What’s the story with this pledge? Read about it here. And for the text that’s hard to read, just click on it and it will magically reveal itself!

Because I acknowledge that …

• I am deeply connected to strangers, so my behaviours affect those far removed. Also,

• My choices of how to connect with others impact the lives of everyone close to me. For example, the people I decide to hug might end up being perceived as higher risk by their own friends.

• My knowledge isn’t perfect, and I’m likely to exaggerate it

• Our collective knowledge about COVID-19 is evolving rapidly

• We are affected by the situation in different ways, and to different degrees

• Pre-existing inequalities, oppressions and exploitations, along the lines of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexuality, education, sex, age, wealth, religion, political or ethical convictions, etc. will often be compounded and magnified by the crises we are traversing.

• It can be easy to exclude those most at risk unless we actively prevent it. For example, those who are currently suffering from COVID-19 might struggle with multiple limitations and hardships, as well as those with a higher perceived risk, who might see some of their social support gravitate away.

• Perceptions of risk are important. While it’s clearly useful to base our risk evaluation on the best knowledge we can access (and on our particular context), when it comes to others, we can never know all the factors and values that entered their risk perceptions.

… I want to do my best by others by …

• learning — and regularly updating my knowledge — about COVID-19 and the recommended measures where I live, either from friends and family, or from primary sources. SARS-CoV-2: things like mean incubation time, mean number of days the virus has been found present in people’s bodies, symptoms, means of transmission, likely rates of asymptomatic transmission, etc. My local context: the recommended safety measures at home, at work, while socializing, etc.

• responding with gratitude when others point to information I didn’t know, and being open to changing my mind when faced with better knowledge.

• being open and gentle in discussions about “what scientists currently know”, or about whether the relevant institutions have recommended “good enough” measures. I recognize that’s not easy to ascertain, even for those with extensive knowledge and experience.

• carefully checking the sources of what I pass onto others. In particular, by not spreading information that I have not received from trusted sources.

• deciding which social behaviours feel reasonable and acceptable for me from and with others, given my needs, risk perception, ethics, etc. Around physical touch, gatherings, measures at work, etc. Questions like what information I’d like to know before engaging in various behaviours, my own privacy needs, etc.

• not initiating hugs, kisses, handshakes, or other close contact greetings with unless I know the limits and risk management desires of the recipients.

• asking about, and welcoming others’ limits, choices of interaction, risk perception, etc. And, of course, respecting them to the best of my abilities!

• not shaming or stigmatizing myself and others for their choices. For seeming too cautious, or too reckless.

• not pressuring myself and others into changing.

• connecting and offering to help with what I can to compensate for the isolation and disregard that some in my network are likely to experience. From calls to (perhaps physically-distant) walks, to help with shopping, to lending or gifting resources (for example, paying for a medical test to someone who needs it but cannot afford it), to setting up virtual book clubs, and so on. In particular,

• actively discovering mutually satisfying activities, especially with those at higher risk, or those with more limits and limitations to their freedom.

• being open and honest about my own physical state and recent social behaviours, when and where that’s relevant. In particular,

• getting tested, when possible and relevant, (if I run a high risk, say, due to my work, or when relevant symptoms appear)

• getting vaccinated against COVID, but also against other infections, such as the seasonal flu.

• telling my recent and future contacts when I develop symptoms or test positive*

• telling my recent and future contacts when someone I’ve been in contact with has developed symptoms or acted in risky ways, as soon as I am made aware, all while doing my best to ask about and respect the privacy needs of all those involved

… so that together we may …

• enjoy each other’s company with less fear

• avoid regrets when it comes to being close to others

• gain more time, until more treatments and vaccines are developed, and until our societies have a better chance to adapt to these changes

• prevent suffering especially for those who are at a higher risk of various privations

* Although here it refers to COVID-19 symptoms, this can apply to other infectious illnesses as well.

Resources

For more resources to help with this pledge, click here.