The major cities of the Global South have been locations with an alarming number of cases during the two years of the pandemic (2020-2022). Restrictions on large-scale activities affect daily income residents such as street vendors, domestic helpers, or informal transport operations. The decline in welfare also increased because many formal workers were laid off and lost their livelihoods. This condition shows that COVID-19 goes far beyond a health emergency crisis but also reveals and deepens the impact of long-standing inequalities, showing inadequacies in employment, basic services such as health and education, and socio-economic assistance.
The blow of the pandemic is felt differently in the Global South than in the countries of the ‘north.’ As a world region with a history of being disadvantaged by globalization and capitalism. The resources in these countries are not as well prepared as the ‘northern’ countries in ensuring their people’s health, food, and social security. However, how the Global South responds is something we can always learn. Southern nations are known as ‘resistant’ and can survive on their terms. The Global South survived not only by industrial power but also by societal resistance. So that the pandemic became an opportunity to strengthen the resistance from the Global South differently.
This booklet is a collective essay that records the collective efforts of solidarity practices across aspects affected by the pandemic in 4 major cities of the Global South, Santiago (Chile), Manila (Philippines), Jakarta (Indonesia), and Bogota (Colombia), authors hope that through this format, the 4 essays can be enjoyed easily.
Reader can also refer to the original Webinar when all author discuss more about the solidarity practices from the QR code at the back of this booklet.
