![\"\"](\"\/pardeeschool\/files\/2020\/03\/Coronavirus.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Ambassador\u00a0<\/span>Vesko Garcevic<\/a>,\u00a0Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University,\u00a0published an Op-Ed in\u00a0BalkanInsight<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>entitled\u00a0\u201cLesson No 1 From Pandemic \u2013 We\u2019re all Interdependent.<\/a>\u201d The article was published on March 31, 2020. <\/span><\/p>\n The OpEd argues the need for more coherent and coordinated global cooperation as a way to address global challenges. It warns that instead of cooperation, we may see the rise of authoritarianism as a lasting consequence of the pandemic<\/span><\/p>\n Excerpts of the article:<\/p>\n This crisis confirms how interdependent \u2013 and defenceless \u2013 we are.\u00a0It exposes the vulnerability of the state-centric global system. We\u2019ve created our defences to protect ourselves from humans, but not from the challenges of the future, which are mostly the results of our wrongdoings.<\/span>Our future collaboration, therefore, should go further from common narratives about what global threats are. It should include mutually supportive and coordinated policies, aimed at mitigating the consequences of any similar adversity.<\/span><\/p>\n …Democracy usually suffers in times of emergency . Instead of global cooperation, we may see the rise of authoritarianism as a lasting consequence of the pandemic. People are prone to praise the efficiency of strong leaders and autocrats who \u201cknow how to handle crises\u201d and who mock democracies for making \u201cthings work slowly\u201d.<\/p>\n The way states are handling the crisis and informing their populations varies, and speaks about their democratic capacities. Freedom of the media is one of the first victims in the global war against the pandemics. Some leaders, not only in the Balkans, see the crisis as an opportunity to expand executive power and rule by decree.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n The full OpEd can be read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
\n