ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we consider how the concept of ‘critical hope’ has been leveraged in responses to both HIV and COVID-19 pandemics. Critical hope is rooted in the understanding that struggles for social justice must be fuelled by the belief that change is possible and that our humanities are interconnected. Both HIV and COVID-19 have produced critical hope through community responses that advanced social justice, care and mutual aid. Such alternative models of care in pandemics are needed in contexts characterised by inequity, discrimination and exclusion. Lessons learned from critical hope and recognising our shared humanity in expanding concepts of care can be extended beyond pandemics to advance justice in our daily lives.
