James Denseiow

If climate change is an invisible threat that threatens the lives and livelihoods of humanity, then is Covid-19 a similar type of threat in redux? Despite us being in the middle, rather than towards the end, of the tunnel of the Coronavirus threat with infections and deaths continuing to soar we are already beginning to see the shape of what the world could look like after the virus is brought under control.

The first trend to explore is whether humanity can and will transition from seeing threats in more conventional terms to adopting a more global holistic perspective. One commentator recently described the US Republican Party as being good at articulating threats from people and countries – say terrorism and Iran – rather than from natural threats – say climate change linked wildfires, flood, hurricanes and of course now the Covid pandemic that President Trump has frequently said would just ‘go away’.

There is a very real logic behind this. As human beings we find it easier to empathise and imagine what other human beings could do to us. It is literally in our DNA that all humans on the planet today are here because their ancestors survived in more dangerous times. Add to that a near constant media diet of new stories as to the threat of terrorism and the rise of media savvy barbarism in the form of ISIS and it is no surprise that terrorism has traditionally topped polls of what Americans are afraid of.

Could Covid change that? The US is almost at a quarter of a million dead from the disease and just as the country has been shaped by the wars it has fought will it emerge with a new consciousness and determination to address the threats of nature that are on its doorstep?

These threats have been best articulated by the scientific community who have been (with the possible exception of Al Gore) the most consistent advocates of the need for the world to adopt policy changes to change the direction of global warming and manmade climate change.

The year of Covid has spawned the phrase ‘led by the science’ and has seen most global leaders announce their policies towards controlling the virus whilst flanked by doctors and scientists. The biggest political spates in much of the world have been when politicians have been seen to diverge from scientific advice; whether by opening up restrictions too quickly or by not mandating the wearing of masks.

Will this supercharged influencing power of the scientific and medical community sustain beyond the Covid era to play a far more critical role in elections and global decision making going forward? This could be especially true if there is more evidence sourcing the origin of the virus to animal to human transmission in Myanmar and the likelihood of further such species transmissions in a more populated planet.

In addition, Covid has introduced us to the concept of banked deaths. In that the current death rate of any given day is not a true reflection of where the virus is. Indeed, the average 24-day time lag between infection and death means that policy decisions made now are only influencing the direction of the virus several weeks into the future. The same concept is very much at the heart of climate change where we are dealing with warming now caused and traced back to the industrial revolution as well as more recent activity. Grappling with the time period between cause and effect is a lesson being learnt in lives through Covid but could also help us inspire actions that won’t bear fruit in protecting our climate for decades to come.

Finally, the concept of ‘herd immunity’ has perhaps reminded us of our species consciousness and that we are not safe until we’re all safe. This could and should be a wakeup call for global action. Rather than vaccine nationalism and multilateral disfunction and decline, surely the virus has taught us that we need organisations like the WHO running that better than ever before. That the World Food Programme was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize is just another reminder of the importance of joint endeavour that is required of us.

by : jamse danselow

The Coronavirus Vaccine Moment Beware the Lame Duck Presidency

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”