What the crisis could kiss awake in us

Corona is getting on our nerves. In the truest sense of the word. The media are talking about nothing else. The week-long curfew is doing the rest. All our thoughts revolve around this one crisis.

In the eyes of German sociologist Harald Welzer, however, this crisis could also become "a real learning story" for us. Cardinal Schönborn goes one step further and even hopes: "This crisis will lead to a great reflection" - his word in God's ear.

So let's reflect. Over the past few weeks, we have been confronted with a flood of disaster reports. In order not to despair or bury our heads in the sand under the burden of restricted everyday life, we need a counterweight to the images and figures of horror (→ see impulse by journalist Susanne Wolf).

For example, we could, for a change, imagine those images of the future that we consider to be truly desirable. Images of the world that we really want.

In any case, Corona has made us realize what really matters: Closeness to the people we love. A comfortable, warm home. Good, healthy food. Leisure and creativity. Exercise in nature. Taking good care of our bodies. And, without a doubt, a meaningful occupation for which we also reap appreciation and fulfillment away from the paycheck.

We may now be resolutely saying 'goodbye' to the blooms of overconsumption that were already wilting before the coronavirus crisis, the overflowing closets, planned obsolescence, food waste and mountains of plastic. And no longer buy what we really need from Amazon, but locally. Thanks to the online platform founded by activist and publicist Nunu Kaller, this is easy to do even in times of coronavirus.

After the crisis, economic reconstruction will undoubtedly be necessary. Perhaps we dare to try a thought experiment and mentally cross profit maximization and limitless growth (which is impossible on a finite planet anyway) off our list. And instead add resilience, sustainability, circular economy, security of supply and short transportation routes.

The Economy for the Common Good, founded by Christian Felber, for example, shows that this is not about utopias, but about concrete proposals. Here, the focus of economic activity is not on short-term profits, but on the common good, cooperation and community. It is based on a humane set of values of solidarity, ecological sustainability, social justice and democratic co-determination. Over 2,000 pioneering companies have already discovered and implemented this approach for their company (e.g. Sparda Bank Munich, the sporting goods manufacturer VAUDE, Schachinger Logistik, Lebenshilfe Tirol and the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences).

This crisis could be a turning point. On the one hand, for the much-vaunted energy transition. With everything that goes with it: renewable and crisis-proof energy that is produced where it is needed. Journalist and thought leader Franz Alt also describes the energy transition as a 'job booster' - and what could we possibly need better after a profound economic crisis?

But fields are also opening up in other areas. For example, the fields that are being harvested this year by newcomer harvest workers. Will we allow ourselves to become dependent on them again after the crisis? The crisis may cure us in many ways, and at the same time give birth to countless new fruit and vegetable farms in Austria.

Perhaps from now on, even hostile, short-cropped robot lawns will be transformed back into flourishing, diverse organic home gardens. Perhaps we will also learn to propagate our own seeds again and celebrate plant and seed exchange festivals? Perhaps the "gardens of horror" will soon be history.

Perhaps we are now beginning to kiss the once flourishing Austrian textile industry awake like Snow White. Blinded by 'fast fashion', we have sacrificed it for the sake of the lowest price. Now kissed awake, it could soon provide us with long-lasting, well-designed jeans and T-shirts made from local natural fibers. Until then, our closet will be able to keep us well supplied for a while anyway.

There is no question that we need tremendous social cohesion to overcome this crisis. And we can already be proud of ourselves. For the first time in human history, the well-being of a manageably large group in our society (the at-risk group) is more important to us than ANYTHING else. This new priority of protecting the weak, of putting human life first - this is new civilizational territory for us. Or "historical progress", as Harald Welzer calls it.

Nevertheless, the corona crisis has somehow crept onto the already long to-do list of human civilization and should not make us forget that there are still a number of really big issues to tackle (climate crisis, species extinction...). However, the current determination gives us courage that we could also tackle these crises with the same zeal. Because all these 'crises' have one thing in common: they give us the chance to pull the emergency brake and grow beyond ourselves in the process. And we now know: together we can do it.

About the author

Dr. Sybille Chiari is part of the editorial team of "Nachhaltigkeit. Neu denken" and has been working on the topics of sustainability and climate communication for many years - both as a researcher and writer. She is part of the Scientists for Future movement and chairwoman of the Bele Co-Housing association (community housing project with organic, regenerative agriculture www.belehof.at).