Coronavirus is reminding us to be human

By the time Covid-19 is done with ravaging the world, life will never be the same again. While the disease is devastating human health, the aftermath will have far-reaching impact on our social, economic and political spheres of humanity.

As the famous ancient Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro aka Virgil said, every calamity is to be overcome by endurance. That is why, as experts have told us, we have to bear with foregoing our freedom to interact socially, move, work, have fun and more if we are to ride over the Covid-19 storm. Nevertheless, every cloud has a silver lining.

SILVER LINING

One of the realities that is dawning on the world since the outbreak of Covid-19 is the frail nature and vulnerability of human life, material possession and luxury.

It is now clear that this disease is no respecter of persons; it ravages the rulers and the downtrodden; business leaders and employees; illiterates and the learned; the First and the Third Worlds....

It is from this indiscriminate nature of Covid-19 that its silver lining is likely to emerge, by reigniting the human consciousness to the fact that we are all one, just separate entities, and hurting and disregarding is exposing humanity and the universe.

As the great American philosopher and psychologist William James put it, “we are like islands in the sea; separate on the surface but connected in the deep” or “like trees in the forest, which co-mingle their roots in the darkness underground”.

Covid-19 is transmitted by human contact, a phenomenon which exemplifies that we are part and parcel of each other in good and bad times.

And health experts and governments are advocating social distancing in a bid to minimise contact, leading to the lockdown of millions in their homes, which tells us that the actions of each and every person will determine whether the disease spreads or not.

INTERESTS

This human interdependency reminds us of the need to shed selfishness and embrace actions that enhance the greater good. It calls on the capitalists who put the interests of self ahead of other people’s to reconsider the pain they have afflicted on masses in pursuit of riches.

They should recall of the people they dispossessed of livelihoods, the peanuts they pay their workers and the bribes they give the authorities to reap billions from natural resources.

‘Private developers’ and land grabbers should flash back to the crooked means they used to evict people so that they could put up grandiose buildings, despite the tears and cries of those they rendered homeless.

It is also time importers of rotten food and fertilisers thought about the diseases they brought upon innocent people, destroying livelihoods.

POVERTY

It is also time the government and those in power reflected on their neglect of mwananchi by failing to improve healthcare, education and physical planning, condemning millions to poverty and destituteness.

As we fight Covid-19, let us not forget the grand lessons that will go a long way in making the world a better place to live in: Where the interest of fellow human beings informs our decisions and actions.

We should not just rue of the lost social bliss and business opportunities but also seek out the brighter side of Covid-19.

Mr Ngare is the editor of ‘Taifa Leo’. [email protected].