Panel 2: Will the Pandemic Reshape or Accelerate History?
- Are we witnessing the change in the world order and in what way?
- Who should be new leaders in the post-pandemic world?
- Did the pandemic bring more solidarity to the mankind or we are beyond redemption?
It is beyond any doubt that after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is over, the world that we are living in will be fundamentally different from what existed before. Whether we will witness the change in the world order and the rise and demise of great powers such as the United States or China, whether we will witness the end of globalization as we know it today and the rise of national states, these are all scenarios that today, more than ever, need to be thoroughly analyzed.
When the whole planet faces the problem such as the pandemic of a deadly virus it is understandable that people turn to possible leaders who will trace the direction of the fight for survival. Whenever the world faced dangers ranging from pandemics to world wars the necessity of leadership was becoming obvious. But who are those leaders today? Do we have such persons at all? Does anyone think about the wellbeing of the whole civilization or we all turned to our closest surroundings in a desperate need to care only for our own?
We used to think that the United States is the leader of the brave new world but maybe we are witnessing the rise of a Post-American world with some other super powers taking charge.
The pandemic itself brought to light problems that already existed as the consequence of the modern world order which shaped our lives for some time – migrations from less developed and war-torn societies to the west; false news and misuse of the media, especially social media; danger to privacy of any individual; the rise of inequality; the crisis of labor market; an aging population; democratic decline and lack of trust in institutions as well as leaders.
In a time like this solidarity should be the key word of world politics. We should not compete who will develop the cure for the virus – the necessary vaccine, but instead should work together in order to create the most efficient and effective medicine, which will be accessible to all. Unity in this endeavor is needed today more than ever. It is no wonder that the words solidarity and unity are leading many mass-protests in the world – especially in countries that we are all seeking leadership from. This political awakening which has started from bottom-up is the sole hope that we should endure in the fight for a global order that is more just from the one we are currently living in.