The New Norm
Photo courtesy of: Ayanna Egbarin
Foreword
July 2020
The initial panic of the global lockdown has exposed humans in all their vulnerability. At a micro level, we have been left sitting with our thoughts and reflections on what truly makes us tick. We have recognised the things we care about most and the things which we can leave behind. Many of us have also relearned the value of our everyday actions and how this has direct consequences on others - it’s been like a lightbulb moment which reminds us how one small action can have a real impact on a global problem.
When the lockdown happened, we too realised that depending on your financial security, social support and to some extent, your power and influence, not all of us are on a level playing field to survive this lockdown together. COVID-19 showed us that it does not discriminate but instead, that our own systems do.
It is now more than ever before that we can leverage these vulnerabilities to drive social change. The world has reset and we have the opportunity to step into it more consciously and responsibly and create a new norm. Individuals, communities and sectors are experiencing new challenges like never before and we need to get better at understanding why the structures aren’t there to support them and what can be done.
This project brings stories from people working hard to respond within their sectors and communities, despite some of the divisions and inequalities which have been exacerbated within this climate. They encourage readers to practice resilience in the face of vulnerability. Now that it is so acute in our collective consciousness that individual actions have direct consequences to a global problem, we must play our part in responding to the broader systemic problems that we have been confronted with in the first half of this year.
Albeit not a very lighthearted note to relaunch our first project with, we hope you enjoy our stories and that it shines some light at the end of the tunnel - happy reading xxx
Featured Stories
Life Lessons
The Parallels of Teaching and Life Learning
Despite the challenges of shifting online, the worldwide shutdown of schools has been an opportunity to recognise and celebrate teachers as key role models for our children’s social and emotional development. Marjorie is a public school vocational teacher based in the South of France. Her diverse world experience in translating and teaching languages, as well as her work in cinema, has been pivotal to her compassionate and inclusive approach to teaching….
Fact vs. Fiction
Rebuilding Trust with Science in a Global Pandemic
Motivated by the loss of almost a whole generation as a result of HIV and TB infections in her hometown in South Africa, Clare now works primarily on infectious disease immunology and vaccine development. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the lab Clare works in has been using coronavirus patient samples to look at the determinants that influence the severity of the immune response between adults and children…
The Beat Goes On
Survival of the Music Scene in London
The indefinite pause of our performing arts and entertainment scene makes the joy and escapism of live music seem a distant past and unattainable for the foreseeable future. Across the whole industry, artists, labels and venues are fighting to stay alive in the sudden economic downturn since lockdown. Adam Jackson from Sofar London, a global music organisation supporting local artists in intimate gig spaces, shows us just how Sofar and many other organisations are surviving in the new world of virtual gigs….
Live Storytelling featuring Molade Owoade on Black Lives Matter
The Role of Indigenous History in Australia
Motivations of a Young Refugee Couple