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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social issues > Social impact of disasters > General
In times of crisis, when institutions of power are laid bare,
people turn to one another. Pandemic Solidarity collects firsthand
experiences from around the world of people creating their own
narratives of solidarity and mutual aid in the time of the global
crisis of Covid-19. The world's media was quick to weave a
narrative of selfish individualism, full of empty supermarket
shelves and con-men. However, if you scratch the surface, you find
a different story of community and self-sacrifice. Looking at
eighteen countries and regions, including India, Rojava, Taiwan,
South Africa, Iraq and North America, the personal accounts in the
book weave together to create a larger picture, revealing a
universality of experience - a housewife in Istanbul supports her
neighbour in the same way as a teacher in Argentina, a punk in
Portland, and a disability activist in South Korea does. Moving
beyond the present, these stories reveal what an alternative
society could look like, and reflect the skills and relationships
we already have to create that society, challenging institutions of
power that have already shown their fragility.
In the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, the local
parish church became a focal point of the relief effort, and a
gathering place for a traumatised community. In the months that
followed, it worked closely with other community and faith groups
to provide a compassionate network of support. In this bold and
prophetic challenge, Alan Everett shows that the church's response
was possible only because it had opened its doors long ago,
building relationships with the most marginalised in the community.
Its effectiveness was born out of a patient, faithful, unheroic
ministry that is all too easily underestimated. Through gripping
reportage and searching theological reflection, After the Fire
demonstrates how parish ministry can be a living symbol of God's
love, and a vital sign of hope.
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