In pandemic recovery, New York has had more success than Mass. What explains the gap?

In Montana, a group of professionals were brought together to collaborate on the pandemic recovery effort underway in Bozeman, with the economic development director at the helm. Known as the Bozeman Economic Recovery and Resiliency Team, the group is comprised of 25 members including business leaders, local and state government officials, education leadership, and representatives from tourism and childcare industries, among others. The group was formed at the outset of the pandemic to efficiently communicate constantly-shifting information, ascertain needs, and manage local recovery efforts.

Via educational workshops, the provision of mobility devices, and entrepreneurial support, a Polio-survivor-led initiative in Nigeria is reducing stigmas about disabilities and helping eradicate polio diseases. Since 2017, the crowd-funded group has assisted more than 200 people with disabilities and reduced the number of folks who have to ask for alms on the streets.

A mixture of mandates and incentives helped France overcome vaccine hesitancy and encouraged millions to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The government campaign was so successful that some of the restrictions – like the requirement to show a health pass with vaccine status or recent test results before entering public spaces, like a restaurant or train- might soon be eased. Other mandates included requiring masks at primary schools and vaccination for health care workers, with those refusing to face suspension. The health pass requirement is credited with avoiding mass shutdowns again as the delta variant spreads.

In Kenya's Siaya County, community-selected individuals known as nyamrerwa are trained "to address healthcare issues of individuals and communities in their respective localities." The initiative is part of a larger strategy that is helping to localize care and empower community members to "take control and responsibility of their own health achievement efforts."

A man who lost a cousin to cancer built a phone booth with an unconnected rotary phone to imagine conversations with his loved one. It became "the phone of the wind," used by thousands across Japan who lost family in the 2011 tsunami and others whose longing for contact with lost loved ones turns the "conversations" into a deep form of relief and grieving. People in Poland and Britain plan to adopt this approach for survivors grieving losses in the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the NFL's 2020/21 season, "700 players, coaches and other team personnel tested positive for the coronavirus," but none of those individuals were associated with the Seattle Seahawks – the only team that lasted the entire season without one positive case. The Seahawks enacted strict protocols such as dividers between showers and lockers, upgraded ventilation systems, daily testing, and a mobile meal app, but they also relied on innovative tactics like creating a competition for which position group could maintain the fewest close contacts.

Australia's aggressive and strict protocols surrounding COVID-19 have helped the country to return to normalcy and avoid high death tolls and transmission rates, especially compared to the U.S. and Europe. Although the approach has included strict lockdowns, the community has reacted largely from a perspective of "short-term pain for collective gain."

The CARES Act was meant to help small businesses, including hospitals, find financial stability during the coronavirus pandemic, but confusing guidelines and a lack of oversight have impeded the success. This reality has been especially difficult for rural hospitals, some of which "have left millions in relief aid untouched, spiraling deeper into debt for fear that the wrong decision could force them to return money."

The Poetry Project provides a platform for young refugees to create poetry, share their stories, and learn about German culture. The initiative started with weekly meetings for 7 young refugees to workshop poetry about the refugee experience, including leaving loved ones, why they left, and how they feel in their new home country. Their live performances have won prizes and their audiences respond emotionally. The group’s success allowed it to expand to more participants and reach a wider audience. The experience helped some participants integrate more smoothly into German society, where they have thrived.

Black Lives Matters protests have been sustained by an autonomously organized mutual aid network providing a range of services for protesters and community members. Requests for information and assistance are sent using encrypted communication. The groups provide medics, public protest art, legal and financial aid, and even mechanics to service protesters’ cars and a group that helps protesters replace glasses that were damaged or lost due to police encounters. The extensive mutual aid network enables flexibility to respond to a diverse set of changing needs, sustaining protests longer than in other cities.