Governments responded in return with greater state care for those who needed it and a recognition of the need to protect fundamental rights:the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,adopted in 1948,was born from this sharpened global understanding of our common humanity.
Today in NSW,it feels like a rebirth of sorts as well,after a hard two years that culminated in the four months of lockdown that we are now putting behind us.
All of a sudden,we feel more certain about the future and more optimistic about what it holds. COVID-19 case numbers are falling. We may soon be reunited with loved ones overseas after the Premier announced for fully vaccinated travellers from November 1 (although the Prime Minister later added a caveat that entry restrictions will remain for non-Australians).
after the state hit the vaccine threshold of 80 per cent on Saturday. Now we can have 20 fully vaccinated adults visit our homes,join up to 50 at an outdoor gathering and invite as many guests as we like to attend weddings and funerals.
While we have not been through a war,or suffered the same hardships that people suffered 76 years ago,it does feel like we too are emerging,raw,from a time in history that has challenged our understanding of who we are,individually and as a people.
Many among us have suffered significant mental harm over the past two years. in the face of a frightening new virus and a host of new rules to combat it that have denied people connection with others and burdened them with new stresses and responsibilities, reduced social support and fallen income.
With kindergarten and year 1 students returning to the classroom tomorrow,experts have warned parents that after 16 weeks at home. But it’s not just the children who should brace themselves for the shock of the new.
Emotions are running high as society reopens. Many people are excited to get back into the rhythm of life as we once knew it. Others are more cautious about re-entering this shifted world.
Big questions loom over what is safe and what is socially acceptable. Do you ask a friend if they are fully vaccinated before inviting them over for dinner? Should you send your five-year-old to school in a mask tomorrow,and will they be safe in class,given that they are not vaccinated? Is it OK to book a summer holiday on the south coast,or will your plans be upended by an extended ban on travel?
And while the Premier made it clear,other countries with similar vaccination rates have eased restrictions only to reimpose them to protect the health system in the face of rising COVID-19 hospitalisations.
So for all the optimism,an element of uncertainty lingers. Perhaps this,too,is the new normal to which we must adjust.
Let’s celebrate,but it is a changed world out there. Patience and empathy will be needed as we navigate the rules and use our newfound understanding of ourselves to craft a society that can sustain us into the altered future that awaits.
Lisa Davies sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week..