Understanding what’s coming down the line will help us to prepare properly

So, here I am again, as promised, sharing my reflections on the week that has just ended with you all. We’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But we need our governments to further clarify the immediate future regarding this situation. The how, what, where and when about the extent to which those aspects related to our exiting this nightmare can be specified, so we can restart the engines, and accelerate those that haven’t been completely switched off during the crisis. But we’re managing the anxiety very well overall, I think. 

Children, adults – everyone is important and everyone matters. There’s no doubt about that. But employment is absolutely fundamental to guaranteeing the emotional and economic health of our people. We want to know and understand the plans and digest them properly in order to better prepare ourselves. But still in some European countries, including Spain, the situation is improving only little by little. In Latin America fortunately, the spread of the disease hasn’t been so severe yet, and this is giving them time to prepare.

People are also helping in many cases in an exemplary manner, most of us by staying at home as indicated. And companies and foundations are playing their part too, being supportive and contributing to strengthening our collective health and protecting those making up the health care community. These have also been Fundación MAPFRE's priorities and our contribution is being distributed very effectively in a great number of countries.

On that note, I wanted to tell you that this week I wrote an article for Ethic magazine, a benchmark publication for ethics and sustainable development in Spain and Latin America. The piece was titled Victory will belong to those who give and, among other reflections, I’d like to share one here that I believe firmly: “In the midst of this crisis, giving is the only option; it is what is going to get us all past this terrible situation”. I’m not aiming to force solidarity on anyone, as I believe it’s something that is exercised individually, but I do feel that we should consider that the current situation requires unity, with each one of us giving what we can without expecting anything in return, so that we can all come out of this together. That’s what truly united societies look for and do. If there’s one thing about this virus, it’s that it is giving us the opportunity to recover values that we had before, although they weren’t always front and center. The only ones who will not be able to accompany us on the road ahead are those who have left us. Too many of them almost to count, but their children, grandchildren and friends will overcome this situation and we will contribute to the best of our abilities to strengthening social and economic recovery.