Moderated by Peter Mansbridge: April 17, 2020 Munk School of Public Affairs Zoom event explores governance issues related to COVID-19

At 10:30 AM on April 17, 2020 I attended a Zoom public event sponsored by the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

The event, which included a Q & A at the end, was entitled: “A Question of Trust: Politics, Perception and the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Source: April 17, 2020 Global News article entitled: “Canada is flattening the coronavirus curve. That’s ‘good news,’ expert explains.”

Click here to access a YouTube recording of the event >

I’ve been following the COVID-19 story closely and have written previous posts about how different jurisdictions have been addressing the new coronavirus.

The Munk School of Public Affairs event broadened my understanding of what COVID-19 entails.

For that reason I’ve written the current post featuring a link (please see above) to the YouTube recording of the Zoom event.

An online blurb for the event noted:

Trust between the people and their governments, law enforcement agencies or branches of authority isn’t always ironclad. But usually, skepticism bears little impact on our ability to live well. How do politics and perception shape a global pandemic? Can a lack of trust have an impact on public health?

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, so does the information shared by authorities. Leaders at all levels have shifted from downplaying the severity of the virus to imposing lockdowns, and in some cases, have fallen ill themselves. Public health guidance on wearing masks and gathering in public continues to change. In some countries, there is a stark lack of government consensus, which is directly impacting health outcomes. As conspiracy theorists and disinformation runs rampant while experts conflict on how to proceed, who can we trust? And what are the consequences if we lose faith in the institutions meant to keep us safe?

Please submit your questions in advance to events.munk@utoronto.ca. A webinar link will be emailed to you upon registration.

Speakers

Peter Mansbridge
Moderator
Former CBC Chief Correspondent and Distinguished Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Peter Loewen
Speaker
Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and Department of Political Science

Lynette Ong
Speaker
Associate Professor, Asian Institute at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and Department of Political Science

Dr. David Fisman
Speaker
Professor and Faculty Division Head of Epidemiology at Dalla Lana School of Public Health