Carlos Carranza -Respectability at a distance

No one can dispute that the covid-19 pandemic pushed us to the limit as humanity, in many aspects. Its devastation could be observed since its first manifestations occurred, when surprise and uncertainty took over daily life. Thus, suddenly, circumstances forced us to learn differently, to listen with a different attention, perhaps to appreciate life in the midst of chaos. Days in which we kept imagining that the future would be reconfigured, that it would be the result of a conscious analysis of everything that would need to change. Yes, we moved between hope and naivety.

Currently, those of us who enjoy the privilege of life, observe those years of “confinement” and analyze each of the actions that were carried out during those days. We can question our own way of acting, the decisions we make: value the successes and, perhaps, learn from what are considered mistakes or simple naivety. And there are plenty of examples: a few days ago the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, researchers who laid the foundations for the vaccines that made it possible to mitigate covid-19 and, to a certain extent, those who sowed hope for the future. . It is enough to do a small memory exercise to realize that everything would have been unthinkable without technology, scientific knowledge, discipline and tenacity required in these areas of knowledge. There is a lot of work behind each instrument that was used, the eagerness of those who manufactured the masks and all the devices that were used in a process that, by the way, was carried out in record time.

On the other hand, it is clear that numerous predictions of the long-awaited back to normal —and not precisely those who told us about a new humanism, of more just societies aware of the value that is concentrated in study and research in all areas of knowledge. Although, in the classrooms, it has also been observed that academic lag is not the only problem that education faces. I wish it was like that! The socio-emotional and psychological aspects of those who suffered almost three years of “distance classes” have been very complex to face in the classroom; Indeed, this is a crucial battle for the future of our society. Just one detail, based on this text: just remember the demands that many families put on the table to almost force a return to the classrooms. The urgency and need for face-to-face work, for coexistence between colleagues, for the socialization of knowledge through teaching and learning strategies related to their own personal development, was sensed. Furthermore, it has been very valuable that distance education has been strengthened thanks to the advantages it offers.

However, something radically different can be observed in other areas. It is undeniable that many of the adjustments that allowed us to navigate that surprising typhoon have become everyday tools that we will hardly stop using. For example, the aforementioned “remote work” which, in various companies, has implied a true renewal in their work models, has brought clear benefits to those who found, in said mechanism, a productive strategy – which their workers also appreciate. —. But does this apply in all cases in which this modality is intended to be implemented? Although the answer may seem obvious, there are those who should be reminded that the dimension and importance of their work requires much more than the presumption of their position.

Apparently, in the Legislative Branch and in other instances of the government, an alternative reality is being experienced, when it comes to labor issues. It is not surprising that in the Chamber of Deputies a modification to its regulations was approved with 375 votes (the vast majority) to allow teleworking and remote sessions to, perhaps, attend to other matters. What an irony: in itself, those who enjoyed short periods of work and had the luxury of not attending, now may not even appear in their seats. And, of course, without reducing its benefits and privileges one bit.

Indeed, reality changed for many of us. We had to face and respond to the demands of the circumstances, personally, family and work. But in that divine caste of politicians, the reality is different. Anyway, does anyone demand something from you? Perhaps the pressure to which the educational bodies were subjected was similar to that which can be exerted on our respective representatives, the courtesanity of power.