By Joana Cook
Borders
To understand one’s place in the world is to distinguish oneself in relation to those around us. To glimpse the advantages and opportunities achieved by simply being born within these borders, while grasping the desperation of others to cross those same imaginary lines.
To be born with dignity and being able to maintain this dignity throughout your life, to have it enforced as your legal right, this is precious. When one has the luxury of a safe and comfortable existence, education, opportunity and privilege, this is both a gift and a responsibility. To be able to see and feel and understand so very much gives one the keys to the world and in a way a failure to humanity if we simply set these aside.
Borders.
Not just the physical embodiment of walls and fences, or of nation states and lines drawn by old colonial powers, but a way of describing that invisible force that separates persons, faith and belief systems, ideas, lives, opportunities, despair, hope, justice, freedom and peace.
Perhaps more importantly, borders become the encasements that keep us safe and secure within that which is familiar to ourselves and ignorant of that which we do not want to (or are unwilling) to understand. These borders are in a way what separates and secures ourselves, but also what makes us blind to the world.
“In the village of the blind, the man with one eye is king.” – Proverb heard in Mali (Erasmus)
One Comment
True dat. Like time they’re an artificial human construct that totally defines our lives. It’s sad that borders, whether geographical, religious, or social have been used for centuries as excuses for violence….they’re convieniant for the ‘us vs them’ mentality that humans seem to enjoy so much. I find it interesting that these borders, which we often use to define ourselves, are imposed on us without our control(for the most part)…. I didn’t choose to be born as a Canadian, but because of the location of my hospital I’m required to follow Canada’s laws and can enjoy Canadian health care and other perks. Talk about luck of the draw….