COVID-19: A Wake Up Call
An Opportunity to Redesign the World
Let me start at the end. Can you imagine a better world? An ideal world?
I believe you can. I believe all of us can. We are sentient beings, capable of so much. We inhabit planet Earth, the most suitable place for us to develop and prosper. All we need to do is change. No small feat perhaps, but certainly achievable and well worth the effort.
We are living in a special time. Within the span of a few months the corona virus has deeply and irreversibly transformed human society. While COVID-19 has forced us to wear masks, it also removed many of the masks we were wearing, leaving us exposed like never before. Some people, including the UN Secretary-General, call it a crisis. I suggest we call it an opportunity.
Tomos Roberts’s charming poem The Great Realization has captured the hearts of millions. If children can understand this, can’t we grown-ups too?
Looking Back
Over the past 15 years the world economic forum has been publishing an annual survey called The Global Risk Report. I find it to be an interesting and important read. But if you don’t have the time, the interactive Global Risks Landscape chart best captures the state of Humanity in 2020.
Now, if this was someone’s medical chart, I would not be optimistic about that person’s longevity. If it was mine, I’d be running scared to the doctor. I would be thinking seriously about how I need to change my life. I would probably quit smoking, adopt a healthier diet, start exercising, maybe learn how to meditate and relax. I would also reevaluate my values and priorities. I would argue and fight less, and try to make new friends. I might even gain a new appreciation of my relationships with the people I love most.
COVID-19 is offering us a chance to reexamine our collective lifestyle and change. Why not? If we keep running around the same familiar circle, we know already that happiness is not just around the corner.
Looking Ahead
Before we attempt any external transformations I believe we have to change internally. We should start with the basic questions: Who are we humans? What do we need? What do we want? What make us happy? As we follow the path in our journey together to discover our future, what should we take with us? What should we leave behind?
Armed with this new perspective we can start reforming our institutions. The list of “things to change” should include our social and political structures, international relations, economy, trade and finance, health and nutrition, our attitude towards the environment and nature as a whole.
Humanity is at a Crossroads. Let us rejoice at this opportunity to redesign the world, to make our shared dreams a reality, to be born!
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” ― John Lennon
