Global Shapers Spearhead OttawaAgainstCorona in the Movement Against COVID-19
By: Kamiliya Akkouche
As we collectively make sense of how COVID-19 is transforming our societies, it’s easy to let fear and powerlessness — fuelled by information overload from panicked news and daily graphs — to drown out all optimism. This global pandemic has disrupted financial markets, has indiscriminately tested political and economic systems, and is changing the ways in which we relate to one another as human beings.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned young people against complacency, while governments around the world have underlined that young people have a responsibility to avoid recklessly spreading the virus to others. Despite the new unsettling reality, as young people, we have always carried the potential for social change and hope, particularly in response to crises. We now have a social duty to flatten the curve by physically distancing ourselves from other people, while supporting our front-line health workers and sense of community. Young people can fight back against COVID-19.
“Exactly a week ago, the University of Oxford, like many other universities around the world, shut down many of its Colleges and libraries, and I bid farewell to friends frantically boarding last-minute flights to far-flung corners of the world, from Saudi Arabia to Colombia. As friends and loved ones around the world shared how they confronted confinement and loss in Italy, France and Canada, I felt a personal sense of urgency, but did not know how to act without doing more harm. I thought of my parents back in Canada who both have serious underlying health conditions and how any contact with COVID-19 could put them at risk. A group of us decided to join forces with StudentsAgainstCorona to spearhead efforts in Oxford. What convinced me was the commitment by the group to hygiene measures for all volunteers, which we had reviewed and approved by health practitioners.”
Thinking of how to best serve vulnerable members of the community in Canada, it made sense to start a branch locally. Ottawa Global Shapers have since joined the global StudentsAgainstCorona movement and we just launched the OttawaAgainstCorona group.
We are calling only on those who are able to help in line with the official Government of Canada recommendations on physical distancing, and those who need help with anything, from getting groceries to posting mail, to reach out to us and sign up through our website: http://studentsagainstcorona.co.uk.
To avoid COVID-19 spread, all our volunteers will be required to review our Recommended Hygiene Guidelines. We also stand ready to provide other forms of help as needs arise in our community: working with local organizations and supporting different segments of the population.
Local Community Partners
Through the process of building partnerships with existing initiatives, we came across one that particularly stood out to us. A major crisis relief operation in our community, Operation Ramzieh provides boxes of food and essentials for those who need help and have established an efficient process from assembly to delivery.
In addition to other vulnerable groups, single mothers are struggling to make ends meet and have reached out for help to obtain infant formula and diapers. It is heartbreaking to hear these stories, knowing that these people are part of our community and that there is more we can all be doing to help.
As a part of our ongoing commitment to effectively confront the most pressing issues of our time and to help broaden the overall impact of this initiative, we are excited to partner with Operation Ramzieh. Together, we aim to showcase the best of community mobilization and resilience, where youth and community partners come together.
Join this movement to help others in your community!
SIGN UP NOW!
OttawaAgainstCorona is co-led by Kamiliya Akkouche and Cathy Chen. Please email them for further information and partnership opportunities.
About the author:
Kamiliya Akkouche is currently an MSt candidate in Diplomatic Studies at the University of Oxford and is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper.
About Global Shapers:
Born out of the World Economic Forum, the Global Shapers Community is a network of inspiring young people under the age of 30 working together to address local, regional and global challenges. With more than 7,000 members, the Global Shapers Community spans 369 city-based hubs in 171 countries.
The Ottawa Hub is comprised of exceptional young professionals who are emerging and accomplished leaders in the public, private, social and cultural sectors. The Hub is engaged in projects that empower young people in Ottawa to be agents of change, promote peaceful pluralism and foster respect for the dignity of others, and harness the talents of millennials to enrich the Ottawa community.
