by Inese Bulava, University of Latvia
In our quest to combat depressing narratives during times of crisis, there is a temptation to paint a sunny picture of resilience and survival. But too often we forget about people who are left behind. Those who do not have our best interests at heart, such as populists and Russian proxies, are sometimes the only ones who pay attention to the marginalized and vulnerable populations.
Think about the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The consequences of these tragedies have hit Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries hard, exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities.
While governments focus on resilience and resisting Russian propaganda, vulnerable groups are often left to fend for themselves, with rising prices, stagnant wages, burnout, depression, other health issues, and limited access to essential services.
Low-wage workers, youth, single-parent families, victims of domestic abuse, and refugees, to name a few, are disproportionately affected by systemic issues and existing inequalities. They need our attention and support now more than ever.
It is understandable that leaders celebrate successes and sometimes ignore the struggles. Populists and Kremlin proxies want people to focus solely on the negative, so highlighting successes is a way to push back against Kremlin propaganda.
Negative narratives, such as the Kremlin’s depiction of Latvia as a failed and powerless state, can be incredibly damaging. Then again, merely spreading positivity without recognizing possible pitfalls can lead many folks to feel ignored and marginalized, potentially making them more susceptible to populist and extremist messages.
Also, our leaders may suffer from survivorship bias and from their positions of privilege. They may be unable to see how much worse things are now for underprivileged groups.
In 2019, amid the pandemic, the Prime Minister of Latvia, Mr. Krišjānis Kariņš, said publicly that “there is more money than ever.”
In 2023, healthcare workers in Latvia say that the sector will face a severe crisis in the summer at latest. GP practices are closing because of staff shortages and a lack of money. Hospitals and outpatient clinics are facing unprecedented queues for examinations, which will have to be significantly reduced or stopped this year due to lack of funding. Doctors and nurses are planning to leave the sector and the country en masse.
Survivorship bias is a dangerous force, as it can make us ignore the failures and disregard those who did not make it through. We must also recognize that there should be more than just talk.
When we do not act to address social and economic inequalities, people lose hope, become unemployed, silent, depressed, or violent. If they still have agency, they leave the country altogether.
Resilience is not just about surviving a crisis, but also about confronting systemic issues. Would you agree that, in order to effectively combat harmful propaganda and promote a more cohesive and equitable society, it is crucial to strike a balance between countering negative narratives and addressing the real problems?
- This blog is a part of a blog series written by the BAMSE Riga intensive course students. The blog series analyses the concept of resilience from five different viewpoints: democracy in crises, regional responses, social consequences, relevance of history politics and cultural approaches. This blog belongs to the social consequences part of the blog series. Read more about the blog series on Bamse News & Events website.