The first of the Rapid Transition Alliance’s ‘Lessons from Lockdown’ series, explores what we can learn from the first national lockdown about the way in which we can look after one another better. The way in which individuals, organisations and governments responded to benefit the wider community points the way toward a world where this way of working could be the new norm. It also suggests a number of policy shifts that would help us to carry on looking after each other better, as the world emerges from the pandemic.
Watch the short film sharing your lessons from lockdown
How public health and well-being can be put before short-term economic interests
With so much energy, and so many examples of people and communities showing the best of humanity, how can the lessons from lockdown be locked-in? How can the financial support for caring, wellbeing and health that has suddenly become a priority for governments, or other donors, be maintained as the crisis changes shape and moves down the news agenda?
Could the objectives be pursued of the #HarrysPledge campaign, for example, launched on National Carers Week in the UK, to “make policies carer-friendly, with flexible working so people can fit paid work around caring responsibilities”.
This thematic briefing on the lessons from lockdown demonstrates some of the ways in which people around the world have looked after each other in response to a global pandemic, quickly and sometimes with minimal resources.Lessons from Lockdown: Looking after each other better
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Health workers across Europe from Italy and Spain to the UK, were routinely applauded during the peak of the crisis in spontaneous outpourings of public gratitude and support. Delivery drivers and front-line care workers in so many countries suddenly found their social status far above that of hedge-fund managers. Governments across the globe have – to varying degrees – paid the wages of millions of working people.
It has been an extraordinary transformation to tackle a major threat, and the real issue now is how to keep and further enhance these life-enhancing shifts while other issues push up the agenda and the world moves on?
This guide has been made possible by the support of the KR Foundation – krfnd.org – it is the result of contributions from many groups and individuals and is published by the Rapid Transition Alliance – rapidtransition.org – where you can find many of these examples explored in more detail.