Covid 19 /The Corona Virus
On the 15th May 1951 I was born into a world that was so different than what we have today. The second world war had ended 6 years previously and the world was on the crest of a huge wave of progress and affluence. I am now approaching my 70th year and the Corona Virus we call Covid 19 has made me question all that I see in this world.
Many of our problems back then were local; many customs and traditions were confined to specific areas, We were controlled by institutions and custom. Global events didn’t overly concern us and most of us had our own ideas about living a contented life.
Over the past 70 years such progress has been made in so many different fields. Social media and the internet have changed the world that we share beyond all recognition. Our world has become a much smaller place. We suddenly have to live in a global community and we have come to realise that we are all, to a greater or lesser extent, interconnected.
Living in such a global community brings with it much greater challenges. Today everyone on the planet can have their say on any issue they wish. Instantly, opinions and solutions portrayed as “expert” can be presented to the masses as essential.
This freedom has led to great confusion and upheaval and even hysteria. Powerful people have learned how to manipulate these circumstances to their own ends and threaten the values and standards that we once accepted as correct. Many will now insist on their rights while ignoring their obligations.
Our duty of care still includes: protection of our environment, help for dislocated communities, a dignified and sustainable life for all, and adequate care for the sick and less able. We now realise that we are accountable for the welfare of our planet and yet we seem to have forgotten how to live together as a community.
By 2020, many global leaders and governments were driven by economic gain and acquisitions of wealth and status. – Kindness, Compassion and Love are not on their agenda, (except when it serves their purpose). Many millions of people were driven by a need to survive in this new world order. Wealth, Power and Influence became the status symbols of success and were being pursued like a run a way train.
Today the catastrophic results of this grab all approach can be seen all around us. Global Poverty is increasing. Health services are underfunded, Suicide rates are rising, Mental Illness is on the increase, Homelessness is rampant in our cities, More and more people are being marginalised, drug use is rife and war and conflict is widespread, So many people are demanding their rights and yet ignoring their obligations,
On December 1st 2019 in Hubei province in the city of Wuhan China the world changed forever. The first incidents of what was to become known as Covid 19 presented but was covered up until the virus had spread across China and later across the entire world. While we all await the arrival of a successful vaccine, we struggle to maintain a viable lifestyle. It is becoming clearer by the day that in order to survive we must return to the values that we once held, such as, care for others, generosity, kindness and compassion. We need to reflect on our responsibilities and not on our rights. Personal responsibility is the only way that we will ever defeat this virus. We have a duty to everyone in our global community to do what is right.
It is now more important than ever to stand up for what is right. It is no longer acceptable to keep our heads down and say nothing. We must call out injustice and even, if necessary, go against the populist views presented by those pursuing their own narrow agenda. If we do this with all of our strength we will enter a new and better world when the vaccine arrives.
Hopefully we will all have the courage and strength to do what is needed.
October 2020
