I’m happy with this initiative because it’s very important to keep in touch. In Switzerland the situation is quite worrying, a hundred people have already died. The measures taken are not very strict, staying at home, teleworking, there is no police control as in France, supermarkets remain open and other shops are closed. The maximum authorized gathering is five people. I’ve been at home for two weeks and at least until April 19, and after that we don’t know.

In Gabon there are only 7 cases including one death. The borders are closed, restaurants are closed except for take-away food, markets remain open, no gathering of more than 10 people and a curfew.

The church has adapted, there are no more masses except those broadcast on TV. The church asks us to pray every day at noon. In Geneva, there are no more masses in the church. A Catholic mass was planned in the Protestant cathedral for the first time in five centuries. And it has been postponed.

In Gabon, people at first took the ban on masses badly, now they understand. For other activities, it’s difficult to stop overnight. In Geneva people understand these measures. Half of the population even thinks they are not strict enough, compared to France. And yet here people are quite lonely, and being confined in addition it is very difficult.

Is social life completely dead with all the restaurants closed? It’s difficult to live in apartments for the elderly or families with children. Between colleagues, we have a virtual café every day where we can share our problems, it allows us to keep a certain social life. In Libreville it’s more difficult because not everyone has Internet, but I’m going to try to put it into practice in the movement. Telework exists for large companies, but I’m worried about small businesses, will they be able to hold out? Gabon has anticipated this well, whereas in Geneva I have been exposed in UN gatherings and I think that the number of cases will continue to increase.

What can be done? We can communicate on the behaviour to adopt and then we will have to see how to accompany the most fragile structures that will have suffered. But we do not yet know the social and economic impact of the pandemic.

It’s important to be able to share, it helps us to stand on our own feet. We need to take initiatives such as online celebrations to see each other from the whole world. Then we have to learn the lessons: what does it mean to go through such difficulties? What is the link between climate change, the Corona virus and people’s behaviour. For Budi increasing solidarity is important: a lot of things are being done at the local level, people are nicer, are they more open because they are in danger? How can behaviours change to become sustainable? But when death is around people are able to change. Pax Romana should reflect on why to accept to change in some circumstances and not in others? It will be necessary to analyse how people have reacted to this pandemic? What were the effects on humans?

In conclusion let us remain positive let us pray that God will inspire researchers and help them with our responsible behaviour. Let us remain responsible, optimistic, faithful to God, we can overcome the problem in solidarity.

Video in French