Global Responsibility  

In this unprecedented time of global concern and uncertainty, solace may be taken in the stalwart resilience of mankind...responsible mankind.  As each day goes by, we are reminded of how small this planet is, with new cases of COVID-19 declared each day in every corner of the world. Gone are the days when tales of a horror on the other side of world remain just that distant.   

Today, as a stone hits the water’s surface of our shared sea, the ensuing ripples sweep across all coastlines.  As we stare down this global pandemic, responsible leaders recognize this and do not blink. They take this realization and turn to resourcefulness and innovation to settle those waters; bringing “hope” from a concept to a tangible.  

This innovation can be seen by peoples all over the world, in a myriad of ways, addressing a multitude of factors. It is not only the direct physical threat of this faceless predator, but all of the ancillary havoc it leaves in its wake.  Economies have been upended, children’s education and development have been derailed, and families have been forced to face the unthinkable possibility of indigence.  

The threat that Covid-19 poses is comprehensive and would be insurmountable, if not for the creativity of today’s leaders, be they in government, business, or our local community.  Recognizing the lack of options at their disposal, from the start, these savvier forward-thinkers looked to new and untraditional solutions to address the rising needs on both macro and micro levels. 

RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP 

The Norwegian government has reached out to its tech and start-up community, hosting a “48 Hour Online Hackathon” that allowed all participants to compete their most creative and innovative solutions to various categories suffering from the pandemic.   

Harnessing the power of social media to address the concerns of families and mental state of children, New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been holding regular Facebook Live Chatwith both the parents and children of her nation.    

In my own homeland of Bahrain, the task force led by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, developed and made available an app called BeAware Bahrain.  The app notifies people when they are entering the proximity of an active case of COVID-19.  

RESPONSIBLE CORPROATE LEADERSHIP 

Industry has also stepped in to do their part.  As in a time of war, corporations are altering their core capabilities and output to accommodate needs, whereas others are putting disproportionate larger focus into pre-existing areas that will address present threats.   

Singaporean start-up KroniKare developed an AI-driven temperature screening device in as quickly as two weeks and rushed it to the Integrated Health Information Systems Agency for use.  KroniKare’s device, which is made from a smartphone fitted with thermal and 3D laser cameras, is able to scan people's temperature as they walk, detecting and alerting when someone has a fever.  

As a whole, American companies are no strangers to supporting mankind in times of global war and strife.  By such standards, relative new-comer Amazon Web Services has teamed with The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Ministry of Education to develop both the content and distribution infrastructure necessary to provide virtual schooling. 

In Bahrain, track engineers from the International Circuit, which hosts the annual F-1 Grand Prix, are now focusing their skills on designing and producing hundreds of ventilators and speedily supplying these new life-savers to the Health Ministry, as well as the blueprints to the world’s manufacturers.   

ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY HEAD-ON 

When Covid-19 presented the world with a brutal choice between economic prosperity or public health, our responsible leaders stood up in defiance and declared BOTH!   

Driven by the pressures that COVID-19 has brought to bear, our more responsible leaders realized the value of supporting dynamic innovation either through their own direct actions or their empowerment of other skilled innovators.   

Be it by combining modern technology and old-fashioned humanity to maintain the psychological stability of families, reducing long lines and wait times through lasers and optics, or increasing the availability of life-saving ventilators by expanding core competencies, the solutions that these leaders have made available run the gambit of hardships and threats presented by this pandemic.  

Ultimately, though we all need to acknowledge not only the innovations rising from this strife, but our shared responsibility to push these solutions forward for the betterment of all mankind. For, in doing so, we will not only address today’s threats but will shape tomorrow.

Abdulla Bin Rashid Al Khalifa is the Kingdom of Bahrain’s ambassador to the U.S.