Peace, Covid, Governance & Research…what’s the connection ?

War teaches us that unchecked ambition (or greed), has disastrous consequences – primarily for non-combatants, and for national economics.  Recovery and re-building are slow, expensive processes, and the human scars require more than one generation to be forgotten. If there is a positive after-effect, it is a heightened awareness that we must learn to live together and be more accepting of each other, if war is not to be repeated.

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In a world which has not seen a global conflict for almost 100 years, the COVID pandemic (should have?) provided a similar wake-up call, as societal lockdowns, constrictions of movement and trade and huge behavioural shifts again demonstrated the need for greater global consideration, and collaborative approaches to combat the disease;  we needed to think beyond the “me” to the “us”.

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And yet – perhaps as a consequence of too much isolation, too much forced “us”, or too much time without this generation understanding the horrors of war – we are now witnessing a strong resurrection of “me” thinking, heightened nationalist and populist sentiment, an ever increasing adoption of ‘N.I.M.B.Y.’ (Not In My Back Yard) attitudes, and a growing belief amongst governmental and business leaders that they (individually) know best and that they have no need of consultative debate or informed discussion. 

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Looking specifically at politics (as it provides the most public references), the decline in democratic principles was covered in a (prescient) article by Brookings, naming four I’s as the greatest challenge to democracy- identity, inequality, information and interference - all of which can be seen as hallmarks of populism, all of which have grown faster in the past few years, all of which have impacted negatively on democracy, and all of which can be addressed by good governance!

(https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/04/22/the-four-is-undermining-democracy/amp/ );

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Governance is seen by many as boring, “not my thing”, or something that someone else should look after…but governance is all of our responsibility, as we each have a contribution to make, if we wish for a fair and just outcome. Simply put, governance is a series of checks and balances designed to promote a well-managed and accountable decision-making process; governance helps to cultivate a culture of integrity, can enhance legitimacy and ensure that the entity always acts in the best interests of those whom it serves. In short, good governance can improve performance, reduce risks, enable growth and most importantly, improve reputation and foster trust.

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So what’s the connection with Research?

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Well, independent research has always provided objective evidence to help guide decision-making; if Facebook had truly appreciated its users views on privacy, would they have allowed Cambridge Analytica to do what they did? If Boeing had truly understood all the implications of their flight levelling algorithm in the 737-Max, would they have launched it? Thinking about the debate on partisan manipulation of the electoral system in the USA, has any corroborated evidence been found of election fraud? If the Conservative party in the UK had better appreciated the financial reaction to the recent mini-budget, would they have announced it? 

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A survey conducted by HERE Technologies in 2019, clearly showed that those Tech firms who had conducted data collection activities without being transparent, had lost significant consumer trust, and thus reputation, and provided stark evidence of the truism: trust takes years to build, but only seconds to destroy.

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Research is a fundamental element of a holistic system of checks and balances. A system of governance requiring independently sourced evidence, coupled with an open and informed debate, would have allowed all of the above examples to be avoided. “I know best” or “We know best” has long been proven to NOT be the optimal approach, nor has the over-riding primacy of profit ever been shown to have a long-term, beneficial impact on the welfare of society – no matter how loud it has been argued! Oversight, transparency and honesty – core tenets of governance (and good research!) – have had far greater success in bringing longer-term benefits and value. As we move forward into a period fraught with anxiety about a recession, do NOT let research and its vital role in facilitating sound, evidence-based decisions, be a victim of any short-term, misguided financial efficiency program.

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Good governance is: 

Good for Peace;  Good for Business;  Good for Research;  Good for Integrity, and Good for Society

Why aren’t we all leading the charge for Good Governance?

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