Coronavirus and Global Happiness, Op-ed

The World Happiness Report is issued by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and covers more than 150 countries, according to a precise rule that takes into account per capita gross domestic product, social welfare, average age, social freedoms, generosity, and the absence of corruption.

The happiest countries are often the wealthiest countries to a certain extent, in addition to other auxiliary factors such as additional income and social support, the absence of corruption, and the level of freedom enjoyed by inpiduals.

We remember that, in July 2011, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution calling on member states to measure the happiness of their people to help guide their public policies; On April 2, 2012, the first high-level meeting of the UN was held on “Happiness and Well-being: Defining a New Economic Model”.

The 2020 report included for the first time a special indicator that classifies rates of happiness at the cities level through inpiduals' assessment of their lives in general... The importance of this indicator lies in the fact that more than half of the world's population are residents of cities and urban agglomerations, which represent economic centers of gravity in all countries, and the center of 80% of the world's gross national product.

The World Happiness Report included a study that sheds light on the relationship between the sustainable development goals and the quality of life, via analyzing the performance of the countries included in the Global Happiness Index; It is an indicator that monitors the efforts of countries around the world and their readiness to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals, "Global Agenda 2030".

In a special chapter in the 2020 edition, a special study presented the role of the natural environment in raising the level of happiness and quality of life for inpiduals. It also presents an analysis of the inpiduals’ impressions included in the happiness opinion polls. The outcomes showed the importance of the quality and safety of the natural environment in supporting and enhancing the levels of quality of life in cities and societies.

The study concluded that the natural environment plays a role in raising levels of happiness and quality of life by providing many opportunities and experiences that bring happiness.

The last report was published before the outbreak of the Coronavirus, which had stopped many normal lifestyles; I do not know how the authors of the next report will depend on the same indicators to calculate the level of happiness among peoples… Suffice to say that, Europe and many countries around the world, for example, talk in recently about red zones instead of green zones, indicating an increase in the infection curve during the Christmas period.

Since the beginning of the quarantine measures in many countries of the world, the authorities have limited movements within the country and even among cities. For example, the rare sociological studies in Europe indicate the prevalence of a difficult psychological condition among many segments of society, especially spouses, which leads to the spread of domestic violence and the high rate of porce.

Caroline de Haas, a member of the Feminist Coalition summarizes the situation, saying, “Crises often connected to the escalating rates of violence. So what about people who live in the home quarantine together, they may move from psychological and moral violence to physical and sexual violence and even to murder!”

What makes matters worse, according to a report prepared by the France 24 TV channel, if the home quarantine in France increases the daily torment of battered women, it becomes very difficult for this category of women to go out and report their husbands or even contact the competent associations by phone.

Moreover, in light of the fullness of hospitals in America and Europe, priority is given to Coronavirus patients at the expense of other patients, a matter which prevented necessary surgeries from being performed on time, and this led to the death of many of them ...

Amid these circumstances, it is difficult to talk about happiness, as the annual World Happiness Report talks about with its usual indicators.

I came out with great conviction, whenever I thought about the subject, or through my conversation with colleagues in America, Europe, and the Arab world during this period, that the most positive and patient people are the ones who have a strong belief in God, who always believe that, "Verily, along with every hardship is a relief, Verily, along with every hardship is a relief"