Meeting the CPT Zuidoost:
- Introduction to the rhythm research: Presented the rhythm research. A lot of people interested, of course some people critical as well, such as the chairwoman Marcella. She thinks that the main issue in Zuidoost is about trust, and she doubts that rhythm can be useful there. I explained how our research was connected from the beginning with trust. Guno Nimmermeer was also there and he said it is very much necessary to look at rhythm, and that he is very happily knowledgable about the research for a long time. Oscar Hulschner is also very enthusiastic and sees the benefits immediately.
- Agreeing on the participation of the rhythm research: A vote was taken from the whole team whether everybody is interested incorporating the rhythm research. It was decided that it would be a great addition to what they are doing, and we can definitely learn from each other. I’m invited to attend these meetings every week.
Signals from Zuidoost, discussed during the meeting with CPT Zuidoost:
- Drukte: Too many people at Ganzenhoef Markt and boulevard, especially because it’s right before Easter. They will see if they can place more surveillance and handhaving in these areas.
- Jeugd: komt bij elkaar in verschillende plekken of in autos op straat. Houden zich niet bij afstand (bijvoorbeeld joints schakelen met elkaar). Ze krijgen wel een boete. Something where Team Jeugd en Veiligheid is also busy with. Important to remember that Thema Jeugd is bigger than just the youth themselves. it also has to do with the parents, the care workers and their begeleiders.
- Student Housings: many parties happening. Also these are being fined. However, since the students are part of universities, maybe some methods can be thought of for reaching them through their schools or studentveregnigingen. Could they help in doing interventions? (this is also a centrale aanpak)
- Looking at rhythm instead of placing surveillance: The previous two issues are being discussed a lot in the context of safety, even in thinking of interventions (which are mainly more surveillance and fines). Some responds from the participants that rhythm research could look at here, since it is an issue that requires a bottom up approach.
- Where to place the test busses: now they are being placed closer to people, like Anton de Komplein. Also V&OR involved here.
- Undocumented people in Zuidoost: residents are writing letters to organisations about this. They want to know what the stadsdeel is doing for these people, during the corona times.
- Issue with testing and vaccination: people in Zuidoost (Surinamese and Ghanese people), don’t want to be tested and have very sensitive questions/reactions about it. This came out from the theme session with key figures about testing. (more about this below, which was also discussed during the weekly researchers and CPT meetings).
CPT Researchers Meeting:
- Vaccination: People with migration backgrounds are doubting whether the vaccines are effective. This is very much connected with their trust to the authorities and the Dutch society. The black community raises questions like whether the vaccines are tested on black people (similar questions come from Muslims whether the vaccine is Halal).
- How the specific ethnic groups are being addressed: A question that keeps coming back in these discussions is about the people with immigration backgrounds, or what is usually called “vulnerable groups” (also people who are in poverty are part of this group. Officially, also people with chronic illnesses, but non of the campaigns address them actually). I raised the issue that this group (which are referred to as minorities but in Amsterdam they are not) is approached in a superficial way and doesn’t really address the issues these groups face. A suggestion was to work with the stagiare who was chairing the session on vaccination to prepare a special meeting about this with the other researchers.
CPT Large Team Meeting
- Contrast between the Stadsdelen in testing: In Zuidoost, for example, there are less people getting tested but more people who result being infected (double check if I understood this correctly).
- Higher chances of infection in poor neighbourhoods: Looking at this from the urban level is interesting because you can make the assumption that in certain neighbourhoods, people are under more risk than the others (not being vaccinated but also not having many people vaccinated around themselves). This means that in certain places people have more chances to end up in hospitals and infect others.
- Corona spread and inequality: This issue is also connected with the fact that in certain neighbourhoods people live less than in others. It implies inequality in Amsterdam. However, it is not clear how the CPT has to approach this or where the CPT can make a difference.
- Observations at the vaccination locations showing that there are “many white faces”, which creates the assumption that the “kwetsbare groepen” are not being vaccinated. When this observation (it is only an observation of certain people at the CPT) connects to the observations at the IC beds (a lot of people with brown and black skins), it creates the image that the non-Western background people actually create a danger in terms of corona.