We are still in the midst of the Covid pandemic. We now know that it takes a few days for the disease to reveal any symptoms, but we may not realise that it has a profoundly negative effect in terms of our ability to trust others.
The fact that we don't know for sure if the person in front of us is infected or not, means we can't really trust anyone anymore.
But trust is such a crucial foundation of our society. How can we prevail without it?
Eroding trust is also a problem at an institutional level.
In a crisis, people rely on information from the government and media, and both seem to have failed on this count. The media is seen as biased and partisan. The public believes that the government has not revealed the whole truth about the Covid situation.
In fact, after more than a year of the pandemic and economic crisis, the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, an international survey of 28 countries, showed that trust and confidence in government had fallen sharply across the world, including in the United States, Europe and Asia.
That is sad to see, because research has also shown that "public trust" is vital for promoting policy compliance, particularly in times of crisis.
The Covid-19 pandemic does indeed expose systematic flaws and failures in government and society. It calls for radical reform and renovation in governance. To rebuild people's confidence and trust in the government, we must start with openness, transparency and participation.
The global pandemic makes people anxious, fearful and more information-hungry. It is a powerful experience shared around the world.
That's why a policy blueprint being put together behind closed doors, with the input of like-minded politicians, group interests and lobbyists, would not be acceptable by the public.
All the goals, assumptions, recommended measures as well as pros and cons should be available for the public to see beforehand.
People are proving highly vulnerable to fake news and conspiracy theories, which creates even more confusion and results in a reluctance to adopt policy recommendations.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has suggested that governments proactively release timely information, provide transparent and coherent communication, engage the public when developing strategies and encourage community engagement for policy implementation.
The pandemic has also shown that governments around the world cannot work alone anymore.
The Edelman Trust Barometer reported that 90% of respondents said they wanted business leaders to speak out on the pandemic's impact and societal issues.
More than 67% expect them to step in when the government fails to fix problems.
Thammasat University could also serve as an example. We took an initiative to transform our residents' facility there into the first 300-bed emergency field hospital for Covid patients in Thailand.
Volunteers and various forms of support, domestically and internationally, then came pouring in. Afterwards, many similar field hospitals were created across the country.
Evidently, managing the crisis effectively has depended on the ability to work together among key actors from every sector, both domestic and international.
Another interesting piece of research in Thailand released this year suggested that "professional trust", defined as a willingness to rely on the skills and abilities of experts, is equally important.
It is the determinant of public trust on policy compliance, meaning that people are less likely to follow government recommendations if they are inconsistent with those given by professionals.
At the start of the pandemic, the government may have wanted to take total control of the situation. But in the recovery stage, it would be mistaken not to listen to or solicit participation from the public.
It's time for the government to reflect on its actions, take accountability for any missteps and draw lessons for the future.
Citizen engagement has become more important. The public needs to have its say.
Many countries are now in the process of reopening their borders and welcoming visitors, but the accompanying policies have not all been well received by their citizens.
The government must share its plans for vaccine passports and how the international travel system will keep the virus at bay -- and more importantly, how it will ensure the next pandemic is better managed.
The government must promote confidence in public safety and restore people's trust in their ability to manage crises so we can emerge as a more resilient society.
I would like to conclude with a note on how to fight fake news in our society with better education.
We have to include digital literacy and critical thinking in our curricula and continue to educate the public on this critical issue of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation or stories that are intended to cause harm.
We must provide independent, evidence-based, fact-checking services in our areas of expertise to the community. This is essential to preserve trust as a foundation in our society.
Gasinee Witoonchart is rector of Thammasat University.
