Emad Barsoum writes: Social Responsibility (3).. The Aftermath

Since the beginning of the global quarantine, the ban of free mobility, and the self-detention of mankind due to the pandemic of the 21st century, countless opinions and speculations expressed their fear, pessimistically, about what is next! What is after the end of this mass anxiety? The vast majority spoke about a new world free from emotions, social life, or even interpersonal human communication, that is on the social level. Economically, fears arise from the expectations of slow economic rebound, decline in investments and surge in taxes. Governments will tighten grip on their citizens, allowing minimal freedom and more disguised totalitarian regimes will rise to the surface of the political arena. Even others went to tackle the spiritual lives of humans, where it will go to both extremes, very spiritual on one side and others will be very much distant from the religious beliefs. Quite little expressed any form of optimism, less hope was given in all suppositions, which is fairly remote from the human nature since the beginning of existence. Humanity, in its abstract form, succeeded to survive, grow, and thrive through history amid catastrophes, pandemics, world wars, genocides, and famine. Even they came out stronger in the times when they had less technology and limited medical resources. The world is not tending to learn the lesson, it is not observing the history, who is going to benefit the most from such anxiety and depression? Are they the colossal new corporations who would dictate people how to lead their lives by providing online products and services, even medical care? Certainly, there will be more corporations who would be striving to survive at any cost and mostly by stepping on the most vulnerable asset, the labour. In such a race to survive, some corporations will totally disregard their social responsibility and the concepts of human rights, thinking that it is the easiest way to cut costs, but ultimately, they will be trying to recompense the losses incurred during the shutdown of business. However, they are unconsciously not seeing the repercussions of the absence of their social responsibility or they might be blinded by their tendency for exploitation, forgetting that the more sacrifice of workers the less economic growth. Since more loss of jobs will lead to more decline in demand for goods and services. And, the more the companies wait to grow again to hire back employees, the more the gap of decline in demand. Thus, going into a vicious circle, and will end up in a loss/loss situation. Social responsibility of corporations and entrepreneurs must manifest itself more in the times of recovery from disasters and ordeals, human factor is the most valuable input for growth and prosperity, it is the fuel for healthy economy.