Each lesson learned during the pandemic is a solution to an eventual problem. The lesson of the current pandemic should also be learned and solutions should be offered given that a new wave is expected in autumn. One of the lessons for the citizens and for the government refers to the reciprocity relations between the sides – each of them should act for the mutual benefit, Rodica Ciobanu, Doctor of Philosophy of the State University of Moldova, said in a public debate titled “Moldovan society amid pandemic: lessons learned, lessons to be learned”, which was organized by IPN News Agency..
Rodica Ciobanu noted that as a new manifestation of the pandemic is expected in autumn, each potential solution should be analyzed and mechanisms should be thought up as the learned lessons will be fatal at another stage. The pandemic situation revealed serious shortcomings on particular dimensions of the social system. If instruments for removing those faults are not identified, the society could not remain functional.
According to her, during the state of emergency that feeling of solidarity expressed by the people became more evident and the people probably expect particular inverse reactions. “We are near you, offer you support, but need state policies. I speak about the public health system, state and research institutions that combined efforts to identify that vaccine. I also speak about the adjustment of the measures taken at the local level, which should be adjusted to the measures taken at international level,” stated Rodica Ciobanu.
The Doctor of Philology said the pandemic also revealed a problem related to the demographic situation. “The birth rate during the past 30 years has declined. The death rate is rather problematic and life expectancy is short. There were also migration-related problems. Policies and instruments should be worked out for a series of elements that should be addressed and these reforms are needed, even if they are painful and could need “surgery,” she said.
Rodica Ciobanu also said that it is something ambitious to speak about the change of values in times of a pandemic as the hierarchy of values can be attributed to generations. Each generation has superior values, such as patriotism, solidarity responsibility, freedoms, human rights. There will always be societies of nihilists who live outside values. “In the period, we witnessed the unity of society in the tendency to cooperate and help the public system to cope with this challenge, which is a good sign. Even if the pandemic didn’t directly affect a person, this person tried to save another person. This is a start, but the system of values should be rethought and it should be cultivated so that the feelings of responsibility and solidarity are developed in time,” she stated.
According to Rodica Ciobanu, a lesson for the citizens and for the government refers to the reciprocity relations between the sides, to actions taken for the mutual benefit. For example, the citizen contributes to the state budget, while the state, the political class should always take governance seriously. Governance represents a burden, but also care for the people. Each action should derive from the current situation and also from an improvement forecast for tomorrow.
The debate “Moldovan society amid pandemic: lessons learned, lessons to be learned” was the 137th installment of the series of debates entitled “Developing political culture through public debates” that are supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
