Social Innovation in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic

The INSIST Cahier 4 will review COVID-19 related dynamics from the lens of social innovation, as addressed above, and assess various aspects of life and experiences faced by different countries around the globe. These dynamics will be summarised along several sub-questions to answer our general question: To what extent has the COVID-19 pandemic affected aspects of human life on at various scales? What happened to existing inequalities? And to what extent and how have socially innovative responses been triggered by multiple parties (governments, private parties, communities)? Specifically, the purpose of INSIST Cahier 4 is to produce an initial compilation of knowledge and analysis of COVID-19 related social innovations around the globe. This collective knowledge will enrich public discourse about dealing with the ongoing pandemic, which involves multiple agents--governments, communities, business, local, regional, national and international actors. From collective brainstorming the following themes for this INSIST Cahier 4 emerged: the environmental effects; food & supply systems; urban politics; housing; social solidarity; public space & transportation; body & soul; urban-rural exodus; and populist lens against post truth reality.