MARYAM SAMA , member of Afghanistan ’ s parliament
The time of COVID is a time to learn , reflect , love , help , and be kind . It ’ s a time to prove that humanity is still alive . Despite taking thousands of lives and negatively impacting economies worldwide , the COVID pandemic has had positive impacts . People are spending more time with their families and reflecting on their lives . As a member of parliament , I ’ ve had more time to talk with my constituents and address their concerns .
Our immediate priority should be to protect people from the coronavirus and prevent its spread . Our long-term response must be to tackle the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity . The erosion of wild spaces has brought us uncomfortably close to animals and plants harboring diseases that can jump to humans . Going forward , we need to make nature our strongest ally .
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While the pandemic requires us to physically distance from each other , it has brought our hearts closer ."
16 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE