Karin Bornett
The Chinese word "weiji" means crisis and consists of the two characters for "danger" ("wei") and "chance" ("ji").
The corona pandemic is not over yet. When our usual everyday life will return and whether at all is open. There is no doubt that the world faces many open questions. One thing is clear: the world is in crisis.
According to a survey by the Austrian Gallup Institute, everyone fearsr second Austrianin (49 percent) long-term economic disadvantages for themselves as a result of the crisis. The global impact will also be enormous. But it is also clear: the crisis gives us the opportunity to rethink, rethink and rethink. New strategies and solutions are needed for almost every area of our life. From the most private event and personal habits to the workplace, the crisis finds its way into our lives. That is why many experts are certain that the corona pandemic will have long-term effects on society and on individual behavioral habits.
The sociologist Manfred Prisching says to ORF.at that the post-corona society "will look pretty similar on the whole" to the society before the crisis, the managing director of the Austrian one Gallup InstituteHowever, Andrea Fronaschütz is convinced in June 2020: “The Corona crisis is in the process of fundamentally changing the value system of our society.” After the virus broke out (mid-May), the Gallup Institute asked Austrian women about their priorities. It turns out that 70 percent name unemployment and health as the topics that have gained the greatest importance during the crisis. More than 50 percent see regionality on the rise. Last but not least, the hamster purchases in spring seem to have put the issue of security of supply in people's heads. “More conscious, measured and sustainable consumption is the name of the new mission statement. Eight out of ten consumers intend to pay more attention to the regional origin of the products they buy. For two thirds, sustainability and quality play a larger role, nine out of ten want to forego buying prestige and luxury brands, ”explains Fronaschütz. Also Sebastian Theising-Matei from Greenpeace confirms this: "Since the Corona crisis, many people in Austria want to eat healthier and more regionally," he says.
Crisis as an opportunity for redesign?
The corona crisis can be an opportunity. “The lockdown gave many of us the opportunity to pause and reflect. I see the crisis as an emergency brake. Our earth is fed up. She needs healing. We all lived as if we had ten more planets available. However, the crisis has also made it clear that rigorous change is possible within a very short time. Within a few days, borders and shops were closed across the board and new rules of conduct were introduced. This shows that politicians can act quickly and decisively if need be. For movements such as Fridays for Future, this is THE opportunity for redesign, ”says Astrid Luger, managing director of the natural cosmetics company CULUMNATURA. And Fronaschütz says: “The corona crisis triggered the greater turning point in consumer behavior than the financial crisis. Globalization as an economic model is now being questioned, and mobility is taking a back seat. In our surveys in 2009, both globalization and mobility were still among the topics of the future. "
No stone seems to be left unturned. At the end of April, for example, Brussels reacted to the distance rules by converting the entire city center into a meeting zone so that pedestrians and cyclists have more space and can keep the distances. On 460 hectares in Brussels, cars, buses and trams are not allowed to drive faster than 20 km / h during the crisis and pedestrians are allowed to use the road. Although this measure has initially been limited in time until normality returns, Brussels' population has a great opportunity to at least test this concept. Through Corona, we collect new empirical values that until recently seemed unthinkable.
Open to ideas and innovation
Economically, the crisis is likely to bring enormous losses. For many companies, the measures are a threat to their very existence. “However, it is clearly visible that the lockdown has strengthened some industries. In addition to the obvious ones, such as mask production and disinfectants, these include video games, mail order and of course communication software. Other areas such as restaurants and many services are struggling with total failure, ”explains Nikolaus Franke, head of the Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Entrepreneurs now have to react flexibly and develop individual solutions. Astrid Luger reports from practice: “Fortunately, we were very well equipped for the switch to home office and survived the lockdown comparatively well. After that, business exploded again. The crisis and the lockdown have shown us how right we are with our philosophy of not selling our products through retailers or online, but exclusively through NATUR hairdressers. That saved many of their livelihoods, as they were able to sell the products through a pick-up service despite the salon being closed. ”For many smaller retailers, setting up an online shop means the rescue. According to forecasts, Corona will give us a major boost in digitization. Luger: "Now it is important to be confident and to be open to new ideas and developments."
Greenpeace survey: For green reconstruction
84 percent of those surveyed make it clear that tax money used to rebuild the economy should always help to combat the climate crisis.
For three quarters of the respondents it is clear that aid packages should primarily go to companies that contribute to reducing CO2 emissions in their area.
This shows that in times of crisis the Austrian population demands not only ecological but also social solutions from the government: The respondents showed zero tolerance for companies that receive aid from the state and do not adhere to fair working conditions. 90 percent consider this a no-go.
Photo / Video: Shutterstock.
