Lazare Jibladze
Although our country has multi-century history of the statehood, now it is good time to establish the civil society, which will be full of responsibility. It will determine our national self-consciousness and identity for our future life.
The Georgian population, in many critical situations, clearly demonstrated that regardless difficult history, our society can stand besides each other and sacrifice their lives for common public interests. Clear examples of it are our heroes who sacrificed their lives in patriotic or international military operations; the united Georgian society during the June 13, 2015 natural disaster and others. And today, when life-threatening virus is widely spread, there are many people who voluntarily support others. Not only history transforms the societies into Nations, but their common vision about the presence and future.
What we may expect in the upcoming weeks? Most probably, it will be very difficult for everybody to cope with the problem, but regardless current challenges, it is within our power to overcome the difficulties we face. COVID-19’s devastating effect must be transformed into unity of the society and increased public responsibility.
The darkest side of the virus is psychological attack, which we received when it was reported on March 23 that strict quarantine was announced in two municipalities of Georgia – Bolnisi and Marneuli. The information was followed with the hate-speech from internet-users. They left posts and comments in the social network full of hatred based on ethnic and religious grounds.
First of all, every member of the society shall be fully aware that unity and mutual support in critical situations have no alternative. We must be aware of our individual responsibility and acknowledge that high civic consciousness does not have ethnic background or religion.
Media must demonstrate high professionalism and civic self-consciousness and pay particular attention to exclude all possibilities of the dissemination of hate speech and stigmas when reporting about sensitive cases.
I welcome all legitimate and internationally acknowledged means for the prevention of the spread of the infection and do hope that the Government will be particularly cautious about each case of the restricted rights and freedoms.
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