‘Culture’: Strategic Triumph in Combating the War against Coronavirus by Umme Sayeda

 ‘2020’ remarks the circling return of epidemics after every 100 years. As every nation is involved in the epidemic economically, socially and culturally, so the pandemic seems like another World War. The crisis is alarming us the evolution of the traditional security issues. The COVID-19 attack has made the world nations shocked. Every nation is responding to the crisis differently according to their culture. So the national and international governance should take strategies on the basis of the nations’ culture and adaptation ability. The post-pandemic reconstruction cost depends on how innovative the taken strategies are during the pandemic. New Zealand reported zero cases on the 8th June,2020. Prime Minister Jasinda Ardern has been showing praiseworthy leadership by adopting decisions and implementing policies which are made on the New Zealanders culture. She announced a very effective four level alert system (prepare, reduce, resist and eliminate) and maintained a collaborative network. The concept of lockdown and quarantine referred to as ‘the Bubble’ to ensure peoples’ staying safe at home. This bubble concept is truly commendable as it is easier to understand and implement by the general population of the country. Surprisingly, the New Zealand government did not indicate the word lockdown and quarantine in the emergency crisis management initiatives as they can be hard nuts for their peoples. Jordan developed a well-formulated national preparedness and response strategy with maintaining a high level of awareness and determination among the citizens. As a result of an effective and intelligent leadership, the upper-middle status holding country announced a country curfew on 20th March evaluating the culture of the citizens. The country maintained a strict international travel ban and travel regulations during the early overseas transmission. These proved a very strong and appropriate measure in combating the war. Strong unity between federal and provincial authorities and impressive solidarity across the entire country made Canada’s COVID-19 responses successful. Canada, a middle power country, followed the travel ban recommendations of WHO appropriately and implemented large scale social programs such as the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. The laudable leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his daily briefings spread divine influence on the Canadian people to fight against the coronavirus. Japan is an ideal model in this war situation. The country holds the largest number of old people in the world but the death rate is too low. Their behavioural culture made it possible. The Japan government’s request to stay at home turned the picture of the country into a lockdowned area. The health researchers of the country informed about the ‘historical immunity’ the Japanese possess which battled strongly against the coronavirus within their body. Surprisingly, the government took no measure to ensure social distancing and health security regulations in this crisis moment. The Japan Prime Minister Shinjo Abe proudly announced that Japanese culture of obedience made the ‘Japan Model’ in this war. New Zealand and Canada took lessons from the 2003 SARS outbreak. They used their health sector preparedness and response initiatives of 2003 to mitigate the damages of 2020. While Japan adopted necessary COVID-19 health regulations after the 1919 Flu pandemic and developed contact tracing systems after the 1950 TV pandemic. By contrast, the Trump Administration largely broke down the epidemic monitoring and command groups within the US National Security and Department of Homeland Security in 2018, set up by the Obama Administration after the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. Many countries in the world are dealing with such respiratory diseases for the first time and facing strategic gaps. Bangladesh faces such a health emergency crisis earlier and this global pandemic impacted largely the health, economic, political and social security sectors. In this emergency crisis the government took many initiatives to ensure the containment of COVID-19 but there are lackings in their implementation process. Adoption of the western concepts like lockdown and quarantine firstly failed the general less literate people to make understanding about social distancing and health regulations. The connectivity gap between the Prime Minister and the country people and the collaboration gap between public and private authorities are the main reasons for the strategic mistakes there. Experts recommended the decision makers and strategists to adopt strategies and policies on the basis of Bangladeshi culture and peoples’ response to the crisis.

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