Will the Post COVID-19 World Be Different?: Op-ed

We hear so many predictions for the way that the world might be changing for the better in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is currently a genuine hope that humanity will learn so many significant lessons from the ills of the way we currently live, consume and run our societies.

However, once the immediate impact of the pandemic lessens and become more habitual over the next few months, there is a risk of the current 'lessons-to-be-learnt' agenda losing its attractiveness. Returning to the 'old normal' might unfortunately, become more appealing. This is why and how such an eventuality could possibly be avoided!

First of all, expecting huge shifts in all aspects of what we do and how, would likely demand almost a complete overhaul of our affairs from our immediate communities to global relations.

Subsequently, as this would really test humanity's ability to change, there is always a risk for such a progressive agenda being sidelined. Instead, we might opt for scapegoating! Such a scapegoat might be different from country to country such as migrants, gays or nudity on TV in some and the act of devious external actors in others, or simply China for the most, as it is where the pandemic started a few months ago.

If we do not want scapegoating to dominate the agenda, then we would need to start a comprehensive soul searching for this, and higher education institutions could be well placed to run the 'truth and reconciliation' commissions of this process. There is currently a flourishing energy for change globally, but to place this in a sound framework and progress effectively, we first, need to identify the root causes of the problems.

The change agenda is clearly huge and whether this is in regard to the exploitation of...