Corona Pandemic- Reminder to Humanity and Test for Global Community

As the world is busy with dealing with the spread of global pandemic Corona Covid-19 from the past few months, there is a sense of global panic and anxiety. We are all being fed with plethora of information on daily basis. In such time of crisis, I believe the Earth is forcing us to slow down. The Corona pandemic amongst other things is a reminder of our humanity and common human values. We need to pause and re-evaluate our lifestyles, societies and political atmosphere. This is both a test and evaluation of global community. Here are some lessons that we can learn from this pandemic so far:

Press Pause- In a fast paced life, we are living programmed lives. Many times we live without awareness, always in a rush to complete the next task, to make it to the next meeting and to tick off a goal. We rarely stop to pause and enjoy the life in between. Many started to treat life as a competition, a race or a program. We live so hard that we barely live at all. In a world where materialist achievements have become a measure for success, we are now forced to stop for a while. We can pause and take a break to re-evaluate all aspects of our lives and to re-think the new fast-paced, achievement motivated hustle culture.

Reminder of Humanity- We live in a divided world. Despite the fact that we are all humans; it is usually our differences that are highlighted rather than the similarities. The pandemic is a wakeup call for human beings. It is a reminder that humanity has no race, color or religion. We have a moral responsibility towards each other since we live on this Earth together.

We saw doctors, nurses and medical staff working tirelessly to save lives of all patients regardless of their backgrounds; they were all united by the virtue of humanity. We need to see humans as humans rather as categories. Biologically we are all human beings but morally how human are we? What does humanity really mean in today’s world? These are some of the questions that we had to reflect upon in the past few weeks.

Revaluation of Global Politics and Societies:

International politics can be best described as the game of the minds. In the past few decades, politicians have acted out of self-interests, created divisions, contributed to conflicts, wars and crisis. When we think of contemporary international politics, we think of borders, elections, visas xenophobia, refugees, economic policies etc. The corona virus situation has pushed the politicians even the likes of Trump to think of human security first. It has served as a reminder that politics should prioritize well-being of human societies. It is time to invest in healthcare and medical research rather than weapons, wars and sanctions. Human security is not only threatened by conflict but also by outbreak of world pandemics like corona.

Politicians have a responsibility towards their societies; they have to make fast, responsible and reliable decisions. In addition, we also saw how politicians do not work in a vacuum; their decisions about human lives have to be taken in consultation with other members of the society, such as doctors, educators, academics, scientists and businesspersons. State and society relations are deeply interconnected, it is important to listen the diversity of voices and respond accordingly.

Humans are more than just numbers, figures, passports and economics. The value of life triumphs all other aspects of politics.

In the recent developments, we saw China and Cuba sending medical help to Italy, and China offered help to US with their medical situation despite political divisions. This is the evidence that we are capable of working together and over-coming divisions created by politics in the modern world. But it also makes us questions the divisions within our societies? Why do we live in such a politically charged world? And can we really prosper in such a divided world? Covid-19 amongst other things is making us questions the politics of the contemporary societies.

Collective vs. Self: We are introduced to concepts of self-quarantine and encouraged to practice social distancing, many are being encouraged to stay and work from home. As we spend more time at home and with families, these changes in work and lifestyles have pushed many to think beyond self-interests and to take in to consideration the health and well being of one’s family and broader community. There is a shift in the focus towards the collective as oppose to the self. The paradox is that self is never separate from the collective.

In the present day consumer culture where individuality is romanticized and selfishness is commercialized, we are being reminded that we have a responsibility towards our broader society. We are in fact deeply connected. The point of social distancing is not just for our sake but also for the sake of more vulnerable groups such as the older age groups, the ones with health diseases. We are reminded of our social responsibility.

Whether it’s people fighting over grocery supplies, hand sanitizers, and sprays, we are also being reminded to consume responsibly, a much-needed lesson for human beings.

Technological advancement: We live in a world of advanced information technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence. The present pandemic has put technological advancement to test. Several universities and schools resorted to e learning through machine technology and online learning resources. Similarly many work places advised their employees to work remotely from home through e-meetings and emails. These new teaching and working methods will encourage us to explore news ways of teaching, learning and working. In the long term, education sectors and institutions may re-evaluate their conventional working methods and teaching strategies. It may lead to discussions on working environments, productivity and office working culture. Do we really need to be on site for 7-8 hours in order to be productive? What does productivity mean and how can it be measured?

Is home schooling a better option for certain families? Does everyone have equal access to Internet and machine technology? How marginalized and included are certain groups within specific communities. After this pandemic, human societies will have many questions to answer.

Social Media and manipulation of information: In the world of social media, virtual networks and big data algorithms we have a flood of information coming from everywhere. The present day social media networks create information overload, fake news and knowledge hierarchies. This means that there are all sorts of information about the pandemic being shared online either creating panic amongst people, leading to either misinformation or dismissal of the seriousness of the issue. This information overload can be a useful exercise for humans to choose the information they read and choose to believe in. This global health crisis is putting social media and information dissemination to test. Information can be shared quickly to a large audience online. What kind of information is being shared and what should we believe in? Who has control over this information, how is it being perceived? What effects does it create during times of crisis? The role of social media, information sharing in human societies is more significant than ever and this pandemic is sold evidence of this.

Choose Hope: As we see a global raise covid-19 cases and spread of global panic, we can see emerging narratives on recovery, healing and hope. In world where nothing is certain and everyday brings new challenges and solutions, we can either choose to despair and give up or choose hope. Hope is the most powerful tool for humanity. This is not the romanticization of the concept of hope but that the very fact that positivity is contagious and that we can choose the narrative we want to spread and believe in. This is not the first time the world has seen a crisis or a pandemic, eventually there will be a cure and the situation will improve. In the meanwhile, what can we learn from this situation? How can we choose hope in times of anxiety and panic? Maybe the most crucial factor in the present circumstances is our personal attitude towards to the situation and the strength of collective action.