Session 8:

Abolish the Medical Industrial Complex

Friday 16 April 2021 ~ 7:50 - 9:05pm Pacific

Recording available here (50 mins)

Neoliberal Institutions, Eugenicist Roots and Abolition as Politics of Social Change

David Jaulus

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My presentation will explore sources of change in support of abolition and social change. Drawing upon connections between Brown v. Board of Education I and II I argue that the Supreme Court may no longer be the appropriate locus for lasting social change. The limited role and effectiveness of courts in struggles for social change points to the need for abolition(Ben-Moshe 2020) Specifically, Angela Davis defines prison abolition as (a movement “to envision a social order that does not rely on the threat of sequestering people in dreadful places designed to separate them from their communities and families” (2003, 10).

Likewise, universities and other neoliberal institutions serve as insufficient venues for potential social change. This portion of my talk will detail ASU’s historical connection with the implicit practice and political philosophy of eugenics. I argue that eugenics still undergirds much of ASU’s institutional praxis today. ASU represents but one example of a neoliberal university whose institutional practices are deeply rooted in notions of which bodyminds belong within the University (Piepzna-Samarasinha 2018). Here, I will enter into a brief discussion of my own positionality as a person with a disability within the academy. The final question I will address is: if the courts and universities are insufficient as locations for lasting social change/abolition, where does lasting change originate? I argue that movements for true abolition and not just “reform” have their roots from below within direct acts of civil disobedience, such as prisoner-led hunger strikes and work stoppages (Hackett & Turk 2018).

David Jaulus is a 2^nd year Justice Studies Ph.D. student at Arizona State University and identify as a person with both cerebral palsy and visual impairment. I reference my dis/abilities not because my conditions define me, but to explain my point of entry into discussions regarding abolition and its hopes for a world that treats all as fully human.

Impact of COVID-19 on Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in India

Nancy Puri

Slides with audio pre-recorded

Aim: The paper analyses about the Bangladeshi migrant workers that have been affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic in India and will also discuss about the diversity of measures adopted by the International Organizations to prevent or to abolish such negative impacts caused by COVID- 19 pandemic on the migrant workers in India.

Findings: In the current pandemic era, Bangladeshi migrant worker’s specially in India are facing adverse impacts such as unemployment, short working hours, isolation, poor quality of living, social discrimination and mental pressure while their dependents at home are facing financial crisis due to the limited or reduced cash flow from their working relatives. A significant number of migrant workers have been sent back to Bangladesh and many are in constant fear of being sent back due to the impacts of COVID-19 in their host countries. Thus, COVID-19 intensifies numerous socio-economic impact such as joblessness, consumption of reserve funds by family members, and shrinking of the country’s remittance inflow. In this situation, the most urgent and important need is to give financial security and social safety to the workers who have returned to Bangladesh. Apart from diplomatic endeavors to maintain the status quo of policy, the Government of Bangladesh needs to provide financial support to these workers and International Organizations should take initiatives to abolish such negative impacts caused by COVID- 19 on migrant workers as a long-term solution.

Conclusion: The Government of Bangladesh must make long term plans for the security of those who go to work in other countries and set out a comprehensive plan to protect them so that Bangladesh can sustain its foreign reserve and address the economic shock in future.

Nancy Puri is a Research Scholar, from Amity Institute of International Studies (AIIS), Amity University, Uttar Pradesh. India. She is graduated and post graduated from University of Delhi. She has done advance Diploma in Chinese Language (Mandarian) from University of Delhi. She has presented many research papers at National and International Conferences/seminars. She has published various articles in different international journals. Her specializations area are: South Asian study, Globalization, Economic studies, Public Administration and International Studies etc. She is a hard-working scholar towards the goal and uses positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed.