This report shares the results of deliberative citizen dialogues with more than 120 participants in Europe, India, West Africa and across an international network of students and children. The findings highlighted the importance of social cohesion and trust.
The economic and social disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic is severe. Loss of lives and livelihoods, poverty and inequality are rising in every country on Earth. Social movements such as Black Lives Matter have brought attention to systemic injustices across our societies. The compounding effects of different crises present a serious threat to social cohesion and global cooperation, potentially setting off a vicious cycle of economic despair and social unrest.1 While knowing the aggregated effects of COVID-19 on the world helps us see the big picture for the post-pandemic recovery, understanding the individual experiences and perceptions of citizens will help chart a path forward towards a just recovery that puts those most affected by the crisis at the centre of these efforts. In this report, we share the results of deliberative citizen dialogues, unearthing collective intelligence on citizen priorities during the pandemic and beyond.
The dialogues were conducted with 120-plus participants in five different contexts in December 2020: they encompassed European countries (France and Germany), India, West Africa, an international network of youth students and children, giving a glimpse of the global scale of the effects. The dialogues were executed with the support of six partnering organisations: Civis, Confkids, Isha Foundation, Missions Publiques, United World Colleges (UWC) and the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). To ensure representative and evidence-based recommendations, the dialogue findings presented in this report have been supplemented by further supporting materials and insights, priorities and solutions proposed by global civil society. The findings highlight the effects of COVID-19 on the participants and their priorities for the post-pandemic recovery, as well as the importance of social cohesion and trust. The report concludes with a proposal to spur collective action for a transformational recovery.
Strengthening social cohesion
While, overall, participants felt that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on their lives, there is optimism that the crisis will pave the way for positive effects in the years to come. There is a strong sentiment for change after the COVID-19 outbreak, both personally and for society.
The top positive impacts identified include increased solidarity in society, an infrastructure boost in developing nations and beneficial effects on the environment. A lack of clarity and transparency in decision-making, amplification of social inequalities and insecurity in livelihoods, and a decrease in global collaboration were emphasized as the biggest negative effects of the pandemic. The resilience of a society is dependent on high levels of social cohesion. In a time when economic and social issues are worsening and the vulnerability of individuals is increasing, an approach to the future needs to be cohesive rather than divisive.
Equality was deemed the central element to advancing social cohesion.
Fairness in vaccine distribution stood out as a priority to drive equity in a post-COVID-19 world. Participants felt that trust in others was being eroded during the pandemic. A sense of declining trust in government was also observed. At the same time a stronger sense of social cohesion emerged that strengthened trust; this was exemplified by many solidarity initiatives and the great deal of mutual aid that was established. Collective action and collectivism, dialogue, participation, diversity and social awareness and education on the root causes of inequality were all seen as central to encouraging social cohesion. Additionally, the role of religion and its influence in building social cohesion should not be underestimated.
Important actions for communities, policy-makers and companies
Five main recommendations for decision-makers were consolidated across the different deliberative dialogues. In the years to come, leaders should focus on improving public services, take decisions that prioritize environmental needs, build economic systems that are strong and resilient and that consider the well-being of humanity (rather than just GDP). Additionally, they should establish more horizontal governance and mechanisms to consider citizen needs and visions, and ensure respect for human rights in all countries of the world. Engaging Citizens for Inclusive Futures 3The World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community is launching The Davos Lab, a grassroots and youth-driven recovery plan in response to the COVID-induced recession and other converging crises. The Davos Lab: Building Our Future is a Global Shapers Community initiative that aims to inspire, support and connect young people to shape the unprecedented and on-the-ground global response needed to address the coronavirus pandemic and the world’s other converging crises. Aggregating the insights, ideas and concerns of citizens and stakeholders in more than 150 countries worldwide, The Davos Lab will culminate in a youth-driven recovery plan featuring tangible actions to create a better future. This recovery plan (crowdsourced though a 10-week campaign of global dialogues and surveys held around the world) will be launched at the World Economic Forum’s Special Annual Meeting 2021 and will focus on 10 major recovery efforts needed to reset economic, social and environmental systems. It will also outline a new vision for youth activism and collective action for the current decade and beyond, focusing on self-enquiry, systems leadership, intergenerational allyship and more. Learn more about The Davos Lab here. To participate, register your dialogue today. Looking ahead: The Davos Lab
The way forward:
Unlocking the potential of deliberative processes and multistakeholder cooperation
There is hope for stakeholders to move jointly out of this crisis and build fairer, more just and resilient economies and society. The COVID-19 pandemic has been described by many as an inflection point, with the challenges in front of us requiring immediate collective action. As this report demonstrates, moving forward together is possible. It will require coordinated multistakeholder action, with citizen and community needs and perspectives at the centre, allowing us to mitigate the worst future outcomes and sustaining our resilience as a global collective. Reimagined and adapted mechanisms for collaboration are imperative to make this a reality.
They should reflect, prioritize and recognize the importance of:
1. Co-determining and co-creating solutions for the present and future. Deliberative processes can play a pivotal role in shaping responses fit for the future. Not just listening to, but actively including, citizens, communities and civil society can help unearth early warning signs and help us understand where, as societies, we are vulnerable, and how best to respond to that vulnerability.
Additionally, unlocking the public imagination – giving agency and voice to and supporting a larger number of individuals in society – will lead to better decisions and governance outcomes, and help counteract polarization and social unrest. Based on that evidence, governments and institutions are increasingly turning to the public for help in decision-making. The Conference on the Future of Europe, for example, will kick off the European Union’s largest deliberative democracy process.
2. Making social cohesion a priority. New Zealand has been praised for the way it has managed the pandemic and was recently ranked as the country with the best COVID-19 response, in part due to its focus on social cohesion in its response.
3 During the acute phase of the pandemic in April 2020, levels of social cohesion in the country were high: 87% of citizens approved of the way the government was responding to the pandemic, compared to an average of 50% for those in G7 countries who were asked the same question.
4 As tensions between economic and social interests persist, it will be particularly important to focus on transparent and responsive leadership, encouraging trust and belonging and recognizing and responding to individual experiences and needs – all necessary ingredients for a cohesive society. 3. Centring multistakeholder partnerships on community needs. A report by Philanthropy U, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and GSVlabs shows the imperative to work collaboratively and creatively, with new models of impact, in order to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a multistakeholder context, partnerships must be “driven by a collaboration between the people most affected and those most accountable for progress”.5 This will set us on a course to act quickly and with purpose within an unsettled global landscape
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