More leverage please…
Out of the tragedy and loss that wraps the entire Covid-19 period, there has been, in my view, some extraordinary changes of mindset in society that are frankly uplifting.
I could refer to national clapping and the fact we have finally recognised the true value of our NHS being the people on the front line who we rely on so much. It could be the endeavours of 100yr old Captain Tom who has propelled his respectful humility and courage to a multi million pound fundraising walk around his garden. It could be the fact that suddenly we recognise that cleaners, delivery drivers and local shopkeepers that many took for granted are fundamentally keeping things ticking along as mini-heroes day in day out.
But the change in mind-set I really want to focus upon, that seems to have received little coverage so far is the fact that the UN Secretary-General has called for a global ceasefire of all hostilities.
That’s something to think about… no wars in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen or wherever else we seem to quickly forget about when it’s not on our doorstep.
The outcome of a change of mind-set of the world leaders to actually cease any hostilities globally, for a period of time in order to collectively fight Covid-19 must surely be the most important thing we could all collectively influence and get behind.
So why does it have little or no traction? How can we mobilise behind Captain Tom with such passion and energy but not the call to cease all hostilities savings hundreds of thousands of lives across the world?
Leverage.
Because it’s only when we feel that something is going to affect us personally, that we are motivated to act. Only when our friends and family, our local community, our local streets and local lives are going to be threatened do we really start to take notice.
We simply need more leverage – that moment when you decide to stop smoking, you decide to work smarter not harder, you decide to visit your family more, you decide to do more keep fit, you decide to eat fewer sweets… they all depend on leverage.
When the pain of continuing is greater than the pain of changing.
What is the leverage we need to create an end to all global hostilities?
Could it be that Covid-19 becomes so painful at a community level that it provides the leverage to say to the leaders of the world – take stock and put a cease to all hostilities, even if temporarily.
Whatever the outcome of the Covid-19 period I hope that it has created enough leverage in the world to do things so much better than we had been doing before it.
