Every once in a while, humanity has had to face threats to the entire human race – not just one tribe, race, or nation but humanity as a whole. All the time this has happened, the odds have always been stacked against humanity. But, somehow, in the darkest hours, the people of this planet have always found a way to keep the flame of hope burning.
It is interesting to note that somehow, whenever mankind is under threat, we have set aside our differences and worked as one entity to face the threat. Whenever a dangerous current has swept along consuming our world faster than our individual efforts to contain it, we have banded together, sometimes even against our will, to defeat these enemies of humanity! Mankind’s history has proved that there is no challenge too great whenever we stand together as one.
Mankind is under another siege! This pandemic has all the markers of war. It is upending people’s lives, eliminating global systems, and causing unspeakable fear, suffering, and hysteria! COVID-19 has proven to be a danger that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean. And that is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat this virus alone. None of us can, in a good sense, deny this threat, or the urgency it demands. Over a hundred thousand lives have been lost in over a hundred nations and that is just the tip of the iceberg if nothing is done to defeat this enemy!
Today, we are calling on people from every nation to join us as we form a global coalition to fight against this virus. We are not unmindful of the deep divide among humanity fuelled by differences in race, religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation and fanned by conspiracy theories, fake news, political rhetoric, and persistent inequality in human society. These differences will not just go away. No doubt, there will be the need to exhume these differences in the future and address the underlying causes.
But the burdens of global citizenship call on us today to break down these walls and act as one human race. Partnership and cooperation among nations is no longer a choice; it is the only way, the one way to protect our common security and save our common humanity. As history reminds us, walls can be torn down, especially in the face of a common enemy! COVID-19 is that common enemy; one like no other we have faced in almost a century!
This is the moment when every individual must choose where they stand – for humanity or for the virus! For a blue sky of optimism, hope, and unity, or for the dark shadows of fear, hysteria, and hate. This is the moment when we must come together to save humanity. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children to a gloomy world but will act with a seriousness of purpose and give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.
Now the world will watch and remember this moment. The moment when we came together as one humanity and said: “Enough!” Fellow citizens of the world, this is our moment. Let’s take it!
