Beverly Agius
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10min
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The upheaval that COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed can only lead to times of radical change.
It is difficult to not ask whether this pandemic will be a once-in-a-generation chance to remake society or if it will make existing injustices worse. With such despair transpired around the world, how could one not question their stand? I'm not here to discuss the health implications of the pandemic - there are enough news developments already. My interest lies in the aftermath and how just maybe the inevitable change can be for the better.
We have quickly grown accustomed to hearing that democracies are incapable of making big moves. But here we are. Any glance at history reveals that crises and disasters have continually set the stage for change, often for the better. The global flu epidemic of 1918 helped European countries create national health services. The second world war set the stage for the modern welfare state.
On the other side, crises can send societies down darker paths. The recent 2008 financial crash resolved in a way that meant banks and financial institutions were restored to pre-crash normality, at high public cost, while government spending on public services across the world was slashed.
For this instance, for this one small blog, let's discuss 5 "change for the better" scenarios for the much needed optimistic breather.
1. Localism
We may see a boost in internationalism. I hope so. But if we’re all locked up with one another in local quarantine, we might get to know the neighbours and the family members we’ve always ignored. By being more present to the people around us, we might find out that our local woods are more beautiful than foreign beaches, and that local farmers grow better food than that which is shipped (with the associated harm to the climate) across the globe.
2. Pandemic leading to altruism
Exigencies tend to bring out the best and the worst. An epidemic may engender and foster altruistic heroes. From businesses to individuals, times like these are about sharing your wealth with the less fortunate.
3. Self-awareness during self-isolation
Self-isolation provides the opportunity to reflect and become self-aware. With enough boredom from lockdown, one may just learn to monitor their stress, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. It's an important mechanism influencing personal development, and spending time indoors may only form these beneficial habits. We are reading, communicating, and thinking and stepping away from the non-essentials of materialism and idolisation to contemplate on what is essential and what we can live just fine without.
4. Future epidemics prevention
The coronavirus epidemic will pay dividends in the future. The whole notion of public health has been rehabilitated. Much has been learned about the containment and mitigation of infectious diseases. There are competitive and cooperative efforts afoot to develop a vaccine, and vaccines against future viral challenges are likely to be grown faster as a result.
5. The environment and wildlife benefits
China has announced a permanent ban on trade-in and consumption of wildlife. That in itself is significant from animal welfare and a human health perspective. Hopefully, other nations will follow suit. Additionally, with a slower economy, air quality over Europe and China has temporarily improved with an estimated 10-30% reduction from China alone. Although nitrogen dioxide levels reductions are most likely short-lived as life slowly returns to normal, the way millions of people around the world have changed their behaviour shows it is possible to do the same for the climate crisis.
The world feels strange right now, not just because of the rapid change but because the pandemic has exposed that the most prominent things are out of our control. This simple truth, both destabilising and liberating, is easy to forget. With all the faith that we as a large community can get through anything, we’re not watching a movie: we’re writing one, together, until the end.
Photograph source: Beverly Agius Creative
