One of the key questions summarizing the dramatic challenges raised by the COVID19 crisis is: 鈥淥nce we reach the bottom, to whom should the last ventilator be given: a young woman or an old man?鈥� This question has two wrong, and devastating, hidden assumptions. First, the binary logic of the question misleads you to believe that you must pick one option. And yet, doctors found the way to connect two people to the same ventilator in some hospitals. And yet, snorkeling masks were adapted becoming lifesaving equipment. And yet. . . Doctors, engineers, researchers, managers, workers, volunteers are working collectively, without borders, sharing knowledge, best practices, problems, to develop new ideas and find common solutions to a transnational challenge, COVID19. Second, the question of who to save inherently accepts that life and death will be decided adopting 鈥榩rinciples鈥� to help us discriminating between people. You can start discriminating based on age or gender. Nothing would prevent that a further shortage of ventilators might oblige to start discriminating according to other 鈥榩rinciples鈥�: 鈥淲ho should we save the rich or poor?鈥�. The rich have more potential of living as they might be in better shape with less underlying conditions. You could go on and on. What a fantastic opportunity would COVID19 represent for fans of eugenics.
Another alarming question circulating worldwide is: 鈥淲ho should we save, the economy or the people?鈥�. To be sure, you cannot have an economy without people, nor people without an economy. We must escape the wealth versus health binary logic, we can save both and maybe end being better human beings. To this end we must innovate, think in original ways, and merge our efforts to find new solutions.
Project聽EurHope聽is an initiative created by a group of five students from AUR's B.A. in International Relations & Global Politics and supported by Professor Irene Caratelli, Director of the International Relations & Global Politics program.听Project EurHope is designed to open a channel to discuss the EU, its history, structure and, most of all, policies and objectives with peers across the world.
Adriana Parrotta,聽Miriam Ferrero,聽Irene D'Antimo,聽Bashir Elyas, and聽Dario G. Perotto - despite being in lockdown in different parts of the world - have come together to take action through a mutual admiration for the ethos and founding principles of the European Union. In their own words:
The five of us come from different corners of the world, our common language is English although English is not the mother tongue for most of us. We feel European. We are Europeans. We聽have different backgrounds and life experiences, but what unites us is our love for Europe. We hope to see the European Union come out stronger after the global COVID19 pandemic that is testing both its foundations and prospects. With Project EurHope we would like to open a channel to discuss the EU, its history, structure and, most of all, policies and objectives with our peers across the world. This platform is thought for young Europeans and global citizens alike 鈥� whether they live in the EU borders or not. Please, join us to share your ideas and opinions!
Project EurHope aims at fostering greater interaction and support among European Citizens.听"The dream of a united European polity can be built on the premises of trust, solidarity, collaboration, friendship, mutual understanding and respect."
Project EurHope primarily believes in the power of citizens to enact social change and strengthen the democratic foundation of the European Union. Project EurHope encourages young Europeans to take action, discuss, and participate critically to current debates, to offer new solutions. For聽EU institutions and national politicians to reflect young people's聽ideas聽and to respond collectively.听
Read full details of Project聽EurHope聽on their website at聽.听