A year has come to an end that most people had hoped for more of. Vaccinations against the coronavirus have helped, but new developments have brought new waves of victims. Normal life is still restricted. The pandemic proved to be much more stubborn than we thought. The dispute in society about necessary countermeasures could not be pacified.
How do we, as humanistically minded people, deal with such developments? We can only look at the situation again and again and incorporate the latest experiences and results of scientific research into our plans and actions. We can also collectively try to improve the basic conditions. For example, we need solidarity in the development and global distribution of vaccines. We can substantiate hopes with actionable steps. And we can be confident that humanity will also survive this pandemic.
The same considerations and recipes also apply to the future, especially to the rapidly advancing climate change, which is far more threatening than the Covid-19 pandemic. Floods, hurricanes, droughts and famines cannot be tackled with vaccines. We are part of a community of billions of people who will all suffer from climate change. But the hardships will be different. The realization that we are all in the same boat is not yet sinking in.
We like to see ourselves as rational beings, as people who don’t just follow our feelings. As long as there is no real short-term danger, we follow our own feelings and, above all, what promises us a (short-term) personal advantage. We act selfishly, even if we do more harm than good in the long term. A look at our throwaway culture is enough to illustrate this. Apart from a few exceptions, our behavior is not indicative of a climate crisis. We also often only consider measures to mitigate climate change to be necessary as long as they do not threaten our own comfort. This behavior is not rational; much less so if we have future generations in mind.
Even if we as individuals rethink and limit ourselves, the urgent reforms in transport, production, agriculture and energy are not yet being implemented. Nevertheless, the personal attitude of as many people as possible is important and also influences policy. We have elected a coalition of sustainability by a narrow majority. This is no guarantee of success, but it is an opportunity. We must seize this opportunity. The major problems of the future will keep us busy far beyond 2022 and “business as usual” is no longer an option. This may be unsettling, even frightening. But we can also see this change as a new beginning that we can shape. We humanists can make a contribution here. Whether we are dealing with the climate crisis, the pandemic or defending our democracy, we need commitment and positive engagement from broad sections of the population. We need strong cooperation, solidarity with our fellow human beings and constructive debates. We humanists should be there.
With this in mind, we wish you all a good and successful 2022, for yourself and for your loved ones.
Humanistischer Verband Deutschland – Federal Association
The Executive Board
