As the World slowly emerges from the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic, people are noticeably different. In social isolation, and periods of deep introspection, we might have discovered what is actually important to us and hope to break out of our own personal prisons. On a recent trip to Tasmania, I remember the cold isolation I felt in Port Arthur where so much despair existed in so many isolated prisoners.
Communications have changed, travel has changed, work, education and health care have changed. We are socially distanced and some will feel like the poor prisoners in Tasmania back in 1830 when their social isolation, meted out as punishment for secondary crimes in the territory, isolated them entirely from family and friends. However, following the closure of the Penal Colony, when transportation began to dwindle in 1853, there was a period of remarkable activity that aimed to make the station economically sustainable. Port Arthur is now a tourist destination and testimony (some might say) to social isolation.
When social distancing is a thing of the past in 2020, will our thoughts, attitudes and habits return to the way they were in 2019 or will we experience the freedom of the time we had to think and refocus our priorities?
Global Refocus wants to raise awareness and to promote action so that people can continue the change in themselves and promote change throughout the world in others by being actively engaged in projects and promoting ideas that have tangible outcomes for the good of the world’s social economy.
It is said that all change starts from within. The Greek Aphorism, ‘To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom’ has been attributed to Socrates and may have new meaning in todays society. Is it now motivational, inspirational or aspirational? The truth is, it will mean something different to each individual and might mean nothing to someone who’s only priority is survival.
For those of us who were born between 1946 and 1964, the ‘me’ society; we experienced incredible social change, technological advance and economic growth but enjoyed less mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health, which is likely to become the worlds future collateral. By taking stock, looking at beliefs, understandings and outlooks, great change can occur but changing conscious thought is hard because unconscious programming dictates how we think and act.
Refocussing on our inner programmes, the ‘operating systems’ we learned from our parents before we were 7 years old, can help us rethink and refocus on a different view of the world and begin to create new programs of our own, to follow in the future.
The opportunity to make dramatic changes in our lives and in the lives of others has occurred through this global pandemic and if we miss or ignore this opportunity we will repent at our leisure and the world will be a poorer place. There is so much more we can do and Global Refocus will develop ideas, provide opportunities, gather and distribute information and attempt to unify the most formative individuals in the 1st World economy, those born between 1946 and 1964, the ‘Baby Boomers’, a name I will only ever use once on this website.
My generation are the most privileged generation so far in the developed world. They missed two world wars in which millions died, the industrial revolution and the great depression. They benefitted from the advantages of free education, thriving industry, stable jobs and affordable homes. They didn’t expect CVD-19 and many perished as a result of a virus that affected the older generation to a greater extent. Those left will influence politics and economic polarisation in the future but are probably least well placed to do so, as modern technology overtakes them.
There is a sharp political divide along generational lines in the developed world and its hard to refute that politics are currently driven by older people and that resentment is entrenched across all age groups. Boomers stand accused by millennial’s of stealing their economic future, whereas the fears of older voters are compounded by overcrowded understaffed hospitals and belief’s that the revenues generated by new generation butterflies, flitting from job to job, won’t fund future welfare.
Shifting dynamics by creating intergenerational spaces through the use of technology and opening dialogue about a shared economy to benefit all in our society, might prove useful. Many of my generation enjoy homes where there are more rooms than they can use. How about opening a dialogue about home sharing schemes to create community living spaces that also cater for home based social care of the elderly, in exchange for affordable accommodation?
It is these issues and their resolution that Global Refocus would like your input on and we will provided information and education based on the new normal that we will all experience in the coming decade. We welcome articles, short stories and information that we can share and as our services develop, we can seek volunteers to drive integrated social change. Please leave a comment on the ‘Contact Us’ page for mediation and publication.