As must happen to many of our readers, I often live these last days of December wishing that 2020 would end once and for all and that the time counter would give us the possibility of a new year in which we can soon and without obstacles recover our family, work, cultural, and economic life.
The temptation to turn the page on this year is as understandable as it is human, because the ravages with which Covid-19 has punished us are not minor, starting with the thousands of victims of the pandemic (I regret each and every one of them, but I am especially pained by the elderly to whom we have not known how to guarantee a dignified end), and also the serious consequences that confinements have caused to the health of industry, restaurants, small businesses, and cultural facilities.
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I understand that we want to forget as soon as possible this 2020 that has put so many obstacles in our daily lives, pushing the public health system to the limit of its resistance, in some agonizing months that have been on the verge of throwing us into a recession with unpredictable consequences.
However, precisely now that forgetting is such a strong temptation, it is more necessary than ever to make an alternative assessment of 2020, avoiding fleeing from painful memories, but also not falling into a paralyzing catastrophism.
Because just as, throughout its history, Barcelona has overcome health crises and sieges of a destructive force greater than Covid-19, now the city has not only resisted the onslaught of the pandemic, but is already overcoming its effects with the vaccine of work and creativity.
This same week, our Post explained the creation of a hub of art, science, and technology in Montjuïc that will draw on the museum facilities in the area to boost the Artech sector through an accelerator for creative companies and a research center financed with European reconstruction funds. At the beginning of the month we also told you how Amazon will strengthen its presence in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area with a new 21,000 square meter logistics center in Montcada i Reixach. We also knew that a local company specialized in injectable products, the pharmaceutical company Reig Jofre, has been chosen to produce the vaccine that Johnson & Johnson will deploy worldwide to eradicate Covid-19.
Despite living in a time of uncertainty, Barcelona has been the chosen place for many national companies, such as Innsomnia, a pioneer in startup accelerators, and international ones like Nicecactus, the French multinational electronic games firm, to deploy their business.
"Barcelona has overcome health crises and sieges of a destructive force greater than Covid-19, and is now recovering with the vaccine of work and creativity"2020 has taught us that from now on, the most competitive countries in the world will be those that bet more heavily on scientific innovation and biomedical research, on pedagogical models that go beyond traditional schooling through new technological means of interaction between teachers and students, and that seek answers to the enigmas posed by the future with more open and porous cultural facilities for citizens. Barcelona cannot remain on the sidelines of this long-distance race. Moreover, it must lead it.
Barcelona and Catalan civil society has not only responded to the challenges of the pandemic with a very high sense of responsibility and sacrifice, but today it strives to overcome this 2020, learn from everything that could have been done better and with more efficient resources, in order to reactivate as soon as possible and once again lead the south of Europe culturally and economically.
I believe, and I say it with pride, that my fellow citizens have fulfilled their duty with effort and have risen to the occasion, demonstrating that freedom and responsibility are not mutually exclusive, in contrast to a political class that has not always demonstrated the minimum level of technical experience and leadership in management.
Making an alternative assessment of 2020 implies turning the page and looking forward, but having a clear understanding of our pending tasks so as not to falsely close the crisis and the challenges that the pandemic has imposed on us.
"Very soon, Barcelona will once again receive visitors from all over the world, we will fill theaters and restaurants, and Barça will be able to repeat the glorious eras that made it an admired and envied club"Kierkegaard said that "life can only be understood by looking backward, but it must be lived by looking forward."
The immediate future from this 2021 will not be easy to manage: Catalonia will need fairer funding, in accordance with its weight and effort, stronger leaderships, and more solvent public officials.
Very soon, Barcelona will once again welcome visitors from all over the world; we will fill the city's theaters, museums, and restaurants with even more thirst for culture and for having a good time. And something tells me that even Barça will be able to repeat the glorious eras that made it a profitable club and the most admired and envied team in Europe.
This 2020 has been a difficult year, but it has also brought a lot of good news. Let's be aware of that when we take stock.
For us, if you'll allow me, it has been the year of the rebirth of The New Barcelona Post, which this coming 2021 will continue to report from truth, rigor, and plurality on a complex and diverse reality, honoring our motto: Good News, True Stories.
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