COVID-19 exposes our fragmented systems more than ever

The pandemic is exposing the cracks in our societies

Our world never felt so fragile on a global scale. We are all glued to the news as we watch our lives and livelihood collapse in front of our eyes. Police violence is beginning to rise, the poorest and those suffering the most, authoritarian regimes expanding their powers, our healthcare systems collapsing, millennials and gen Zers are without work or security.

And what about all the minimum wage paid people who look after us in healthcare, secure our food supply in supermarkets or deliver our goods to our doorsteps? Will forget about them when this pandemic is over?

We must ask ourselves: Is this a surprise or has the coronavirus pandemic simply put under a magnifying glass our already failed societal systems? As we head into the darkest weeks of the globally-impacting virus, we will see what we already knew, emerge on an unprecedented scale. Our governments largely do not cater to the people and our economy is inflated, bias and un-inclusive.

Welcome back to our weekend roundup. During these times of global crisis and trauma, we must continue to: Read, Debate: Engage.

Stay well, get well soon if you're sick, respect people and cherish life!

The good

global corporations are stepping in

But where were they before and would we be in a better situation today had corporations not been evading their social responsibility and paid their taxes like every other citizen and business owner?

In a recent tweet that went viral, where Apple CEO Tim Cook proudly announced that the multinational giant will jump in with their op teams to source 10 million face masks for the regions most hard hit, a user asked: why don't you simply onshore your offshore wealth, pay taxes on it and let us fend for ourselves with the funds that should be rightly ours. "Instead of this insufferable virtue signalling".

While corporations are boasting about their sudden humanitarian pivot, from LVMH using their factories to producing hand sanitisers to Apple supplying face masks by the masses, we must continue to be vigilant of their past behaviour (or even current), and ask them the tough questions: what could we do right now with the missing tax money of your corporations?

The bad

There were enslaved persons before covid-19 and there still are

As every country, community and the global network at large continue to grapple with the containment and managing of the spread of COVID-19, the poorest communities will always remain most vulnerable, and among them is a still existing human slave trade.

Free the Slaves is a non-profit organisation working around the world to end slavery, support individuals and community ravaged by the practice, and promote education and awareness around the issue. The organisation currently operates in Ghana, Haiti, India, Nepal, and the Dominican Republic, and with our help it can reach all corners of the globe and truly help to fight international slavery.

The very fact that we are, in 2020, writing about human slave trafficking and trading is unprecedented in and of itself. But today more than ever, we must act to support the ending of slavery.

Please visit Free the Slaves’ website to read about their projects, learn about ways in which you can support their work, make a donation, or apply for volunteer opportunities.

Let’s not forget about enslaved people during the COVID-19 crisis

by Yair Oded

Free the Slaves continue to care for enslaved individuals during the COVID-19 crisis and will need your support in dealing with the pandemic's aftermath.

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Meanwhile on FairPlanet

	Brazilian government fails to deal with COVID-19 by Ellen Nemitz Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta estimates that the Brazilian health system could collapse by the end of April. Read

	Governments around the world using COVID-19 to expand their powers by Gurmeet Singh The Coronavirus crisis is a perfect opportunity for governments the world over to justify the expansion of their powers. We should remain vigilant. Read

	Homeless in the times of COVID-19 by Magdalena Rojo There are people among us who are living in this insecure time of the Coronavirus crisis without a home to escape to and breathe a bit. Read

	How COVID-19 affects U.S.’s most vulnerable by Yair Oded The COVID-19 virus may not discriminates in whom it infects, but access to life-saving services and resources are unavailable to America's most vulnerable. Watch

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