The UK is the host of this year’s G7. In recognition of this, the British Academy has convened a virtual forum of SSH7 – social science and humanities representative bodies of every country in the G7. Our world-leading humanities and social sciences sectors across the G7 are coming together to provide a global platform for this research excellence and for the vital contribution these disciplines can bring to major societal, behavioural and environmental challenges of today. We have agreed a series of statements on one of the greatest challenges we face, namely the COVID-19 pandemic and our recovery from its impacts.
This statement on community engagement focuses on how context specific to place, culture, social and economic factors, shape people’s responses to COVID-19.
It outlines some of the key insights from the humanities and social sciences on how to build on the opportunities and strengths the pandemic has shown across communities. The pandemic brought out some of the best features of compassionate, cooperative and innovative societies, driven by the shared purpose of responding to the crisis. However, with this statement, we recognise that now is the time to turn these pockets of purpose-driven cooperation during a crisis into a solid strategy for recovery across economies and societies.