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Peacemaking and Peacebuilding in a Divided Society: South Africa’s National Peace Accord in the Transition from Apartheid to Democracy
Get PDFSouth Africa’s complex history is outlined, providing an explanatory background to the two chief conflicts that existed in 1990 as the apartheid era drew to a close: the divide between the government with its security forces and the majority of the population, and grassroots violence between African National Congress supporters and the conservative Inkatha movement. During the 1990s, as South Africa accomplished its transition, a series of structures were created to manage the process. The best remembered is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was the final transitional structure, holding its hearings in 1996–98. The first was the National Peace Accord, negotiated and signed in 1991 with the help of business and church facilitators, which established a mechanism to implement itself, an ‘infrastructure for peace’ featuring inclusive peace committees at national, regional, and local levels. The Accord freed a political logjam, allowing constitutional talks to commence, and its peace structures then carried out a nationwide process of peacemaking and peacebuilding. This included the popularization of peace, and the new activity of peace monitoring, to implement the Accord’s provisions on the ground in localities and at mass events. This peace process has lessons to offer and is one key to understanding the remarkable peacefulness of the first democratic election in April 1994
Living Below the Line: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Economic Security among Older Americans, 2022
Get PDFNew estimates based on the 2022 Elder IndexTM show that the risk of economic insecurity in later life is especially high for people of color. Comparing household incomes to the Elder Index, we calculate the percentage of independent older adults with incomes that fall short of what is required to support economic security. National averages suggest that among older people living alone, 43% who are White, 59% of those who are Asian, 61% of those who are Black, and 67% of those who are Latino have annual incomes below the Elder Index. The risk of economic insecurity is lower among couples than among singles but is still substantially higher for people of color. Economic insecurity is especially prevalent among single women of color. Our estimates suggest that 12 million U.S. adults aged 65 or older in one- and two-person households struggle to make ends meet, facing financial challenges in their efforts to age in place and in community
Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Southbridge
Get PDFSouthbridge is a town of 17,673 residents, of whom 6,012, or 36.1%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In addition, there are slightly more than 10,000 White residents, making up 56.7% of Southbridge’s population, while Black, Asian, and other residents collectively account for only 7.2% of the town’s population.
Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, the Latino population increased by 44.0%, while the White population decreased by 12.3%. The smaller Black population increased by 43.2%, while the Asian population increased by 6.1%. The increase in the town’s Latino population almost exactly equaled that of Latinos statewide, which increased by 41.4%. The White population’s decline in Southbridge greatly outpaced the statewide trend of a 4.7% decline.
The remainder of this profile uses 2017-2021 American Community Survey data in order to analyze the demographic and economic characteristics presented in this profile. Because the Black and Asian populations are smaller, they are omitted when their population estimates are too small for some characteristics.
Interestingly, despite having a sizeable Latino population, Southbridge has a very small foreign-born population, making up only 5.0% of town residents. By comparison, foreign-born residents of Massachusetts make up 17.3% of the statewide population, and Latinos are 32.1% foreign-born.
The Latino population in Southbridge is predominantly made up of Puerto Ricans. Of those with Puerto Rican origins, 54.9% were born within the continental United States and 45.1% were born on the island of Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, it should be noted that all Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens from birth, so they are not included in foreign-born estimates. Other Latino groups with a presence in Southbridge include residents with Mexican, Dominican, Colombian, and Peruvian origins. Statewide, the five largest Latino populations in Massachusetts in order of size are Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Mexicans
Introduction of HIV Point-of-Care Testing in Adolescent Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project
Get PDFBACKGROUND: HIV, first identified in 1981, remains a persistent public health problem affecting 1.1 million Americans today. Detection is a critical first step to ending the HIV epidemic and the CDC recommends universal HIV screening for all patients 13-64 years of age regardless of risk factors. HIV screening rates are suboptimal especially in adolescent and young adult populations who face unique barriers to screening. The aim of this project was to improve HIV screening rates in adolescent and young adult patients at a large, urban FQHC.
LOCAL PROBLEM: In the state of Rhode Island, 1 in 10 persons living with HIV are unaware of their HIV diagnosis with a disproportionate burden of undiagnosed disease falling on adolescents and young adults. At a large FQHC in Providence, R.I., screening rates for adolescents and young adults have been noted to be low.
METHODS: A systematic review of the literature revealed six applicable interventions to improve HIV screening rates for the target population. HIV point-of-care testing was the focus of this quality improvement project as research demonstrated it improves screening rates and it aligned with existing clinical workflows. This project was guided by the Chronic Care Model to develop and implement a HIV point-of-care testing protocol in adolescent and young adult primary care. Rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles and Lewin’s Change model steered this process change.
INTERVENTION: An HIV point-of-care testing protocol was developed and implemented over a 12-week project focused on universal screening for patients 15-25 years of age. Staff received training and follow up survey regarding acceptance of the new protocol. Patient education on HIV screening and safe sex practices was standardized in this protocol.
RESULTS: The introduction of a HIV point-of-care testing protocol resulted in a 16.3% increase in completed HIV screenings from baseline. The project was met with general support from staff with feasibility challenges noted.
CONCLUSIONS: HIV point-of-care testing improves HIV screening rates in adolescent and young adult patients. Future quality improvement cycles should address the clinic time constraints and ways to cover the costs of testing to achieve sustainable outcomes
Introduction of Probiotics to Improve Eczema Symptoms in Children in one Pediatric Primary Care Practice: A Quality Improvement Project
Get PDFBackground: There is emerging interest in alternative approaches to treating children with eczema because there is currently no allopathic cure. Non-pharmacological approaches are regarded as generally safe, well tolerated, and cost effective. Eczema is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory, itchy skin condition that adversely affects quality of life in many individuals, including children. Eczema interferes with sleep, leads to secondary skin infections, and causes intractable itching. Topical steroids are the current standard of practice in treating patients but, evidence suggests that they can cause unwanted side effects and can lead to serious systemic reactions. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve the quality of life and symptom management in children in the pediatric outpatient setting who have sub-optimally controlled eczema by implementing an eczema pathway that standardizes the use of probiotics as treatment.
Methods: Based on available knowledge, the most frequently identified alternative treatment modality to introduce for eczema patients in the literature was probiotics. The project was carried out at a holistic pediatric practice in an urban setting in Texas.
Intervention: Probiotics were introduced to pediatric patients (ages 0-15 years) with sub-optimally controlled eczema. To evaluate patient symptoms, quality of life, and adherence, a modified Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) questionnaire was completed by the parent/child dyads before the intervention and every four weeks during the 12-week implementation period.
Results: During the 12-week implementation period, 17 pediatric patients participated in the project. There were more males (n=10, 58.8%) than females (n=7, 41.2%). A baseline POEM questionnaire was obtained to track clinical progress, and a pre/post change score and percent improvement were calculated at the end of the project. The overall mean percent improvement in symptoms was 64%.
Conclusion: The initiation of probiotics was accompanied by a reduction in self-reported eczema symptoms and an improvement in quality of life in 82% of the participants. Ninety-four percent of patients took the probiotic without any noted side effects. The greatest improvement occurred in children with moderate to very severe symptom burden at baseline
Addressing Barriers to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Massachusetts Community Mediation
Get PDFThis report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.
The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community listening sessions organized and facilitated by seven community mediation centers from 2021 to 2022 involving residents from Cambridge, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Vineyard Haven, Greenfield, and Leominster in Massachusetts. The report also contains a literature review of diversity, equity and inclusion research, particularly on nonprofits and DEI in mediation/ADR. This research offers findings for Massachusetts community mediation to increase diversity, equity and inclusion and offers recommendations that are broadly applicable for all community mediation systems interested in developing their own DEI systems across the globe
Comparing VR Services Rate Between Black and White Job Seekers Across the US
Get PDFData Note 85 explores differences in receiving VR services between Black and white job seekers. Nationally, the data indicated that there was little discrepancy between Black and white job seekers in exiting a VR program in 2022. However, the discrepancy was pronounced at the state level
Brazilians in the U.S. and Massachusetts: A Demographic and Economic Profile
Get PDFBrazilians have a significant and growing presence in the United States. In 2021, when the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimated that 4,215,800 Brazilians were living abroad, it calculated that 42% of them were living in the U.S. Portugal (7%) was distant second, followed by Paraguay (6%), United Kingdom (5%), Japan (5%), Italy (4%), Spain (4%), Germany (3%), Canada (3%), France (2%), and a host of other countries.
It is well documented that the U.S. Census undercounts low-income populations and immigrants, particularly the undocumented. However, within this limitation, the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) produces a sampling that enables an approximate demographic and economic profile of particular segments of the population. This report covers Brazilians both in the U.S. overall and in Massachusetts
Building an Age & Dementia Friendly Barnstable: An Action Plan
Get PDFThe Town of Barnstable has long-been aware of its aging population and, as a result, has initiated a number of planning processes to advance the livability of the community for all ages---this report documents the Age & Dementia Friendly planning process and associated ideas for action
I\u27m Triggered : How Complexly Traumatized Adolescent Girls Construct the Experience Within a Residential Program
No full textThe way we perceive, define and regulate mental health in our society has long been problematized. Despite this criticism, available psy- discourses continue to locate the problem in the individual, and disguise the impact of patriarchy, neoliberalism, and multiple marginalizations for those who have been impacted by trauma. Further, these discourses lead to interventions that respond to acute trauma; often complex trauma, through multiple diagnoses, makes pathways for healing less clear. Within these discourses girls may be particularly vulnerable to being positioned as over-emotional and willfully resistant, leading to interventions that place them in institutions such as residential programs. These institutions tend to increase surveillance and encourage self-discipline. In these institutions, reactions such as being “triggered” are viewed as a behavior to be regulated. But rarely are girls in residential psychiatric institutions the subject of research. In this study, I look at the discourses girls in these institutions pick up and resist. The current study utilizes Foucauldian discourse analysis to explore how complexly traumatized adolescent girls in a residential program construct the experience of being “triggered.” Participants completed a semi-structured interview to produce transcripts for the analysis. Analysis focused on discourses that reproduced and resisted mainstream and institutional ideas of girlhood, psychiatry, and trauma. Analysis also looked at the subject positions participants took up, how they positioned others, and what this indicated about available actions and subjectivities. Power relations between participants and different members of the residential program were also explored. Findings indicated that psy- discourses were well known by the participants, and so engrained as to be quite difficult to resist or change. Participants consistently constructed “triggered” as a program word, and a tension was revealed regarding how powerful the word “triggered” was. The participants also found moments of resistance when they spoke outside of psy- discourses, and positioned themselves as knowledgeable regarding “triggering” experiences, excluding staff from this knowledge. Implications for research, as well as for developing more liberatory approaches to healing that encourage more equal power relations, are discussed