Are you waiting to get back to your “normal” life?
Was it a good life to get back to?
Will the world be a good place for most people if it were to go back to how it was a few months ago?
Mayors of forty major cities of the world discussed this. They said we should not go back to “business as usual.” Why? See our Cover story.
Many things need to change.
It is not enough we and those dear to us do not die of COVID-19.
If all we do is to survive this pandemic, is that a great achievement?
Not only forty mayors.
Economists are asking what we really need to think about. They are asking themselves questions beyond economics.
Writing in The HIndu (May 6, 2020), Arun Maira, Former Member, Planning Commission, has this to say:
“Innovations are required at many levels to create a more resilient and just world…Changes will also be necessary in our life patterns, our work and consumption habits, and in our personal priorities.”
An unusual concept he mentions is “de-growth.” “A five-point ‘de-growth’ manifesto by 170 Dutch academics has gone viral … Goals for human progress must be reset. What should we aspire for? And how will we measure if we are getting there?”
“The redesign of economies, of businesses, and our lives, must begin with questions about purpose. What is the purpose of economic growth? What is the purpose of businesses and other institutions? What is the purpose of our lives? What needs, and whose needs, do institutions, and each of us, fulfil by our existence?”
Did you expect such questions from an economist?
The pandemic is making experts question their certainties.
What is progress? What is growth? Which countries are more “advanced”?
Coming to our work and mission, is a Catholic school a good school if its alumni are well-placed and earn well?
When things “go smoothly,” and today is very much like yesterday, and a set routine takes over, we seldom reflect deeply. We do not need strong inner resources or effective support systems to carry us through. Routine and common sense will do.
When emergencies or tragedies hit us, we are shaken. To survive and thrive, we need inner balance, a clearer vision, and genuine support systems. Or else, we will simply repeat platitudes—or blindly forward WhatsApp messages! –or drown.
No, this is an emergency. We need visionaries to see and lead. We need to get beyond pious platitudes. We need to think more clearly and more creatively. Love more deeply. Share more generously. Listen to the silent voices. Learn from the best among us.
See if this issue helps you with this.
And enrich us with your own ideas, too.
Fr Joe Mannath SDB
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