In recent days, it has become a morning ritual as I finish my breakfast, going through newspaper headlines and opinion columns. I find multiple sources of information about the current pandemic and often with them, opinion articles that do not belong to newspapers that also seem to me as jewels in times of uncertainty.
This time, I went beyond just reading the articles. My idea was to do illustrated interpretations of those that attracted my attention. Below is a summary or rather a series of the interpretations I made (and I’m sure I will make more) of the articles that lead me to reflection.
– Our world after Covid 19.
Yuval Harari is one of the authors that has become a main reference for me. I read the Sapiens book and I am on train to read the next ones.
I could not agree more with what was expressed in his latest article published in the Financial Times. The representations that you will see below illustrate two moments within the context of the article: the excessive surveillance that will be built after the end of the confinement and that I think we are close to living if we do not seek new alternatives of citizen empowerment.
On the other hand, the second illustration portrays the conclusion that Harari mentions: we need a spirit of global co-operation and trust. Humanity will have a very difficult time facing this or future pandemics, as well as any economic crisis if global solidarity is not proposed.
– What will change with the Covid 19 crisis?
Coincidentally with all the commotion of news, contagion peaks and overwhelmed by the situation, I found an article made by Antoni Bassas that said: “Això no és la fi del món, sinó la fi d’un món” at the Ara newspaper.
A reflection on what is really going to change (or should change) with the Covid 19 crisis: the awareness we have of ourselves, the revaluation of knowledge, science and new technologies and the much-warned crisis of climate change.
Personally, I think that reflecting on our vulnerability as human beings in the face of this pandemic, makes us aware of our actions towards what we were, what we did and our future actions with planet Earth. Quarantine has come into our lives to make a self-observation. Let’s make the most of it.
– Who is the virus?
We are going through almost the fourth week of quarantine on Spain. I have thought about this situation beyond the pandemic: the origins of what have been and will be almost 4 months after the emergence of a virus that is being difficult to control.
Browsing on the internet, I found an article of J. Kulume formulating a debate about the origins, the reality and the further consequences on pandemic times. I think his approach reveals the truth behind the chaos: was it really our fault? then who is the virus?
It is not just about putting the rope around our necks, it’s about thinking why it was originated and how we can do to avoid pandemics three times more aggressive than this one.
Sources:
1. The world after coronarivus.
Written by Yuval Noah Harari
Financial Times
2.. “Això no és la fi del món, sinó la fi d’un món” – Interview with the PhD. of philosophy and professor Daniel Innerarity.
Written by Antoni Bassas.
Diari Ara – Catalonia.
3.. Who is the virus?
Written by J. Kulume.
www.rethinksapiens.com