Toward a Post-COVID19 Society 2 : As of October, 2020, the Role of Disaster Volunteers

シンガタ　コロナウイルス　カゴ　ノ　シャカイ　ニ　ムケテ　２０２０ネン　１０ガツ　サイガイ　ボランティア　ヲ　メグッテ

アツミ, トモヒデ

Atsumi, Tomohide

サイガイ　ト　キョウセイ　ケンキュウカイ

災害ボランティア

距離

時間

交換様式

COVID-19

disaster volunteer

distance

time

mode of exchange

The present study, following Atsumi (2020), reports on our conceptualization of a post-COVID-19 society based on our own experiences at a time that appears to be midway through the pandemic. It updates the previous discussion of possible events during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., nullification of distance, time and exchange form) and discusses the future based on the assumption that COVID-19 will be protracted. First, we review the issue regarding disaster volunteering after the 2020 July Flood and question restrictions imposed by the central government and related agencies on disaster volunteering due to the risk of COVID-19. Second, with reference to an Italian philosopher’s (i,e., Agamben’s) views on COVID-19, we agree that disaster voluntarism should have been an individual rather than a national government decision. Third, we discovered that the lack of volunteers in the field during the July flood disaster stimulated disaster-affected local people to help each other. Finally, we concluded that the function of disaster volunteers is not only to help survivors, but also to demonstrate a new style of human relationship. The former three points—distance, time, and mode of exchange—were revisited, and Type B returning through COVID-19 should be reexamined by the function of disaster volunteers and it was concluded that the weakening Type B can lead us to the Post COVID-19 society.