Africa, Covid-19, and the commons
Channel: IASC COMMONS
Date: 13/07/2020

Africa, Covid-19, and the commons

The panelists are James Murombedzi, UNECA, Mafaniso Hara, PLAAS, Ruth Hall, PLAAS, and Jesse Ribot, American University
Moderator: Everisto Mapedza

The global Covid-19 pandemic will be one of the major defining moments for development. In Africa, the syndemic, which the Global Landscape Forum refers to as a ‘synergy of epidemics’ will have a long-lasting impact on the continent. Whilst Covid-19 started as a health crisis, it has cut across all facets of life. This webinar grounds the discussions within this multifaceted crisis and draws an understanding of what they mean for the common natural resources in Africa such as atmospheric commons (climate), land, water, forests, fisheries, pastoralism, urban and knowledge commons.

The webinar will seek to discuss aspects such as:

How has Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns impacted on the African society?
What has been the impact on commons such as atmospheric commons (climate), land, water, forests, fisheries, pastoralism, urban, and knowledge commons?
What has been the political economy of Covid-19?
Were social sciences the missing link in the Covid-19 epidemiological solutions?
Do we now need a reframing on how we theorize access to commons?
What are the gendered (and youth) dimensions of Covid-19 on access and control of commons?
How can we re-imagine the new normal for better equity?
Will the new normal change the hegemony of capital?
Memory and history – will this be a defining moment or another bleep in history?