Instruments and of their Impact in the Light of the COVID-19 Experience. Global Jurist, 20(3), 1–41.

Fukuda-Parr, S. (2022). When indicators fail: SPAR, the invisible measure of pandemic preparedness. Policy and Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puac024

Gostin, L. O., & Ayala, A. S. (2017). Global Health Security in an Era of Explosive Pandemic Potential. Journal of National Security Law & Policy, 9, 53.

Knight, W. A., & Reddy, K. S. (2020). Caribbean response to COVID-19: A regional approach to pandemic preparedness and resilience. The Round Table, 109(4), 464–465. https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1790759

Lal, A., Abdalla, S. M., Chattu, V. K., Erondu, N. A., Lee, T., Singh, S., Abou-taleb, H., Morales, J. V., & Phelan, A. (2022). Health Policy Pandemic preparedness and response: Exploring the role of universal health coverage within the global health security architecture. 22, 1–9.

Manika, S. (2021). Fostering preparedness for COVID-19 in cities: How cities can support the healthcare system by efficiently managing emergency funding. TPR: Town Planning Review, 92(3), 293–299.

Nelson, C., Lurie, N., Wasserman, J., & Zakowski, S. (2007). Conceptualizing and Defining Public Health Emergency Preparedness. American Journal of Public Health, 97, S9–S11. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2007.114496

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff. (2022, October 24). Using Legal Preparedness to Minimize Liability Barriers to Accessing Pandemic Vaccine and Medical Countermeasures. Bill of Health. https://blog.petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2022/10/24/using-legal-preparedness-to-minimize-liability-barriers-to-accessing-pandemic-vaccine-and-medical-countermeasures/

Virtual Blockbuster Bird Flu and the Pandemic of Preparedness Planning. (2018). In Stefan Elbe, Pandemics, Pills, and Politics: Governing Global Health Security (p. 106). Johns Hopkins University Press

Proportionality and Necessity

Dace, H., Miller, B., Ramli, R., Sleat, D., Thorne, E., & Wain, R. (n.d.). The New Necessary: How We Future-Proof for the Next Pandemic. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Retrieved 8 July 2021, from https://institute.global/policy/new-necessary-how-

Dzau, V. J., & Rodin, J. (2015). Creating a global health risk framework. New England Journal of Medicine, 373(11), 991–993. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp1509136

Knight, W. A., & Oriola, T. B. (2022). Vaccine nationalism, violent extremist problematique and state management of combat-related deaths. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/19392206.2022.2059923, 15(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392206.2022.2059923

Lal, A., Abdalla, S. M., Chattu, V. K., Erondu, N. A., Lee, T., Singh, S., Abou-taleb, H., Morales, J. V., & Phelan, A. (2022). Health Policy Pandemic preparedness and response: Exploring the role of universal health coverage within the global health security architecture. 22, 1–9.

Samaan, G., Patel, M., Spencer, J., & Roberts, L. (2004). Border screening for SARS in Australia: What has been learnt? Medical Journal of Australia, 180(5), 220–224. https://doi.org/10.5694/J.1326-5377.2004.TB05889.X

The Lancet: New report details “massive global failures” of COVID-19 response, calls for improved multilateral cooperation to end pandemic and effectively manage future global health threats. (2022). SDSN Newsletter. https://www.unsdsn.org/the-lancet-new-report-details-massive-global-failures-of-covid-19response-calls-for-improved-multilateral-cooperation-to-end-pandemic-andeffectively-manage-future-global-health-threats

Transparency and Accountability

Lindmeier, C. (2021). WHO, Germany launch new global hub for pandemic and epidemic intelligence. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/05-05-2021-who-germany-launch-new-global-hub-for-pandemic-and-epidemic-intelligence

MacIntyre, C. R., & Aginam, O. (2022, June 22). At what point is a disease deemed to be a global threat? Here’s the answer. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/at-what-point-is-a-disease-deemed-to-be-a-global-threat-heres-the-answer-185547

Ozawa, S., Paina, L., & Qiu, M. (2016). Exploring pathways for building trust in vaccination and strengthening health system resilience. BMC Health Services Research, 16, 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12913-016-1867-7

Sturmberg, J. P. (2020). Approaching complexity—Start with awareness. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 26(3), 1030–1033. https://doi.org/10.1111/JEP.13355

Human Rights, World Politics

The Pursuit of Peace during a Time of Polycrisis

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Governments have claimed to be pursuing peace since time immemorial, with seemingly little progress to show for it.  Numerous treaties, declarations, laws and covenants have been signed to eliminate war or reduce its effects, yet societies continue to fight and to suffer, despite these efforts. In this talk, we will survey the historical benchmarks of war and peace in world politics, consider where things went wrong, and speculate about how peace might be achieved in the context of an ongoing global crisis.

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climate, democracy, US Politics, World Politics

Unrest to Uprising: The Past, Present and Future of Political Protest

Sticky

This talk will delve into the historical context, current challenges, and future implications of this powerful form of civic action. What are the ethical dilemmas of civil disobedience? What might be the effect of disruptive technologies on state surveillance and the balance between security and individual freedoms? Talk on November 10, 2023

Further Reading

‘93% of Black Lives Matter Protests Have Been Peaceful: Report | Time’. n.d. Accessed 4 November 2023. https://time.com/5886348/report-peaceful-protests/

Applebaum, Anne, and Peter Pomerantsev. 2021. ‘How to Put Out Democracy’s Dumpster Fire’. The Atlantic, 9 March 2021. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/04/the-internet-doesnt-have-to-be-awful/618079/.

‘Climate Chaos, the French Revolution and a Warning for Today | Time’. n.d. Accessed 4 November 2023. https://time.com/6107671/french-revolution-history-climate/?utm_source=pocket_saves.

‘Doe Mee, Maak Nederland Fossielvrij!’ n.d. Fossielvrij NL. Accessed 4 November 2023. https://gofossilfree.org/nl/.

Gurri, Martin. 2018. The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium. San Francisco, CA: Stripe Press.

Haidt, Jonathan. 2022. ‘Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid’. The Atlantic, 11 April 2022. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/.

Hutt, James. 2022. ‘The Battle of Billings Bridge ⋆ The Breach’. The Breach. 16 February 2022. https://breachmedia.ca/the-battle-of-billings-bridge/.

‘Iran’s Summer of Discontent: A Warning for Washington’. 2018. War on the Rocks. 23 July 2018. https://warontherocks.com/2018/07/irans-summer-of-discontent-a-warning-for-washington/.

June 3, Asam Ahmad /, and 2018 / 8 Min Read. n.d. ‘Who Is Your Oppressor?’ Accessed 4 November 2023. https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/who-is-your-oppressor.

Kumar, Rajeesh. 2017. ‘What New Declassifications Reveal about the 1953 Coup in Iran’. E-International Relations (blog). 7 September 2017. https://www.e-ir.info/2017/09/07/what-new-declassifications-reveal-about-the-1953-coup-in-iran/.

Levine, Bruce E. 2018. ‘Another Reason Young Americans Don’t Revolt Against Being Screwed’. CounterPunch.Org. 14 June 2018. https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/06/14/another-reason-young-americans-dont-revolt-against-being-screwed/.

Lowery, Wesley. 2020. ‘Why Minneapolis Was the Breaking Point’. The Atlantic (blog). 10 June 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/wesley-lowery-george-floyd-minneapolis-black-lives/612391/.

Monbiot, George. 2022. ‘“It Felt like History Itself” – 48 Protest Photographs That Changed the World’. The Guardian, 2 July 2022, sec. World news. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/02/it-felt-like-history-itself-48-protest-photographs-that-changed-the-world.

Morgan, Ted. 2021. ‘The Capitol Assault Was an Act of Expressive Politics. A Backlash Is Surely Coming—against the Left’. Salon. 27 February 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/02/27/the-capitol-assault-was-an-act-of-expressive-politics-a-backlash-is-surely-comingagainst-the-left/.

Ozden, James. 2023. ‘What Makes a Protest Movement Successful?’ Social Change Lab. 4 January 2023. https://www.socialchangelab.org/post/what-makes-a-protest-movement-successful.

Pineda, Erin R. 2021a. Seeing Like an Activist: Civil Disobedience and the Civil Rights Movement. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.

———. 2022. ‘“Disobedience”: An Essay by Erin R. Pineda (Keywords: Activism; Civil Disobedience; Climate Change)’. The Philosopher. 18 July 2022. https://www.thephilosopher1923.org/post/the-new-basics-disobedience.

Resilience. 2018. ‘Poor People’s Campaign Gears Up for Mother’s Day Launch’. Resilience. 9 May 2018. https://www.resilience.org/stories/2018-05-09/poor-peoples-campaign-gears-up-for-mothers-day-launch/.

Sleeper, Jim. 2017. ‘Warlocks, Witches and American Stampedes: The Built-in Dangers of #MeToo’. Salon. 28 December 2017. https://www.salon.com/2017/12/28/warlocks-witches-and-american-stampedes-the-built-in-dangers-of-metoo/.

The Economist. n.d. ‘Digital Media Fuel Global Protests but Can Be Used against Them’. Accessed 4 November 2023. https://www.economist.com/international/2021/01/16/digital-media-fuel-global-protests-but-can-be-used-against-them

‘What INGOs Can Learn from Greta Thunberg and the Global Climate Strikes’. n.d. openDemocracy. Accessed 4 November 2023. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/what-ingos-can-learn-greta-thunberg-and-global-climate-strikes/

‘Why Confrontation Is Not the Best Way to Effect Regime Change in China – Areo’. n.d. Accessed 4 November 2023. https://areomagazine.com/2019/06/21/why-confrontation-is-not-the-best-way-to-effect-regime-change-in-china/

‘Women Are Marrying Trees to Save Them from Deforestation’. 2021. Euronews. 13 September 2021. https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/09/12/over-70-women-marry-local-trees-to-save-them-from-deforestation.

Anthropocene, Environmental Research, Human Rights, political theory, World Politics

How Kinship Practices Could Foster New Relations Between Humans and Nature

Sticky

Sustainability Now! Podcast

Southern Resident Orcas are critically endangered despite legal protection

on KSQD 90.7 FM, KSQT 89.7 FM, K207FE(FX) 89.5 FM and KSQD.org

The Rights of Nature is one way to rethink the relationships between humans and Nature, but are there other ways to think about those connections? Join host Ronnie Lipschutz for a conversation with Dr. Rosalind Warner, professor of political science at Okanagan College in British Columbia and Research Fellow with the Earth System Governance Project. Warner is studying the role of kinship metaphors in Earth System Law, with kinship connoting more ethical relationships among humans, Nature and earth’s non-human inhabitants. Earth System Law is an emerging body of legal precepts, principles and practices that bring together ethics and law with the planet’s dynamic physical and biological cycles. Tune in to hear a new take on human-nature relations.

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democracy, For Students, Politics in Canada, US Politics, World Politics

The New(er) World of Untruth Part II

Alternative facts, misdirection, and outright propaganda seem to dominate the news media landscape today in a way that is quite different from the past.

Presented February 10th, Society for Learning in Retirement

Thank you to the Society for Learning in Retirement in Kelowna for honouring me with a lifetime membership! I feel very privileged to be able to continue serving this very wonderful group of humans!

Some Tools for Media Literacy

Readings

2018 Edelman Trust Barometer. (2017).

Art of the lie—Post-truth politics. (2016). The Economist. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2016/09/10/art-of-the-lie?cid1=cust/ednew/n/bl/n/2016098n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/NA/n

Benkler, Y., Faris, R., Roberts, H., & Zuckerman, E. (2017). Study: Breitbart-led right-wing media ecosystem altered broader media agenda—Columbia Journalism Review. Columbia Journalism Review. http://www.cjr.org/analysis/breitbart-media-trump-harvard-study.php

ChatGPT: Optimizing Language Models for Dialogue. (2022, November 30). OpenAI. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/

Coaston, J. (2018). #QAnon, the pro-Trump conspiracy theory, explained—Vox. Vox. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/8/1/17253444/qanon-trump-conspiracy-theory-reddit

Coles, T. J. (2018). Fake News and Weaponized Bots: How Algorithms Inflate Profiles, Spread Disinfo and Disrupt Democracy. Counterpunch. https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/10/08/fake-news-and-weaponized-bots-how-algorithms-inflate-profiles-spread-disinfo-and-disrupt-democracy/

Devega, C. (2018). Donald Trump’s “chaos magic”: Author Gary Lachman on the far right’s links to occult philosophy | Salon.com. Salon. https://www.salon.com/2018/07/16/donald-trumps-chaos-magic-author-gary-lachman-on-the-far-rights-links-to-occult-philosophy/

Edwards, S., & Livingston, S. (2018). Fake news is about to get a lot worse. That will make it easier to violate human rights—And get away with it. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/04/03/fake-news-is-about-to-get-a-lot-worse-that-will-make-it-easier-to-violate-human-rights-and-get-away-with-it/?noredirect=on

Gonzalez, R. J. (2018). The Mind-Benders: How to Harvest Facebook Data, Brainwash Voters, and Swing Elections. Counterpunch. https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/03/23/the-mind-benders-how-to-harvest-facebook-data-brainwash-voters-and-swing-elections/

Gross, J. (2023, January 10). How Finland Is Teaching a Generation to Spot Misinformation. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/10/world/europe/finland-misinformation-classes.html

Gutting, G. (2011). The Social Side of Reasoning—The New York Times. The New York Times Opinionator – The Stone. https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/argument-truth-and-the-social-side-of-reasoning/

How to Spot a Bogus News Site. (n.d.). Pocket. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://getpocket.com/collections/how-to-spot-a-bogus-news-site

Illing, S. (2018). Hashtag wars: How Facebook, Twitter, and social media changed how we fight wars—Vox. Vox. https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/world/2018/10/8/17884154/social-media-cyberwar-isis-taylor-swift-peter-singer

Jenkins, H. (2009). How "Dumbledore’s Army" Is Transforming Our World: An Interview with the HP Alliance’s Andrew Slack (Part One)—Henry Jenkins. Henry Jenkins.Org. http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2009/07/how_dumbledores_army_is_transf.html

Morgan, J. (2017). Sockpuppets, Secessionists, and Breitbart – Data for Democracy – Medium. Data for Democracy. https://medium.com/data-for-democracy/sockpuppets-secessionists-and-breitbart-7171b1134cd5

Mosleh, M., Pennycook, G., Arechar, A. A., & Rand, D. G. (2021). Cognitive reflection correlates with behavior on Twitter. Nature Communications, 12(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20043-0

Pennycook, G., Epstein, Z., Mosleh, M., Arechar, A. A., Eckles, D., & Rand, D. G. (2021). Shifting attention to accuracy can reduce misinformation online. Nature, 592(7855), Article 7855. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03344-2

Pennycook, G., & Rand, D. G. (2022). Accuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizable approach for reducing the spread of misinformation. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30073-5

Shao, C., Ciampaglia, G. L., Varol, O., Yang, K., Flammini, A., & Menczer, F. (2017). The spread of low-credibility content by social bots. http://arxiv.org/abs/1707.07592

Weisburd, A., Watts, C., & Berger, J. (2016). Trolling for Trump: How Russia Is Trying to Destroy Our Democracy. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2016/11/trolling-for-trump-how-russia-is-trying-to-destroy-our-democracy/

Yglesias, M. (2017). The Bullshitter-in-Chief—Vox. Vox. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/30/15631710/trump-bullshit

Anthropocene, climate, Disasters

Post-Anthropocene

Video
View video on CACOR‘s (Canadian Association for theClub of Rome) Youtube Channel.

Covid-19 disrupted the world in unimaginable ways.  Future disasters may be even worse.  Some argue human societies have left the Holocene Epoch and entered the Anthropocene. How might our perceptions of the human-nature relationship now change, and how might we improve policy, governance, and planning? [Note: one correction has been made to the slide set available on the CACOR website–there were 5 mass extinctions in the last 5oo million years. Ed.]

democracy, Human Rights, World Politics

The End of Impunity: Making Human Rights Work in the World

Despite a plethora of treaties, constitutional guarantees, and international organizations, the world continues to be afflicted with senseless atrocities that offend human conscience.   Why are institutions powerless against such waves of human cruelty and ruthlessness?  This session will explore what can be done to make human rights real.  Talk November 14th at Okanagan College, November 18th at SLR.

References

Holloway, K. (2017, November 24). Racism is a highly profitable online business | Salon.com. Salon. https://www.salon.com/2017/11/24/racism-is-a-highly-profitable-online-business/

Jones, D. (2007). The depths of disgust. Nature, 447(7146), 768–771. https://doi.org/10.1038/447768a

Mugabo, L. (2018, April 6). Liberation, Decolonization, Gacaca – Reflecting on the Rwandan Genocide, 24 Years Later – The Volcano. The Volcano. https://www.thevolcano.org/2018/04/06/liberation-decolonization-gacaca/

Nelson, B. (2022, November 5). How Stochastic Terrorism Uses Disgust to Incite Violence – Scientific American. Scientific America. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-stochastic-terrorism-uses-disgust-to-incite-violence/

Resnick, B. (2018). Psychologists surveyed hundreds of alt-right supporters. The results are unsettling. Vox. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/8/15/16144070/psychology-alt-right-unite-the-right

Resnick, B. (2017). The dark psychology of dehumanization, explained. Vox. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/3/7/14456154/dehumanization-psychology-explained

Serwer, A. (2018, March 14). Obama’s Legacy of Impunity for Torture – The Atlantic. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/obamas-legacy-of-impunity-for-torture/555578/

Shieber, J. (2018, August 28). Distributor of plans for 3D-printed guns puts his product back in circulation | TechCrunch. Techcrunch.Com. https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/28/distributor-of-plans-for-3d-printed-guns-puts-his-product-back-in-circulation/

Smith, J. A. (2022, April 19). How War Shapes Our Attitudes About Violence. Greater Good Magazine: Politics. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/war_shapes_attitudes_about_violence

Timmons, H. (2022, October 29). Hate speech, online extremism fed Pelosi attack, terror experts believe | Reuters. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hate-speech-online-extremism-fed-pelosi-attack-terror-experts-believe-2022-10-29/

Waldstein, D. (2015, June 17). In Chile’s National Stadium, Dark Past Shadows Copa América Matches – The New York Times. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/sports/soccer/in-chiles-national-stadium-dark-past-shadows-copa-america-matches.html

Zhang, L., Lee, E., & Kim, E. (n.d.). IMMIGRANTS IN COVID AMERICA – Xenophobia & Racism. University of Minnesota. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://immigrantcovid.umn.edu/xenophobia-racism

democracy, Human Rights, Inequality, political theory, Politics in Canada, US Politics, World Politics

Attack on Democracy

Around the world, the institutions of liberal democratic systems are
waging a rear-guard action against sustained attacks from populist
and extremist movements. These trends are not new, but can be
traced to events in the recent past, as well as broader historical
developments. In this session, participants will learn why political
scientists are so concerned about these trends, and what ordinary
citizens can do to improve democratic accountability in Canada.

Attack on Democracy
climate, Environmental Research, Human Rights, Inequality, Sustainable Development

Women’s Security is Human Security: Climate and Gender

This blog post was originally produced for BCCIC, read the full post here: https://www.bccic.ca/womens-security-is-human-security-climate-and-gender/

The foundational idea that women’s rights are integral to the politics of liberation, solidarity and justice has been mainstreamed in many international agreements and organizations.

The momentum on women’s rights should now be strongly carried forward to inform the politics of climate and security. 

Moving forward, the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change means the world will be pushed to recognize and institutionalize the principle that women’s security is human security.

The challenge is urgent, the climate will not negotiate. Any efforts to address climate change will be that much poorer for the absence of women’s voices and experiences. Any efforts to address climate change will be that much richer with the power, strength and leadership that women bring as agents of change. The need for human security gives even more reason to ensure that women are not left behind.

Rosalind Warner, 2022
Teaching and Learning

How to Get (and Keep) Their Attention

Recently I prepared a poster on the Top Ten ways to gain students’ attention.  It was displayed at the UBC Okanagan Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Annual Conference Engaging Every Learner a few years ago.  As part of my project, I asked viewers of the poster to share their favourite ways to gain attention in class.  So, here is the collected list, with some additional ideas from one of the sessions I attended on Interactive Techniques with Richard Plunkett, including a list of interactive techniques prepared by Kevin Yee.

1. Involve Everyone

It can be a challenge to design activities in which everyone feels engaged, but Liberating Structures has a number of great suggestions for format, invitations, and content that can ensure that everyone has a stake in the proceedings.  Contributed: give the whole class a task that can only be accomplished by everyone fulfilling their assigned role. Another one: use ‘lecture reaction’ where students take on the roles of ‘questioners’, ‘example givers’, ‘divergent thinkers’ or ‘agreers’ and discuss in small groups accordingly. I also assign the role of ‘researchers’ who can google or search for interesting information and share it with the class.

2. Explain Yourself

Stating your purpose clearly, for the course, and for the learner, is an important first step in helping to establish a connection.

3. Make it Worth it

Accountability is important to helping learners engage.  Using quizzes or surveys to gauge the level of knowledge without giving the impression of ‘judgement’ means keeping these low-stakes and fun.  IFAT (Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique) scratch cards encourage teams to arrive at consensus before answering.

4. Apply Knowledge

Asking learners to think about a situation, case, or example immediately after explaining a concept can help concretize the material and aids retention.  Contributed variation: invite learners to attend a professional meeting or to interview a practitioner in the field of study. Use ‘finger signals’ instead of clickers for multiple choice or true or false questions (students hold up fingers against their chest so others can’t see, to indicate the correct choice).

5. Be Organized

It sounds trite, but having an agenda for the class and carefully signposting each activity shows respect for learners’ time. Include an opening, buildup and closing at the very least.  Contributed variation:  use a one-minute paper to have learners identify the ‘Muddiest Point’ and address next class.

6. Use Metaphors

Solving a tough problem can be like unravelling a ball of string.  Metaphors help learners to connect the familiar with the unfamiliar.  Contributed variation:  use a ‘Snowball’ technique with this one.

7. Use Mystery

Don’t give away the ‘answers’ prematurely!   Build up to the big reveal with hints and clues. Variation: Picture prompts, in which an image is presented without explanation, asks students to identify/explain, discuss and describe any structures or processes shown (can be written or discussion format).

8. Be Unexpected

Use incongruity, contrasts and comparisons to spur thinking.  It doesn’t have to be flashy or shocking, just curious or odd. Contributed variation: use movement, have students move to different areas of the classroom for group work, writing comments on sticky notes, posting under categories, etc.

9. Use Visuals

A picture speaks volumes.  Well, you knew that…but visual culture in the age of Instagram is even more vital. Contributed variation:  give learners objects to ‘play with’ during long lectures (colouring, playdough).  Use demonstrations.

10. Vary Your Voice

For most people, this requires increasing your volume and variability in a conscious way. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but listeners will thank you. Contributed variation:  be enthusiastic and show your passion!  Capture the emotional content in your subject to create a hook.

"Without energy, nothing happens." ~Richard Heinberg, Author, The Party’s Over