The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the City Pilots Served by AB InBev Foundation’s Global Smart Drinking Goals Initiative

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of global health, including efforts to curb harmful drinking. Very little is known about the effects of a prolonged disaster like this pandemic on alcohol consumption, misuse, and related harms, and on ongoing interventions designed to prevent or mitigate these harms. MethodsWe collected information from key informants in community coalitions in each of five City Pilots funded by the AB InBev Foundation that are implementing prevention and early intervention strategies to reduce harmful drinking. Key informants reported how the pandemic has affected alcohol sales and consumption in their communities, as well as alcohol-related harms such as interpersonal violence and drink driving. ResultsWe found that alcohol production has slowed and that sales of alcohol have uniformly decreased. However, the effects of local regulations on alcohol sales in on- and off-premise establishments have been uneven. Early reports suggest that home-based drinking has decreased during the pandemic, binge drinking is still problematic, and that while the prevalence of drink driving is greatly reduced, domestic violence has increased. We also report measures taken by the AB InBev Foundation to support the City Pilots’ efforts to combat the pandemic, which include transitioning in-person prevention strategies to online delivery where feasible, and the reorientation of the AB InBev Foundation’s Community Fund to support local efforts to combat the pandemic. ConclusionsWhile it presents considerable challenges for ongoing prevention efforts that depend on interpersonal contact, the Community Fund appeared to have a positive effect on building community coalitions, bringing new stakeholders to the table, and providing the opportunity for the coalitions to enhance their visibility and reputations in the communities they serve.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practices in Coffee Producer Farmers’ Cooperative Unions: The Case of Bench-Maji, Kaffa, and Sheka Zones, South Western Ethiopia

The seventh ICA principle of "concern for community" clearly urges the cooperatives to carry out sustainable community development activities. Even though the cooperatives are serving the community directly or indirectly, their sight to the concept Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not clearly considered by their members, academicians, and the government. The objective of this study was to assess the corporate social responsibility practices performed by Coffee Producer Farmers’ Cooperative Unions at the study area. In this study primary and secondary data source were used. The size of respondents was 395 members of Cooperative Society and 50 Government officials. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. The finding shows that there are job creation, supply of agricultural input, and expansion of coffee processing industry for serving both members and non-members, whereas drawback on the awareness creation to the community, participation of community in planning, implementing, and evaluating community projects, inconsistent allocation of community fund, and financial statements at unions’ offices for CSR budget. Therefore, management of the unions should participate the community during planning, implementing, and evaluating socially responsible projects, cooperative social responsibility practices should be thoroughly supervised and supported by the government, cooperatives from their annual surplus should allocate community fund, both GOs and NGOs working on sustainable development activity at the area must work with cooperatives, and Cooperatives have to maintain separate book of account to record financial activities of cooperative social responsibility practices.

MODAL SOSIAL DALAM GERAKAN LINGKUNGAN: STUDI KASUS DI KAMPUNG GAMBIRAN DAN GONDOLAYU LOR, KOTA YOGYAKARTA

This research discusses about environmental movement initiated by the people of Kampung Gambiran and Kampung Gondolayu Lor, Yogyakarta City. The main argument of this study is that different outcomes by the two environmental movements were affected by the difference in social capital. This is qualitative study. The result of the study shows that the influence of social capital in determining the outcome of environmental movement. Environmental degradation in Kampung Gambiran motivated the local inhabitants to do internal integration and building network outside community. Kampung Gambiran has several achievements, facilities, and activities supported by community fund and outside donors. The movement was also spread by Forsidas Gajah Wong and Merti Kampung. In Kampung Gondolayu Lor, environmental movement was caused by garbage problems and the instruction by the government. The environmental activity without social integration in Kampung Gondolayu Lor resulted in inability to mobilize internal resources and building external network.Key Word: Environmental Movement and Social Capital