Borders, Are they still necessary in this connected world?

The world today is more connected than ever. It is not difficult to comprehend the rapid global dissemination of the virus, whose first patient appeared in Wuhan, a province in China.

As I sipped on my morning coffee in Rwanda, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as I read about the new virus sweeping across the globe. I wondered if it would reach our country and, if so, how would we handle it. Little did I know that worry would soon become a reality.

It was a typical day when the Ministry of Health announced the first case of COVID-19 in our country. I was shocked to hear that the patient had traveled from India, not China.

This was a surprise to me, as I had assumed the virus would first enter our country through travelers from China, where the virus had originated.

As the days passed, the virus spread rapidly. It was a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of our world and the importance of being prepared for global health crises.

Access to information and media is also becoming more immediate as the world becomes increasingly connected. Gone are the days when it took weeks or even months for songs to be distributed and played on radio and television stations worldwide.

With the advent of technology and the proliferation of apps such as Spotify, iTunes, Podcasts, and YouTube, to name but a few, it’s now possible for an artist like Eminem to perform a concert from their home in Detroit and for fans in remote locations like Mwogo in Bugesera to watch or listen to it live.

Similarly, traveling long distances in a relatively short amount of time has been made possible by technology. For example, RwandAir launched direct flights from Kigali to London, a journey that covers approximately 5,000 miles and takes around 8 hours by plane.

This not only makes travel more convenient but also opens up new opportunities for business and cultural exchange.

It’s an exciting time to be alive!

BUT pause for a moment, and consider what difference it would make if there were no borders.🤔

I often find myself pondering the complexities of the world around us, and the topic that consistently disturbs me is the existence of borders.

Why do we have these lines drawn on maps separating countries and communities?

“Borders define our fate, our life expectancy, our identity, and so much more. Yet they are an invention just like the maps I used to draw.” — Gaia Vince

Borders, according to Vince, are not natural features of our planet Earth; they were created.

Take, for example, African countries like Rwanda and Burundi. These two nations share the same language, culture, and history, yet they are separated by lines drawn by men.

As I was writing this piece, my mind was drawn to the headlines of the day: a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet from DR Congo has once again “violated” Rwanda’s airspace for the third time, and Rwanda has taken defensive measures, which is to say shooting at it. Are these two brotherly countries supposed to be separated to this extent?

Similarly, the disputes between Sudan and South Sudan remain unresolved, largely due to problems of border demarcation that have persisted for far too long.

African lines are man-made.

In the 19th century, the African continent was under European colonial rule and was divided during the Berlin Conference. Each country was assigned land to clarify who owned the resources on that land, but it also resulted in the haphazard partitioning of Africa’s numerous ethnic, tribal, and linguistic groups.

It’s hard to understand why we continue to cling to these lines, especially when they cause so much conflict and division. It begs the question: What are borders for in the first place?

What if, instead of two Americas—North and South—we only had one? And what if, instead of two Koreas—North and South—there was only one?

Imagine if India and China did not send thousands of troops to their borders to protect their citizens from territorial encroachment. Both countries are accusing each other of crossing the line. What if these lines weren’t there in the first place?

Are borders truly necessary in a world where people and cultures are becoming increasingly interconnected?

Are they truly necessary in a world where up to three billion people are expected to be displaced by the effects of global warming by the end of the century?

It’s a complex question, and one that I’m sure will continue to be debated for many years to come.

World Citizenship

“We are born as citizens of the world, but we are also born into a divided world, a world of separate entities called nations. We regard each other as friends and yet we are separated by wide artificially created barriers. Whatever we may think of one another, each one of us on this planet is designated as ‘alien’ by billions of his or her fellow humans. The label applies to everyone who does not share our status as a ‘national citizen.’ — Gary Davis, Passport to freedom: A Guide to World Citizens

I remember when I applied for a UK visa for the first time, how the process was daunting and stressful. I spent hours gathering all the necessary documents and filling out the online application, only to be denied on the first attempt.

To make matters worse, I wasn’t even given the right to appeal the decision. It felt like a huge setback and a huge waste of time and money. I didn’t give up, thanks to my colleagues, who encouraged me. I tried again, and this time, my application was approved. Hallelujah!

But as I was going through this process, I couldn’t help but think how much easier it would be if we didn’t need to apply for visas or other travel documents to be able to travel between countries.

Imagine a world where we could just pack our bags and go without having to jump through hoops and deal with the stress and uncertainty of visa applications.

A world without borders where we can travel freely and experience new cultures without the barriers of bureaucratic red tape.

Wouldn’t this world be more open, more connected, and more peaceful?

Maybe not; some say it would cause more conflict or resource depletion due to the influx of people into one area and thus be difficult to regulate, but whether physical borders remain or not, the bigger question is:

Can we strive to remove the unseen borders that exist in our minds—the beliefs that prevent us from understanding and appreciating the perspectives of others?

What if we actively worked to remove these invisible barriers, which can be just as detrimental to human development and progress?