Does a pandemic promote peace? By Grace Gartlan

In this situation, as the world has seemingly come to a standstill and society is having to adapt to the new status quo of social distancing and limited contact, people are searching for positives; people are asking themselves whether a pandemic promotes peace. For many, peace on a global status is achieved through cooperation, which can only be achieved by countries if, amongst other key ideas, they have a shared interest which at the moment, is to defeat the COVID-19 outbreak.


To answer this, people tend to first turn to the search for a cure. It seems as though world leaders are all trying to cooperate so that they can limit deaths and have society return to normal as quickly as possible, with this being most achievable with the discovery of an effective vaccine. Globalisation in this way has proved to be advantageous, as through regional disease surveillance, detection and response, countries are forced to work together where they perhaps wouldn’t have before. For example, in the Middle East, the Mekong Delta and parts of Africa, this system of response has led to cooperation across borders with a history of conflict. This is not the first time that health developments have been used to pave the way for better relations, as seen in relations between North Korea and South Korea as well as the USA, in terms of issues like maternal and child care and drug resistance. Although some take the more cynical view, and argue that the current scientific rush for a cure has caused competition for supplies and information, it is hard to see reason why any country would want to prolong this pandemic through lack of global work to find a cure/solution.


That said, there is currently the idea of a ‘blame game’, as countries, on a national and individual level, are suffering and so want to allocate guilt for the situation, whether it be in terms of the origins of the disease or the handling of the outbreak by different world leaders and governments. This is exasperated by the lack of focus on relations at the moment, exemplified in the postponing of Brexit talks, which is obviously extremely necessary, but may perhaps be disadvantageous in the long term. This issue is a very sensitive one, especially as people process not only grief but the difficulties of lockdown. Whether these accusations and blame will have a long-lasting effect on international relations is yet to be seen. Whilst there has been a reduced focus on relations, there has also been reduced trade discussions, again the case of Brexit exemplifying this. Perhaps this does promote peace, as trade and economic competition tends to be a point of tension on the global scale.


I think that when asking if a pandemic promotes peace, it is crucial not to look just on a large global scale, but on a more individual level in terms of people and their communities. Whilst many may be struggling with their mental health due to the situation, and struggle to find their own peace, many have equally found that this period has helped them to focus on themselves such that they can find ways to improve their lives, or process emotions that perhaps life had just made them too busy for before. In terms of communities, the increase in peace is unbelievable, as communities across the world have come together like never before, whether it be the nationwide recognition of the incredible work of NHS staff every Thursday night, the door to door help of neighbours supporting the vulnerable, the immense volunteer network or simply the help to combat loneliness in this time. Through this process, what may have been communities close in proximity but distant in all other senses, have found support and been strengthened, which in my opinion has brought peace.


This pandemic has brought great tragedy and hardships for many, but for our own sake, we have to try and search for the good, or the sense of hope in what are difficult times. I think in the case of peace, there is debate, but it is crucial that we recognise there has been progress made, often without realisation from the majority of people, and when we are struggling to see the good in these times, that is something for which we should be grateful.