Love Camden Road Freedom of Speech True History Matters Education The New Normal
EMPTY GALLERY CAFE
Pandemic
May 13th 2020
THE QUESTIONS
Will the pandemic bring about big changes in society? If so what might these be?
Or will it be "business as usual", as people have short memories?
Or will it be "business as usual", as people have short memories?
NOTES ON BREAKOUT ROOM CONVERSATIONS
FIRST CONVERSATION
Breakout Room 1
Society is just as polarised since the pandemic as it was with Brexit. Latest relaxation of lockdown including “stay alert” is so nuanced, is deliberate and establishment are putting responsibility back onto the population so they can blame them when things go wrong and be abdicated from responsibility themselves. The current tory government have been forced into spending huge amounts on welfare and public services but they view it as temporary and are fighting shy of saying how it’s going to be paid for (more austerity?). People will be more forgiving of NHS longer term (IE when they make mistakes) but staff won’t get pay increases.
Working from home may continue longer term. Twitter has announced that their staff will be working from home permanently. Victorians invented commuting. Empty offices could be used to house the homeless. If people do need to have an actual meeting they could hire a room above a pub etc. GP surgeries are now having consultations by phone may highlight the fact that this can continue into future and minimises ill people infecting others in waiting rooms.
On line tutorials at universities, distance learning (not unlike open university) may reduce costs of a university education and therefore make it more accessible. Could still benefit from summer schools where everyone gets together.
Breakout Room 2
Economy will worsen. Austerity will rise. But there may be a pulling together at some point.
There was a consensus that it will get much worse, for our most vulnerable in particular, before there could be some signs of pulling together. Perhaps even people rushing to ‘get back to normal’ without having learnt anything from the lockdown, and a rushing ‘back to
Normal’- i.e getting back to the economy (selfish/money/capitalist) drive from our government. Things weren’t working before but there is a drive to go back.
There was discussion about our government and how there is a divide- those who are able/ those who are not. Those who are tolerant (the NHS Clap a sign of tolerance of the government, act of passivity) and those who are not tolerant of the government.
The question of if there is any changing right wing accepting of the government? There was a consensus among the group that there is no changing the government right now so what else could be done? There was a general pessimism about this. But some hope:
- Keir Starmer mentioned more than once.
- Do not write off the elderly.
- Look to our youth for answers. Engage our youth. – The government is very happy the youth remain unpolitical.
- There are some people keen for change.
- Power back to the small.
- Opportunity for change locally.
- Make life more sustainable- locality could be an answer ie Transition Town Movement. Instinction Rebellion.
- Change of government. Will there be riots/fracture?
- Opposition as a good thing.
- What changes can we make in society to share more?
- How do we reach the hard to reach?
- Is this depression a minority or a majority?
- How do you get movement for change?
Let’s ask the youth.
Breakout Room 3
Enforced time at home has helped some people feel they are stretching and flexing their creative muscles. For those feeling positive about lockdown, there comes some sense of guilt. The practice of creating within groups isn’t currently possible so the isolation has raised questions about how one creates new work.
The changes after lockdown will probably be incremental. Everyone is so much more aware now about personal hygiene and what it means to be in public spaces. But these changes will be different depending on people’s situations - their learning needs, their family situation, whether they are working from home or are able to. Business as usual is so dependent of individual circumstances.
What about our personal freedoms? The freedom of movement for example is now severely restricted and our choice for personal contact. Some of us are anxious to go out. There is lack of certainty about what we can and can’t do. Our lives in some ways have become calm and quiet - for example less commuting has given people lots more time at home and with family.
After this pandemic, will we be better equipped as a society to deal with sudden changes? Our behaviours have changed. We are highly adaptable. This pandemic has highlighted the fragility of our most fundamental systems such as food production and supply. The government has had to act in a very different way forcing personal politics aside.
Isolation has been a time of loneliness. There has been a lack of meaningful contact which has brought home the importance of human touch. How does this affect our humanity? A lack of human touch is a big change. There is great need to talk to people.
Health and social care, largely picked up by the voluntary sector, has been severely impacted. People in need do not know who to contact if they need help. At home carers have not been able to visit. This is difficult but temporarily, What opportunities are there after the crisis? Could there be greater support for increased taxes for NHS and social care? We have reevaluated what it is important shining a light on the value of the health and key workers right across to refuge collectors. How do view value creation in society?
The NHS has taken a focus. But the most recent public messaging from government has changed from “Protect the NHS” to no mention of the NHS.
The pandemic has been a jolt to the government and its role. It feels there has been change if mindset in many people rethinking their priorities and value around family.
Illustrations
SECOND CONVERSATION
Breakout Room 1
After all this is over the government maybe facing more criticism. Will they still be helping people who need help? The middle classes who have never received sate benefits are now relying on them for survival , maybe challenging their beliefs that people who receive benefits are scroungers. Tories spending money on welfare challenges the mantra of celebrating the self made man and if you don’t make it, tough luck.
Local changes. More people volunteering for charities such as Nourish may open their eyes to the needs of others and change their attitudes longer term. People may continue to volunteer , take action it’s created a spark. Exercise once a day outside being written into our daily routines means that people who never would have gone out for walks etc. now are and are appreciating nature more. We have all come across people who have said they’ve never explored their local area until now. We have been connecting more with our friends on zoom etc which we never did before actually contacting people more often than we ever did. Some people may not want to go back to holidays abroad as they can see the benefits to nature of less air travel. Equally lots of people can’t wait to go back to ‘normality’. Maybe this experience and the changes that have happened is an opportunity for more permanent change, a positive revolution. Let’s make it happen.
Breakout Room 2
Spilt/ sense of divide again. On the one hand a personal experience of having contracted Covid-19 early on during lockdown, and having some time off work had resulted in a creative time at home. Connecting more/ sleeping better/ thinking more creatively/ having more time for creative activities. Walk a day creating the time for exploring local area. But then when they have recently returned back to work there is a struggling to connect with their students via zoom, and overloaded with work. There was a sense of loss/grief from losing the magic creative time during the lockdown, to the reality of going back to it all.
DIVIDE- CONVERSATION- SPLIT.
Breakout Room 3
Isolation has been a time of loneliness. There has been a lack of meaningful contact which has brought home the importance of human touch. How does this affect our humanity? A lack of human touch is a big change. There is great need to talk to people.
Health and social care, largely picked up by the voluntary sector, has been severely impacted. People in need do not know who to contact if they need help. At home carers have not been able to visit. This is difficult but temporarily, What opportunities are there after the crisis? Could there be greater support for increased taxes for NHS and social care? We have reevaluated what it is important shining a light on the value of the health and key workers right across to refuge collectors. How do view value creation in society?
The NHS has taken a focus. But the most recent public messaging from government has changed from “Protect the NHS” to no mention of the NHS.
Breakout Room 1
After all this is over the government maybe facing more criticism. Will they still be helping people who need help? The middle classes who have never received sate benefits are now relying on them for survival , maybe challenging their beliefs that people who receive benefits are scroungers. Tories spending money on welfare challenges the mantra of celebrating the self made man and if you don’t make it, tough luck.
Local changes. More people volunteering for charities such as Nourish may open their eyes to the needs of others and change their attitudes longer term. People may continue to volunteer , take action it’s created a spark. Exercise once a day outside being written into our daily routines means that people who never would have gone out for walks etc. now are and are appreciating nature more. We have all come across people who have said they’ve never explored their local area until now. We have been connecting more with our friends on zoom etc which we never did before actually contacting people more often than we ever did. Some people may not want to go back to holidays abroad as they can see the benefits to nature of less air travel. Equally lots of people can’t wait to go back to ‘normality’. Maybe this experience and the changes that have happened is an opportunity for more permanent change, a positive revolution. Let’s make it happen.
Breakout Room 2
Spilt/ sense of divide again. On the one hand a personal experience of having contracted Covid-19 early on during lockdown, and having some time off work had resulted in a creative time at home. Connecting more/ sleeping better/ thinking more creatively/ having more time for creative activities. Walk a day creating the time for exploring local area. But then when they have recently returned back to work there is a struggling to connect with their students via zoom, and overloaded with work. There was a sense of loss/grief from losing the magic creative time during the lockdown, to the reality of going back to it all.
- Talked again about the tolerant/ intolerant split.
- Being manipulated by the government, as they are putting the burden on us with the social distancing responsibility.
- Fear-over embracing the change.
- Duality of the good and the bad.
- Degradation of austerity.
- Create an open space- for dialogue. Like World Café.
- Change the voting system.
- Learn from some of the beautiful things that have come about from lockdown- (daily walks, creative time etc..)
- Compassion in politics
DIVIDE- CONVERSATION- SPLIT.
Breakout Room 3
Isolation has been a time of loneliness. There has been a lack of meaningful contact which has brought home the importance of human touch. How does this affect our humanity? A lack of human touch is a big change. There is great need to talk to people.
Health and social care, largely picked up by the voluntary sector, has been severely impacted. People in need do not know who to contact if they need help. At home carers have not been able to visit. This is difficult but temporarily, What opportunities are there after the crisis? Could there be greater support for increased taxes for NHS and social care? We have reevaluated what it is important shining a light on the value of the health and key workers right across to refuge collectors. How do view value creation in society?
The NHS has taken a focus. But the most recent public messaging from government has changed from “Protect the NHS” to no mention of the NHS.
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