рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa IJSA EDITORIAL In the Covid-19 Regime – What Role Intellectual Society Can Play Bhandari Medani Prasad1,2,3,4 1 Akamai University, Hawaii, USA 2 Sumy State University, Ukraine 3 The Equality Foundation, USA 4 Human Survival Foundation, UK Received: 07.09.2020; Accepted: 11.10.2020; Published: 20.12.2020 Keywords: ecosystems, educational systems, development, pandemic, Covid-19 Copyright: © 2020 Bhandari M. P. Published by Archives of International Journal of Science Annals DOI and UDC DOI 10.26697/ijsa.2020.2.1; UDC 37.016:3:614.446/.447 Conflict of interests: The author declares that there is no conflict of interests Source of support: This study did not receive any outside funding or support Information about Bhandari Medani Prasad – https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2213-2349; the author: medani.bhandari@gmail.com; Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology, Professor, Professor of Sustainability, Akamai University, Hawaii, USA; Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Sumy State University, Ukraine; General Secretary, The Equality Foundation, USA; Executive Director, Human Survival Foundation, UK. The contemporary world is in very difficult trajectory. In my opinion, at this crisis, to some extent, we are As a matter of fact, the Humanity is in crisis and in facing abnormality – within ourselves, in societies, and challenge. The scholarly world is also kind of it has spread to social, educational, institutional, traumatized. We all are scared due to uncertainty created political, economic, religious patterns as well as in our by the Corona Pandemic. Covid-19 pandemic has deep root of knowledge, wisdom patterns. This created great uncertainty humanity has ever faced and abnormality has directly impacted the hope foresee its impact is everywhere, over the economy, route. At the same time, when danger surrounds us, it is employment, finances, relationships, and physical and hard to remain calm, peace. This disturbance directly mental health as well as in social equilibrium. hits the knowledge production pattern. Even Having this When there is crisis, it is normal to lose patience, situation, if we are able to produce the scholarly papers perseverance and the mental strength, and also there is (knowledge), that means, we are still very strong, we always a chance of hopelessness. As such we live in have hope and power of tolerance of uncertainty. hope and hope creates the motivation to move ahead. As a lay person of the society and a student of social Motivation creates inner power to human heart as well science, I believe that togetherness, unity, humanly as in the human brain. The current crisis has direct feelings of connectedness within us and beyond, impact to all of us and we are in the crisis of humanity, empowers us to be strong and provides the power of and even crisis is hope as well as crisis of motivation. tolerance. When we feel that “I am” “we are” not alone, Our regular thinking pattern is deeply disturbed, our and feel that, we are not only in trouble, that gives an regular living style is altered, our all collegial circles are unseen power to look ahead, and prepare for the extreme under confusion and also in suspicious condition within events, crisis, etc. we may have to face again and again. and beyond. When there is a direct hit on human brain The Covid-19 is the example of extreme crisis. Here, I due to uncertainty and fear, it raises direct pain in the would like to share, my feeling and thoughts that, it is deep-thinking pattern and when there is danger around just the beginning of Corona impact. As we already us, we may begin to think everything differently. At know that, it has created untrusty environment present our condition is instable therefore, our especially to the political system (administration). We creativeness, is disturbed, and the established notion of are noticing various tensions, between governments, research, development, innovation and contribution to governments and citizens or victimized general public. the society at large is also in danger cloud. 5 International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020 The innocent poor, people are being victimized without – including all ecosystems – of the planet is house for all there any role to spread the virus. of us combinedly). This notion, advocates that, each of Furthermore, it is hard to forecast, what kind of the living species has the same rights of their survival as devastating impacts are on the way. It is already noticed we human has, in this earth and its ecosystems. As we that countries economic conditions are already began to already witnessed that, disturbances of planet collapse. There is strong chance of another global ecosystems (due anthropogenic disturbances in the economic recession and it may take several years to planet ecosystems we are already facing climate change, overcome from this foreseeable economic recession. We biodiversity loss, sea liven rise, weather variations, have already seen that, how much the airlines industries, flood, land slight, erosions, pollutions etc.) has direct tourism, hotel, recreational industries are suffering. The negative impacts on human as well as to all living beings productional industrial sectors are also in trouble and in the planet. Therefore, it is our responsibility to spread unemployment is raising almost in every countries of the the philosophy of Bashudhaiva Kutumbakam and use world. The main, responsible sector – the health system our all expertise to protect or maintain the ecosystems is not being able to cope with the pandemic spread. where each of species can enjoy their existence. These situations have direct impact on our educational As knowledge practitioners, it is our responsibility to systems of all levels. The research agendas are shifted advocate and to make aware to the all concerned and there is financial scarcity on research and stakeholders, that this planet does not belongs to only development fields. In this situation, producing human it also equally belongs to the all living beings – knowledge, writing research papers is not easy. who are directly or indirectly related to us. Therefore, as However, now, we researchers, and educators have scholars, our topmost priority should be to protect the more responsibilities. Because we know the meaning of planet and its biodiversity-ecosystems. In another knowledge, wisdom, innovation, discovery, invention. words, we should first accept and realize that, if we Therefore, it is our responsibility to produce more human have the human rights of survival, then, why not knowledge and distribute more which can show that the other living being has no rights of enjoy their lives, since intellectual world is still active. This activeness of we share the same systems of the planet. scholarly world can help to maintain hope and In my opinion, if we believe that, we are knowledgeable, motivation within and beyond the academic educators, knowledge producers and practitioners; we scholarships. To some extent, we can state that should not influence by the greed, ego, anger, prejudice, knowledge creates hope. and also should not limit ourselves on only I am right. Through this note, I would like to urge/request to all We should not be in trap of within the individualistic educators, scholars, scientists and to all other knowledge bubbles; instead, need to realize that, we all are directly related stakeholders of the globe, that, the knowledge or indirectly connected within humans and other living creators and educators should not stop our research and being of the planet. We need to explore the ways of our contribution to the society. The world has been “how societies can remain in the harmonious facing crisis throughout its development processes and relationships” as well as how we can maintain the the world has already witnessed many pandemic crisis harmonious relationships with nature and other living as well as other kind of crises, of many types even being, who share the same house for survival. We apolitical, political, economic, social, psychological, should/can begin this kind of relation – through the ethnic, gender, race, color, (human created) or natural service to the humanity and extend that service to the disasters, which had completely changed the face human other living beings by using our knowledge and wisdom. civilizations. However, mostly, the saviors have been Knowledge is the key to open the reality of the problem always the knowledgeable persons or change makers and knowledge helps to realize or to understand the facts who never stopped working fearlessly. As such we and wisdom is the proper utilization of acquired should acknowledge ourselves that, we are the knowledge. As knowledge practitioner, we are aware knowledge creators, wisdom generators of the society; that, we are by nature social beings and enjoy ourselves therefore, one way or another we are also hope creators; in society. Society can only be harmonious when all beauty admires, and love and respect maintainers. We members of the society maintain the societal norms and should take our responsibility in a way that other values. Society can only remain healthy- when we stakeholders also realize that, this is not the end of the respect each other, encourage each other and love each world and they also need to feel that, together we can other and importantly if we have balanced resources to bear the risk, tolerate the uncertainty and maintain the maintain the life support system of the society. This hope of anxiety free world. notion applies to the large house as well “Bashudhaiva Here, I would like to state that, as knowledge creators, Kutumbakam”. It is kind of extended family – where all educators and responsible citizens of this planet, we living beings share the same planet. Therefore, it is our need to think, how this world can be better place for all responsibility, that each of the members can enjoy their of us including all living species of the various part of resources. It is our responsibility to create the ecosystems. harmonious environment, where, live and let other live There is term or an idea of Bashudhaiva Kutumbakam principles fully gets utilized. (meaning – we all humans – wherever we live, whatever Finally, I request to all scholars to utilize the acquired, color, race, gender, ethnicity or religion, or political learned, experienced and practiced knowledge which alignments we have- primarily- we are human and we can help to create and maintain the harmonious are related and interconnected, similarly, all biodiverse relationships, within and beyond of human and non- living being are our relatives and the physical structure human living beings. 6 рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa IJSA Acknowledgements are our relatives. Why we need to worry about I thank to you all, who have been contributing by climate change, with reference to pollution research, service, publications or other means to the problems in the major cities of India, Nepal, world since we trapped under the Covid-19 regime. Bangladesh and Pakistan. Advances in Especially thank you to scholarly contributors of every Agriculture and Environmental Science, 2(1), issues journals, wherever they have published, or being 8−35. doi:10.30881/aaeoa.00019 publishing in this serious time and thank to all who have Bhandari, M. P. (2019). Live and let other live – the shown that uncertainty does not stop to the knowledge harmony with nature/living beings-in reference producers, and to the all other scholars, who will be to sustainable development (SD) – is contributing in comings issues of the any scholarly contemporary world’s economic and social journals, newspaper, TV shows etc. Once again, thank phenomena is favorable for the sustainability of you to the editorial team for publishing my thoughts in the planet in reference to India, Nepal, your journal. I would also like to thank to my wife Bangladesh, and Pakistan? Advances in Prajita Bhandari, for encouraging to contribute for the Agriculture and Environmental Science, 2(2), society specially some thoughts of hope. Thank you. 37−57. doi:10.30881/aaeoa.00020 Bhandari, M. P. (2020). The phobia corona (COVID 19) References – What can we do. Scientific Journal of Bielsko- Bhandari, M. P. (2019). “Bashudaiva Kutumbakkam” – Biala School of Finance and Law, 24(1), 5–7. The entire world is our home and all living beings doi:10.5604/01.3001.0014.0769 Cite this article as: Bhandari, M. P. (2020). In the Covid-19 Regime – What Role Intellectual Society Can Play. International Journal of Science Annals, 3(2), 5–7. doi:10.26697/ijsa.2020.2.1 The electronic version of this article is complete. It can be found online in the IJSA Archive https://ijsa.culturehealth.org/en/arhiv and in the KRPOCH Publishing Repository https://ekrpoch.culturehealth.org/handle/lib/71 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en). 7