Put state to work for what comes next

D“We are crew, not passengers, strengthened by acts of consequential service to others.” — Kurt Hahn (1886-1974), founder of Outward Bound and United World College ear Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham: “Crew, not passengers” long ago became the unofficial motto of Outward Bound wilderness schools across the country, where students on weeks-long backcountry expeditions quickly come to understand that every member of the team is essential, everyone is needed — and everyone is expected to do his or her part to ensure the safety and forward progress of the entire crew. No one rests until everyone can rest.

Thank you, governor, for your confident and decisive leadership in the face of a quickly evolving public health crisis. Hibernating nonessential businesses and calling on New Mexicans to isolate themselves by staying home as much as possible is absolutely the right thing to do as we attempt to decrease the rate of contagion, “flatten the curve” and give our health care workers a fighting chance.

Even without the myriad medical supply shortages we face, this would be the first necessary step in controlling the outbreak at large. As you deploy a strategy to address New Mexico’s needs, both ongoing (food, shelter, health care) and emergent (medical supplies and equipment, new ways of doing work), please also consider the mental and moral health needs of our communities: feeling connected and safe, but also feeling needed and useful.

It’s time to mobilize all of us — consider us crew, not passengers. There is much conversation around emulating the World War II practice of retooling manufacturing and other sectors to meet the challenges of the moment. In truth it was not just the factories that were

repurposed, it was also the people.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to mobilize the entire state to make a difference, so that when we emerge from this, we emerge into a more unified, cleaner, stronger New Mexico. Put us to work. Mobilize us.

The antidote to restless anxiety and helplessness is active engagement. There’s a lot to be done to get our state, nation and world through these challenges and back on track, and all of us currently sitting at home, physically isolated but connected through our screens — we are your greatest asset. Make us your crew.

The challenges ahead cannot be solved by our civil servants alone, but require a strong partnership of civilians, business and government. Activate us now by creating a partnership task force charged with identifying critical ongoing, emergent and community needs spanning the next two weeks to 18 months. Together (but apart!) let us uncover the roadblocks, activate knowledgeable community members and relevant industries, then form teams by category of work and send out calls for participation — for those who step up to help formulate the plan, but also to implement it.

Create a “Mobilize New Mexico” landing page linked to NewMexico.gov for the plan moving forward with calls for action, team sign-up coordination updates and individual stories of how we are adapting and succeeding.

New Mexicans have wide-ranging talents and deep resilience. Let’s roll up our sleeves and catalyze the entire state into motion. Let’s emerge in April from the current stayat-home order already moving, with a strong plan and forward momentum. We will likely still need to have closures, restrictions and distancing as the norm, but with creativity, much could be accomplished.

The choices we make today have the potential to leave New Mexico transformed for a better, more resilient future. The weeks and months of upheaval ahead will inevitably involve loss and sacrifice that will touch each one of us in ways we cannot yet fully comprehend. And yet they will also show us that what once seemed impossible is now possible. What if our immediate actions — needed to mitigate the current crisis — also contributed to lasting changes and a future we all want to live in?

Could we emerge with, among many other possible transformations:

A robust local food system that supplies a greater percentage of our needs and provides ample livelihoods for New Mexico producers.

Comprehensive internet access across New Mexico and throughout our diverse communities.

A work environment for health care professionals and first responders that inspires others to follow in their footsteps.

Workplace policies and a societal safety net that provide some security for workers and make it possible for everyone to have enough savings to carry them through unanticipated challenges (paid sick leave, living wages, affordable health care, etc.).

New manufacturing bases that make New Mexico quickly responsive to emergent needs and industries.

A flexible, highly responsive workforce-training system that provides rapid retraining, new skill acquisition and cultural expectations to quickly transition talent as industries ebb and flow.

Deeper, more applicable connection and coordination between our research institutions and our day-to-day “real life” challenges in the state.

Government policy and civic attitude that foster basic health and well-being of all New Mexicans as a matter of urgent importance.

Talk to us. Every day. On the radio, through the news and social media, in a modern, New Mexican version of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s fireside chats. Indeed, it was in his first inaugural address that FDR coined the now famous phrase: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself ” (1933).

But first and most urgently, activate and mobilize us. You have us as a captive audience, with time on our hands that we cannot afford to waste as mere passengers on a listing ship, sitting idly as the world around us begs for action. We are your crew. All of us New Mexicans.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to mobilize the entire state to make a difference

Tanya Stickford and Virginie Pointeau own a small consulting business together based out of Santa Fe. Stickford was born and raised in New Mexico and works as an executive consultant with expertise in renewable energy, operational e∞ciency and systems change. Pointeau moved to New Mexico in 1996 and is a communications and facilitation professional with expertise in regenerative agriculture and food systems. They spent a decade working for Outward Bound.