The Role of the Cosimpol Simulator in Mediating Dialogue for the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created widespread turbulence. We have witnessed how the lockdowns in South Africa negatively impacted the economy, resulting in unemployment and loss of livelihoods. Various sectors, including the education and tourism sectors, have been severely impacted and we are now seeing the myriad economic and social issues that are coming to the fore. It is clear that we are faced with a complex, messy situation, characterised by multiple stakeholders who hold diverse mental models and perspectives. The main aim of this chapter is to draw lessons for consideration by policy-makers in South Africa dealing with the pandemic, by understanding how the CoSimPol simulator model can be used in mediating dialogue for the COVID-19 pandemic. The model caters for multiple factors including bed capacity, hospital care, use of Personal Protective Equipment and non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing. From a conflict and peace perspective, a key contribution of this chapter is to demonstrate how models such as CoSimPol may be applied not only for predictive capacity in formulating policy, but more significantly ought to be used as transitional objects for dialogue between contending parties and positions.