AS GLOBAL CITIZENS, HOW ARE WE ALL TACKLING #COVID19?
As of today, Monday 23rd of March 2020 the Coronavirus has affected 329,000 people. According to the World Health Organization’s reports at least 14,522 people have died, while the virus has reached more than 160 countries around the world. This pandemic has truly shown how the world has no boundaries and the virus itself does not respect borders, race, ethnicity, age or religion. The world is one and we are all human beings.
Therefore, now is the time to act as Global Citizens. It is vital for us to not only think about ourselves and our own country but about others and the globe. The world has seen epidemics, pandemics and viruses before, but the world has never been as interconnected as it is now. The Information flow has never been as easy as now. Countries have never been as accountable to each other as now. As the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global citizens, we encourage our staff, our partners, our fellows and all sustainable development goal advocates to act now, innovate, communicate and continue bettering our future.
AS GLOBAL CITIZENS, WHAT CAN WE DO?
Take Care of Your Hygiene
As respiratory viruses like COVID-19 spread through human contact, “Wash your hands!” was the first recommendation given to people all around the globe in an attempt to stop the spreading of the virus. Physical contact is the most common way to transmit the virus to the next person. Keeping in mind SDG 3: Good health and well-being, we must encourage and promote the importance of personal hygiene. In cooperation with the WHO, our Co-Chair Ban Ki-Moon has prepared an explanatory video on the correct and effective way to wash our hands. Share the video and help others too. For people and populations with limited access to clean water and soap, the WHO has prepared a DYI guide to homemade disinfectant. You can find the guide here.
Flatten the Curve
Flattening the curve: A measure that promotes community isolation in an aim to reduce daily case numbers so they are manageable for local medical providers, without overwhelming our health systems. Globally, we are all encouraged to practice social distancing. The rapid growth rate of the virus combined with a lack of resources contribute to high infection and mortality levels. Measures now being implemented such as school and restaurant closure, working from home and the prohibition of public gatherings have been successful in China, Singapore, South Korea and many more countries. To check the latest curves in different countries click here.
The Ban Ki-Moon Centre and its affiliates are all practicing social distancing. We are working from home, connecting with our peers through online meetings and calls. We encourage all businesses that can, to do the same. Here is a list of online tools you can use to work from home.
Mental Health and Online Communities
As most countries encourage their citizens to self-isolate, it is normal to feel anxious, lonely and isolated. As people are finding new ways of coming together in this time of crisis, creative outlets have become available to help individuals who are struggling to keep their spirits high.
As the BKMC, we recommend to our staff and to you to maintain your daily structure and adapt it to the situation. Include social calls to your day and reach out to friends and family. Help them if they are not so well-versed with online tools. Measure your social media use and try to focus on uplifting content. Read the book you’ve been wanting to finish for so long. Go through your movie list at last! Spend some me-time, focus on what is important to you. Accept your feelings and assess them. Here are some interesting resources available to the public:
- Read through the extensive guide the WHO has prepared covering collaborative and individualistic suggestions.
- Solidarity Concerts organized by Global Citizens in cooperation with the World Health Organisation. Follow #TogetherAtHome on twitter or visit here to watch previous and future concerts.
- Many libraries, museums, opera halls are providing online virtual tours and concerts, such as the Vienna State Opera, the New York Public Library, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and many more.
Online education platforms are becoming more and more important with different Universities providing free courses on a wide range of topics. If you are interested in learning about sustainable development, we have two free courses on our website. Give them a try at your own pace.
Donate
Every individual around the globe can help in some way, and as an interconnected community we can achieve anything and have a great impact. The period we are going through is calling for an urgent collective movement. This is why we would like to call on everyone who can, to donate to the World Health Organization COVID-19 Solidarity Respond Fund. The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund is a secure way for individuals, philanthropies and businesses to contribute to the WHO-led effort to respond to the pandemic.
Our Role as Global Citizens
Now is the time to understand what we need and want in life and what we can live without. As global citizens this is something we should all do. We must see how the world is changing around us, how education, health, gender equality, sanitation, economic growth, innovation, sustainability, climate and above all international cooperation is affected. Let’s take this situation as a lesson and change our ways moving forward. As global citizens this is our responsibility.
“While these challenges might seem almost insurmountable at times, there is still hope for a better, a brighter, and a more sustainable future.” BKMC Co-Chair Ban Ki-Moon
“Building on the strength of the Brand Finance Nation Brands report, and featuring the opinions of over 55,000 people in more than 100 countries, I am confident that the Global Soft Power Index will serve as a great contribution to the theory and practice of diplomacy and foreign policy moving forward.
“My country Korea is currently enjoying considerable soft power on the global stage. Korean soft power assets such as K-Pop music, Korean food like kimchi and bibimbap, and our Oscar-winning best picture film Parasite are incredibly well-known and increasingly popular around the world. This Hallyu, or Korean Wave, has captivated foreign publics all over the world.”
“The [peace] process was kickstarted here in beautiful Pyeongchang during the Peace Olympics,” said Ban. “Even though it may be fading a little bit at this moment, we should never be deterred by the setbacks we have now. Only through mutual dialogue and respect will we be able to overcome the current impasse between North and South Korea. We need all global citizens to come together.”
