Vulnerability and the Power of Privilege

The Covid-19 pandemic affects us all, whether we live in Sweden or South Africa, whether we’re managing a big multinational corporation or working as a bartender in the local pub. The virus does not discriminate. However, it does affect us differently depending on our existing circumstances. There are certain conditions that make some people more susceptible to getting seriously ill if infected. Meanwhile, some are more dramatically affected than others when a lockdown is imposed. These factors lie mostly outside of a person’s control, such as age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, living conditions, underlying health conditions, country of residence, employment, and much more.

How differently is this crisis experienced for someone who has a safe and steady income, vs. someone who is losing theirs? How differently is this pandemic experienced by someone who is considered in the “high-risk” group, vs someone who is not? How differently does the lockdown impact the quality of life of someone with direct access to a garden, vs someone living in a small apartment in the city with no access to outdoor spaces, or for someone without a safe place to call home? How differently does the current situation affect working parents of young children, vs professionals who are single or childless? In essence, what has this pandemic taught us about privilege and power dynamics until now, and how can we learn from it in order to better address these inequalities in the future?

Each speaker represent uniquely different groups who are deeply affected by the crisis, in different ways.