17/05/2020   

                            

A time to reconcile …. or in fact to reset ..

Of course, I am talking about the effects of the COVID.19 Pandemic!

It is so clear that the life that used to be prior to the COVID.19 and the life that is emerging 

due to the COVID.19 are different in a multitude of aspects of life that the consequential 

stress it is creating is bound to be fundamentally game-changing …. and hugely negative 

in that, unfortunately!!

I feel compelled to compare it with the pre-WW. I & WW. II conditions and tensions that were about such heightened economic and international relations, personal attitudes and dire uncertainties.

The main difference however being present-day open sharing of personal life stories of individuals as well presence of international bodies such as the UN, WEF, WHO etc. …

.and of course the Digital Revolution instead of the pre-world wars Industrial Revolution.

The obvious frictions among people at the person to person levels, societal levels, religious levels, organizational levels, national and international levels are bound to disturb a huge proportion of the human population.

It can cause harm, insults, abuse, break ups, scapegoating, domination, occupations, forced conversions, exploitation, trafficking …. even causing large and prolonged wars that is not

going to help the beautiful future painted by innumerable humans, societies, communities, countries and the groups of countries.

The world will have to resume – 'living' …. living with the acceptance of the deep reality of the situation thrown in by COVID.19 …. and that living can not be harmonious unless there is a reconciliation and …. well it may sound hard to digest but …yes … a big resetting!!

All the contracts, lending, borrowing, MOUs including personal contracts stand null and void because the circumstances created by the COVID.19 pandemic come under (in my opinion) the clauses of ‘Act of God’ that foil the agreements at a global level.   

And if reconciliation with this reality and resetting of the prevailing inter-human, inter-nations, inter-commercial bodies' agreements do not take place soonest, there will be unlimited and unimagined levels of arms twisting, abrasiveness in the relations from micro levels to the international levels – be it personal human relationships, organizational, societal, religious or political levels that may lead to destructive and unsettling outcomes.

Therefore, before it gets too late – it’s the time to Reconcile and Reset!!

Starting it with the personal dreams, plans and the realities brought about by the pandemic leading up to the international level inter-countries agreements, lendings and borrowings – 

it’s a time to reset to a new zero and start all over again and that for sure will indeed prove 

the proactive application of the information technology, connectivity and togetherness brought about by the formation of the UN and its innumerable bodies and the world standing as one !! 

Of course, to reconcile by obvious giving up something and gaining something and resetting

to start afresh – thereby averting the disturbingly negative tensions that are fast emerging 

at all levels. Those negative tensions can not be resolved by the new normal brought about 

by the pandemic unless we reconcile with the new realities and with each other !!

So, its time to Reconcile and Reset – now than never!!

-       - Capt. U.S. Gogate

17May2020

                         The Plastic Sting! - opinion and analysis of the Vizag Gas leak of 07May2020
                                                                                                                          -  by  Capt. U. S. Gogate
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The Covid.19 Pandemic is changing the life at sea, the ships and the shipping world too! ... and there is a lot of work to do for that ...!!

The Covid.19 Pandemic has impacted almost everything in the world, so much so that its exhaustive list could only be handled by some supercomputer!

 It has impacted the 'control' or 'controls' in far too many operations and in that the ships' operations can not be any exceptions!

This is because of its severe effects on the human resource, the material supply chains, the money factors, the new awareness about the maritime shipping in the world and above all its impact on the pace of constant change and its direction in the Maritime world and not missing out the increased opportunistic piracy activities under these circumstances.

Innovations and incentives may also be de-linked and what motivates the seafarers may change altogether for good too.

However, a certain major portion of the Maritime aspects never change and them being the fundamental Mathematics, laws of floatation, Science behind Navigation, Engineering, Cargo work, maintenance work, Food Technology, several high-tech automation and their electronic and remote controls and the preservation of human lives through the thick and thin of the daily life at sea.

The ship's medicine chest, sick-bay designs may change and the syllabus for the 'First Aid at Sea' may change too ..... the newly enhanced encouragement of women to join the seas may take a beating after the on-going indefinite delays to the movement of seafarers being experienced.

Focus on the development of the autonomous ships and handling their movements may get accelerated though not at the speed of Covid.19 vaccine research!

But in all this one big factor is bound to emerge - out of necessity - that of the new Leadership at sea and the Leaders in the form of the Captains, Chief Engineers, Officers, Engineers, Petty officers, Cooks-Chefs and the senior ratings - these ranks are bound to change in their approach to the lfe at sea irreversibly.

The scientific calculations are going to remain unchanged but the factors controlling them have to undergo that impending change after the pandemic, which is not defined, not predictable, not funded ...but purely driven by the Markets and the human societies and their lifestyles that are being re-shaped on an unimaginable scale and variances.

So let's be prepared for that change but without letting-go the huge positive evolution in work culture humans have made in the shipboard workplaces since the last such known Pandemic !! 

And that is going to take a lot of hard work by known as well as unknown ways of work !!

- END -