DOHA: In a special edition of Doha Debates’ #DearWorldLive programme, showcased as part of the UN’s 75th anniversary Youth Plenary, young activists from Brazil, Luxembourg, and South Africa have discussed lessons learned from the world’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The programme, a production of Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates, examined the successes and failures of world leaders and global institutions in combating Covid-19 and identified changes that must happen in our communities and nations, and throughout the world.
Participants in the programme were Paloma Costa Oliveira, a climate activist from Brazil; Obakeng Leseyane, founder of South Africa’s EdConnect education initiative and Félix Feider, a conservationist and environmental activist from Luxembourg.
Oliveira said he coronavirus-related sanitary challenges in the developing world are enormous. “How can you not give access to water that is treated, but at the same time say that you have to wash your hands?” said Oliveira.
She said that in some parts of the world “society is still filled with ego and individuality,” leaving many with a “failed system” for coping with the pandemic.
Challenging times
Urging individuals to play their part in ensuring good leadership during these challenging times, Leseyane said: “A lot of problems are deeply political, and they are deeply entrenched in the systems. So if you are not happy about your particular institution and if you are not happy with how your congress is functioning, if you are not happy with how your local municipality is functioning, engage.”
Leseyane added: “Part of engaging is not just voting; it means you spread electoral education.”
Feider called for a combination of community activism and international solutions and said: “This is a global problem and a global problem needs a global solution – it all starts with local activists on the ground.”
Feider added: ” We need system-wide transformative change to move away from a system of decades of colonialism and exploitation of nature and of the poor and then move towards a system that promotes nature and promotes equality and justice and fairness.”
Transmitted worldwide
The live programme was transmitted worldwide, with the top five viewing nations being Brazil, India, Turkey, the US, and Indonesia.
Doha Debates correspondent Nelufar Hedayat hosted the 30-minute #DearWorldLive programme and moderated the entire three-hour virtual UN75 Youth Plenary, including the opening session with UN Secretary-General António Guterres; President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir and the Secretary-General’s youth envoy, Jayathma Wickramanayake.