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Editorial
Are non-European experiences relevant for a country like
Germany in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic? Has one of the
specificities of this pandemic not been that it plays out in the
(hyper)urban centers of the world, where generations still live close together
in contrast to Germany where 42 per cent of the households are single
ones and another 34 per cent are two-person households?
ZMO has been looking for reactions and responses towards
the unfolding crises from colleagues and friends in our wide network.
Though we knew that it would be difficult to receive critical reflections
on local provisions from countries like Egypt or Saudi Arabia (and we did
not want to put anybody in danger), the exchange about experiences
outside of Europe has been much greater than we initially envisaged. We
also received numerous contributions from the regions. This is our third
Newsletter with contributions about the pandemic and you can find ZMO’s complete Thematic Dossier here.
Dealing with the pandemic has motivated scholars from all disciplines all
over the world to test their previous assumptions of modernity, the
post-industrial age, globalization, climate change and of course also
from the life sciences. Many colleagues moreover felt the urge to write
about a new, intergenerational work-life balance, possibly gendered along
timeworn patterns. Societies that had managed to factor death out, could
no longer close their eyes towards the situation of both: the elderly and
“their" nursing staff.
Experiences from India, Kenya, Panama, or Niger have made
it very clear that the question of hunger posed itself from Day 1 of the
lockdown. I found it striking that it took four months after the
discovery of the pneumopathy, till European and US-American media
discovered the topic of global hunger. Based on data representing 90 per
cent of global employment, the International Labour Organisation
estimated at the end of May 2020, that 77 per cent of the workers aged
between 15 and 24 as well as around 60 per cent of adult workers (aged 25
and above) are in informal jobs. It thus comes as no surprise that we
could find messages from the Global South pointing to the dramatic
downside of the global shutdown right from the start. Day labourers have
no savings, no state safety net and often only informal access to public
health. It would have been helpful for us to pay attention early on to
those aspects which are now slowly becoming key references in the public
debate via writers, activists, and academics.
Global hunger is a plague that scientists had hoped to
have overcome by 2030. Now, the number of those suffering from hunger
might double by the end of the year, with South Asia having the steepest
rise. In China formerly forbidden street vendors are now allowed into the
public space in order to stimulate the economy. Are non-European
experiences relevant for Germany? Yes, because politicians can be made
aware of vital elements for their post-corona strategies: Rethinking
global food production and supply urgently needs to be prioritized.
Sonja Hegasy, ZMO Vice Director, Knowledge Transfe
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