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The world has been recently unsettled by the emergence of the pandemic COVID-19. People all over the globe find themselves facing many changes in their everyday life which are needed to control the spread of the virus. Amid this global health crises, it’s visible how some “humans” matter more than others so I decided to address the low position that migrants hold in the global hierarchy due to a well-constructed and regulated system aimed at the dehumanization of those subjects. In order to do so I will start with an overall characterization of Moria: the biggest European refugee camp, located on the Greek island Lesbos. Afterword I will briefly report the episode of an unwanted British cruise ship and of its passengers eventually rescued from international diplomatic intervention. The comparison between the refugee camp Moria and the British cruise ship Braemar emphasizes the durable inequality and colonial settled mindset that characterizes European thought which, by now, has been assimilated and accepted by the rest of the world. Lesbos Lesbos is one of the many Greek islands facing the Turkish coast that have been literally invaded by migrants in the last twenty years: more than 42,000 men, women and children are now estimated to be on Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos. Refugees are unable to leave because of a containment policy determined by the EU, and they are forced to remain on the islands as detainees until their asylum requests are processed by long and complicated burocracy. Moria, situated on Lesbos, is the biggest refugee camp in Europe with its 20,000 inhabitants living in a space initially designed to host only 3,000 people. One might ask how did the camp become so overcrowded? In two words: “Fortress Europe”. In 2015 the EU commission in Brussels decided to turn refugee camps into “hotspots”, or detention camps. Hence, their “undocumented” inhabitants of which many are unaccompanied minors, became illegal detainees. To make matters worse, the Greek government has recently decided to suspend asylum rights in order to stop the stream of immigrants from the islands to the mainland. Is no surprise that the Greek islands’ population has been growing exponentially since then. Apostolos Veizis, director of the medical operational support unit for Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) in Greece referring to the decision to suspend asylum rights, stated that: “the imposition of the restriction of movement on the people of the camps and not for anyone else on the islands is unacceptable and discriminatory (…). You are locking children, women and men into severely overcrowded camps where the sanitation and hygiene conditions are horrific” (Spinney L., 21-03-2020). Even thou Greece is part of the EU, it has been treated as part of Europe’s borderlands, as a giant prison camp where to block and detain migrants to minimize the risk of “invasion” for the core EU nations. This “Fortress” strategy has had tremendous outcomes for the people on the islands, especially for Moria where there is limited access to running water (toilets and showers regularly block due to overuse), restricted access to electricity, complete absence of a trash collecting system or health care. In addition to this, the living space for the detainees is very limited (an average of 3sqm per person) and the refugees houses consist in shacks built with recycled materials and garbage (Camilli, A., 2017). In a situation already at the limit, a new factor of fear and crises has recently entered the scenario. The first case of Covid-19 was confirmed at the beginning of March when a Greek woman from the town of Plomari was tested positive. The Greek government showed no interest in intervening to prevent the spread of the disease among the refugees and neither the EU acted in this direction. In the absence of support from the Greek authorities, an increasing sense of urgency about hygiene and health care has grown on Lesbos. Moved by their own initiative, refugees started organizing sewing homemade masks, placing antibacterial soap on olive trees and educating kids about the many precautions to adopt. Nevertheless, the situation seems hopeless and preventing a humanitarian crisis seems unlucky to happen. The pandemic resulted worldwide in the closure of borders, the discouragement of movement and a general increase of fear and xenophobia which intensified the European Fortress politics. At the beginning of March, the EU has financed Greece with €700m destined to the “upgrade of the shield”. Therefore, the so called “shield”, meaning the Greek border, has been reinforced with new infostructures and highly militarized means placed to block “undocumented” people and defend Europe from the “invasion”. I would like to emphasise that I do not want to focus on the most recent events concerning the spread of the Corona virus as such, I simply take the occasion to use this global crises to highlight the inequality of the system in which we live in, as a litmus paper that inevitably shows two different behaviours, two different ways of being “human” and two different ways of representing humanness. My aim is to bring on the table a reflection on the inequalities that are consistent part of everyone’s everyday life, but which are easily forgotten in case you stand on the “innocent”, privileged and democratic side which controls, and have controlled for centuries, among many things, knowledge creation. As Gloria Wekker states: “The claim of innocence, however, is a double-edged sword: it contains not-knowing, but also not wanting to know. Precisely because they tend not to understand the racist world in which they live, white people are able to fully benefit from its racial hierarchies, ontologies and economies” (Wekker G., 2016, pg. 17). Braemar Cruise Ship The British cruise ship Braemar with its 682 passengers and 380 crew members was supposed to spend only 14 days in the Caribbean Ocean in the beginning of March, but after the first case of COVID-19 outbroke on board, the cruise has been turned away from several ports in the Caribbean, including the Barbados and the Bahamas. The Braemar had

I attended the “Food For Thought” event organised by Crossing Borders where filmmaker Dennis Dalgaard presented his documentary called “Denmark does not exist”. The audience got to know the story of two Danish sisters whose mother is a black woman from Zambia and whose father is Danish. Even though they were born and raised in Denmark, they decided to leave Denmark and go to Zambia as they didn’t feel at home in Denmark. Their story involved different issues such as racism and belonging. My attention got especially caught by the issue of belonging. I am a white young woman from Germany and I have never experienced any kind of racism against my person or major struggle about where I belong to. I can only imagine how people with a coloured skin feel in everyday life when they are faced with different kinds of racism. I also can only imagine how it is to have one or both parents from a different country and growing up with different backgrounds and struggles in regards to where to belong. When I was thinking about belonging on my way home after the event, I realized that belonging can mean a lot, and something else to everyone. In the German language, we have the term “Heimat” which is actually a term that is difficult to define as it entails aspects that are not that clear to characterise. When translating it to other languages, I do not find a word that fully describes what I think of when I say the word “Heimat”. The dictionary offers me the terms “home” or “native” in English, “la patria” or “el país natal” in Spanish, as well as “le pays d’origine” and “la patrie” in French. But “Heimat” means something else than the country which you were born in. Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior even has “Heimat” in its name (Bundesministerium (Federal Ministry) für Inneres (Interior), Bau (Construction) and Heimat (translated as Community)). On their webpage, it says that “Heimat“ is where people feel well, accepted, secure, where they belong to and are part of a community. The main areas of the ministry involve social cohesion, volunteering, demography, spatial development, integration, religion, national minorities, and equal living conditions. The main aim of the ministry is to foster and improve the cohesion, sense of community, and identification with and in the country. “Heimat” and “belonging” can mean different things and can be applied on different levels. My main reference point will always be my little town of 10.000 inhabitants where I grew up and went to school, and where my closest family lives. My next reference point is Germany as I am a German citizen. On the one side, it is easy for me to link my sense of belonging to Germany. But on the other side, it still stays a bit difficult as I still do not know all parts of Germany. I realized that I need to know my home country a lot better to feel a stronger sense of belonging to this big country with its 83 million inhabitants. I might share this experience and thought with other people who also do not know their home countries that well. At university, we were once asked if we feel German/English/French/Spanish/Danish etc., European, or Cosmopolitan. It was a difficult question. I needed some time to find an answer. Most students (me included) felt European. Feeling European or even Cosmopolitan seems to be another layer of belonging. Also, in this case, I feel not completely convinced as I do not know very well all European countries. I actually have only been to a third of all European countries. I, for example, do not have many connections yet to the Eastern European countries. In this aspect again, for some reasons it is easy to say that I feel European, but there are also other reasons for letting me be a bit more sceptical about such a statement. Just this week we have been talking about nice places to go to in the Eastern European countries. Intercultural environments such as Crossing Borders as a work place or youth exchange programmes foster the exchange of information and the raise of awareness about other countries and cultures. We might then after a while be able to say with total pride: “Yes, I feel very European” or even “Yes, I feel like a global citizen or Cosmopolitan”. Everyone would write something else about belonging and “Heimat” as everyone has a different story and background. Some people have a strong sense of belonging to a specific part of a country, some people feel a very strong pride for their nation, some people have been growing up in different countries, some people have parents from different countries – everyone feels a different sense of belonging, to one, two or even more places. At Crossing Borders, I have already met a lot of people with different cultural backgrounds who are strongly connected to their home countries or the home countries of their parents. They work for Crossing Borders to change the circumstances for the society and find solutions to social needs. I am always very impressed when I listen to their stories, wishes, objectives, and struggles. Written by:  Simone Rom Simone is from Germany and started her internship at Crossing Borders in the beginning of August. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Management and Communication and is currently studying the Master’s programme Social Entrepreneurship and Management at Roskilde University in Denmark.

Thank you so much for joining us in commemorating and celebrating the life and legacy of Ambassador Zindzi, who passed away in Johannesburg on Monday 13 July and was laid to rest on Friday 17 July 2020. Thank you to all who spoke so fondly of Zindzi, recited beautiful poems, touched us with your music and gave her the memorial she truly deserved. Yesterday, our speakers described Zindzi as humble yet free-spirited, as someone who encouraged all those around her to speak up and ultimately, someone who loved to love. We at Crossing Borders, are heartbroken and devastated for the unexpected and massive loss of a beloved Patron and a rich source of inspiration. She was a light that will continue to guide us to continue, accelerate and expand our efforts to create space for dialogue and mutual learning alongside collaboration for people from across the globe on equal terms.  We are heartbroken, yet we are happy that we got to know her and can rest in the knowledge that her ideas, spirit, commitment to advancing equal rights, justice and truth-telling will live on. It will continue to guide us and the world towards more equality, more respect, more generosity, and the celebration of Ubuntu unity in humanity and diversity in cultures and perspectives. She was and is the true embodiment of Ubuntu, according to which we of each other.  We are heartbroken, yet take comfort from African beliefs, which she believed in, when the deceased lives offsprings behind, s/he is not dead. Those left behind will continue to remember, honour her/him, name the newborn after her/him while the dead continue to protect and bless the living. This African philosophy perceives society as a circular unit whose members are composed of the living dead, the living and those yet to be born. These three components are in constant flow and mutual reinforcement. Luckily, Zindzi left behind one daughter and three sons, who are all following on her footsteps to serve the community. She also has at least 9 grandchildren, two of whom lay to rest next to her and mom. Zindzi lives on.  Furthermore, in some African traditions, the number of years a in person’s life is counted according to the person’s contribution to the community. Thus, some people live thousands of years while others, whose lives were destructive to the community, are counted as a minus. In that way, we are happy that Zindzi did not only live for 59 years but considering her positive and rich contribution to her community and to the world she has lived at least 59,000 years.    So, let’s carry on the work. The road to freedom, equality, peace, and sustainability is long and bumpy, but together we can do it. Pictures by Kannan P Samy  More Pictures

Today, we received the sad news that Crossing Borders Patron HE Ambassador Zindzi Mandela of South Africa to Denmark has made the transition in a Joburg hospital early today 13 July 2020.   As someone who was born and grew up in the forefront of the struggle against the racist apartheid system, Zindzi’s life was defined by and a true embodiment of the struggle for freedom. Her father Nelson Mandela was snatched away when she was only 18 months and kept behind bars for 27 years. Her mother Mama Winnie was constantly in and out of apartheid detentions, including repeated banishments to remote areas. To attend school, she was sent to Swaziland along with her sister Ambassador Zinani. When the two sisters came for school holiday the apartheid police would make sure to detain Mama Winnie until they had to return back. The day her father was released in 1990, the apartheid police murdered her partner. This experience made her more determined to fight for fredom, equal rights and justice for all anytime and anywhere. Thus, as Ambassador to Denmark, she was unapologetic and undiplomatic when it came to people´s freedom and justice. Ambassador Zindizi unprecedently committed a lot of her time in Denmark to visiting, comforting, empowering, listening to, cooking, baking for and serving those who have been pushed to the margins of society: homeless persons, refugees, asylum seekers, victims of violence, deportees who were languishing in deportation centres. She also arranged family days and took part in International Women’s Day. She served as a true human rights ambassador and activist. As we join millions of others in paying tribute to her life, we at Crossing Borders say thank you dear Ambassador Zindzi N. Mandela for your inspiration, determination and couragous example in being the ambassador of the voiceless. We promise to continue your struggle for a better world for all.  In this heartbreaking moment, our sincere condolences and thoughts go to the entire Madikizela-Mandela Family and all those who were fortunate to be touched by you.  On behalf of Crossing Borders Mariano Davies, Chair Advisory Board, Sara Omar, Life Ambassador, Vibeke Quaade, Chair Executive Board and Garba Diallo, Executive Director  

Check out the full article here: Interview with Garba Diallo

Crossing Borders’ International Programme Coordinator Andrew Bende discusses CB’s approach to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals for ‘a better and more sustainable future’ and, in doing so, articulates why it is so important for these to be put into context.  The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced in 2015 with the aim of achieving them by 2030. They have ambitious aims like ending poverty in any form everywhere, conserving and sustainably using the oceans and empowering all women and girls but inevitably, such grandiose goals draw criticism in a world that otherwise doesn’t offer much hope when it comes to sustainability. Even the UN’s 2019 Financing for Sustainable Development Report acknowledges that despite improvement with the SDGs increasingly being incorporated into public budgets and development cooperation efforts, this is not happening at nearly the pace it needs to. The fact that the goals exist on this high-up, policy level is not necessarily such a bad thing. Reflecting on a Crossing Borders project in Ghana which utilises local radio stations to debate the SDGs at a grassroots level, Andrew explains that awareness of the issues the goals want to achieve is already underway in many forms, thanks to the UN goals offering a comprehensive framework.   With environmental issues for example, it is easy to pass on the message of the goals. As Andrew says, “because local communities know there is an environmental breakdown, there is deforestation around them”, they can easily relate such happenings to the messages of the SDGs. Instead of spending time debating whether the goals will be reached, it makes better sense to start acting.   The project, named the Right to Communicate, was fundamentally intertwined with Crossing Borders’ central aim to educate global citizens, raise awareness of educators and create space for dialogue, all acting towards creating a peaceful and sustainable world. The Right to Communicate focuses on local radio stations in Ghana, which take centre stage in localizing the SDGs by articulating them into local contexts and bringing them to the grassroots level. In many regions, these radios are the single most reliable way of updating information and promoting local communities’ engagement in social, cultural, and political discourse. They are key stakeholders in local development and an example of channels through which the SDGs can be localized. Moreover, these community radios are themselves a space where power is contested among religious groups, the government, corporate interests and local groups, all vying for control of the airwaves. They are thus a true representation of a local and organic democratic context.   On these media outlets, local issues are discussed in a way that contrasts to large-scale news about global politics and they are often the subject of restrictions. They have the capacity to function as a breeding ground for collective discussion and present a direct challenge to the process of powerful groups funnelling dialogue in undesired directions. Because of this, community radios in Ghana are now restricted to a radius of only 5km, forty times smaller than some of the state radios. This is another thing The Right to Communicate advocates against. Andrew points out though that if on the ground level, the SDGs aren’t fitted to different contexts, there is a significant danger they will become “an added activity”, a restraint on the aspiration of improving local conditions. He recounts the response to him asking why the SDGs are so important in an interview with one of the community radio representatives: “It’s not a matter of whether they’re important – we know they are – but a question of whether we understand them.” It is thus essential not to use the SDGs on their own, but as a kind of guiding principle to add to work already being done on the ground level. “Do you see the effects of climate change happening? Do you see changes in how your environment is behaving in relation to your agricultural yields? If the answer is yes, then the solution becomes the most important and interesting thing in a discussion like that, not the continued pointing out of failures”. Where perhaps others can’t, Andrew lays bare the fundamental disjuncture between global policy and local context. His discussion of the Right to Communicate clarifies why it is so important to localise the UN’s SDGs, and puts frustration at seemingly far-fetched and high-level UN policy into perspective. As he stated, those goals are produced at UN level, and will inevitably reflect that process. “But at the same time, the SDGs offer a guide for augmenting local discussion and bringing it back to the wider world”.   According to Andrew, “nobody wants to be poor, neither for the world to be unequal. Instead, everyone is striving for a better future, but sometimes taking illogical decisions as a result”. He recalls a debate on a local TV station where the SDGs were tactically introduced – in this, the double standards of early marriage culture were discussed where parents favoured curtailing their daughters’ education and marrying them early to a seemingly rich man in the hope that this would give them a better life. Andrew argues that this in fact makes young women far less likely to end up in a high income band. When these parents were asked if they were “aware of the Sustainable Development Goal where everyone should have access to education? Do you have an awareness of SDG8 on gender equality and those that are marginalised from a gender perspective?”, they had no answer, but they wanted to hear more and to reflect on what equal opportunities for both genders meant. Such a fusion of the local and the global can also help to avoid Eurocentric or Western ideas of what it is for a country to develop and improve. Although he is from Uganda, Andrew says he is far separated from the specific situations in other locations of Crossing Borders projects, like Sierra Leone or Kenya. Every country is different, and developing sustainably in each will inevitably be different too. Each needs

We start by thanking the BLACK LIVES MATTER Movement for their brave actions to heal the world of the pandemic of racism. We applaud their powerful push to restore the dignity of black people and other people. We consider the Black Lives Matter as a way for our inner and outer emancipation and that of our cultures and other aspects of life. The 25 May assassination of George Floyd under the sadistic knee of Derek Chauvin and his brothers in crime has once again reminded us that the cries of the Black Lives Matter movement are not only natural. They are necessary absolutely necessary in order to liberate humanity from the pandemic of racism. Therefore, as Crossing Borders organisation whose mission is to create spaces for dialogue on equal terms, it is only natural that we join the Back Lives Matter to condemn in the strongest possible terms the systemic police brutality and its underlying historical, cultural, linguistic, media, economic and power structures. We condemn these structures as they inspire and fuel the mental and emotional infrastructures that justify having cruel supremacist knees on the necks of the black people for so long. We recognise that these knees on the necks of the black are the pandemic that has prevented black people from breathing for the past 401 long years. During these years, black people endured kidnapping, enslavement, forced labour, colonisation, apartheid, and ongoing exploitation of their bodies and economies. We recognise that these infrastructures are the root causes of the daily racism and discrimination that black people and communities of colour are systematically subjected to in our international relations, academia, museums, movement across borders our borders, on our streets, schools, and workplaces. We also recognise that the history of racist abuse has run so long and so deep that even the black victims have internalised and applied it on themselves, as manifested in self-denial and abuse. Thus, we hope that the momentum that the murder of George Floyd has generated will be escalated and sustained until these underlying structures are dismantled and replaced with the recognition of the fact that there is only one human race and that the cultural and other human diversities are not only what makes the human race survive and thrive, but, cultural diversity is as necessary as the biological diversity of planet earth. As a contribution toward restoring trust and healing, we propose the following measures: Recognise, apologise, and cleanse the historical crime of enslavement, colonialism, apartheid, and the still ongoing discrimination, exclusion, and exploitation of black people and other communities of colour. Cleanse our education, media, language, museums and amusement parks of racist legacies just like we have done with the bundling and burning of smart women and pulling down of the monuments of Nazi war founding fathers Launch an honest cultural exchange and spaces for dialogue for youth, educators, artists and schools and university to learn not to repeat the past Replace development aid with fair trade and knowledge sharing partnership with Africa and the countries of people of colour Include black and brown people in our schools, workplaces, parliaments, company boards, and other key positions wherever possible. The public and civil society sectors should walk the talk by taking the lead on this front The nations whose economies were built on black blood and bodies should set up museums and memorials to recognise and honour the vital contribution of black and brown people to their countries Launch campaigns of public education to put an end to the degrading abuse of black people’s pictures by our charities/ development industry for fundraising purposes

That most countries, including the most advanced ones, are ill-prepared for the sudden COVID 19 outbreak proves that the world has not invested in where it matters the most: relevant education, public health, decentralized provision of vital goods and services. The result is the panic and uncoordinated and fragmented responses we witness right now. Responding to and defeating an invisible global enemy calls for global coordination and cooperation and solidarity. In other words, solidarity, and sharing of information, knowledge, expertise, and resources within and across countries and continents. The absence of solidarity and collaboration makes each country grapple with the outbreak within its confines. For populist leaders, the easiest response is resorting to quick fix: closing their borders as if the COVID 19 could be shut out by shutting the borders. During his solitary prayer in the Vatican at the peak of the COVID 19 pandemic in Italy, Pope Francis urged the world to see the coronavirus pandemic as a test of solidarity and a reminder of basic values” and that the health crisis put everyone “in the same boat”.[i] The lesson here is that we need to shift our priorities away from the notion of bigger is better toward small and decentralised units. The orthodox notion of bigger is better that has driven the modern development toward over-centralization has proven itself to be ineffective. The results are mega metropolis with mega glass towers, high ways for mega lorries transporting endless chain of necessary and un-necessary products, a complex web of mega metros and airports, mega power plants dominated by polluting coal, gas, nuclear and hydro plants, mega monoculture-agri-business, mega ports for mega ships ploughing the seas with mega containers and mega fishing trawlers to feed mega markets owned by fewer and fewer mega transnational corporations. The inevitable results include stress and pollutions of various kinds including air, noise, light, water, and stench which breed outbreaks of diseases as we witness today. Other harmful consequences can be seen in the growing mental ill-health, depression, and a general sense of identity crises, unhappiness and satisfaction, and human insecurity.  Therefore, that we have been grounded and provided with ample time by the coronavirus we should be able to reflect about and chart a new direction toward more solidarity and cooperation on global issues like the current COVID 19. Writing in the Financial Times on 25 March 2020, the prime minister of Ethiopia and the 2019 Nobel Peace laureate Aby Ahmed warns that “..if the virus is not defeated in Africa, it will only bounce back to the rest of the world. That is why the current strategy of uncoordinated country-specific measures, while understandable, is myopic, unsustainable, and potentially counter-productive. A virus that ignores borders cannot be tackled successfully like this. We can defeat this invisible and vicious adversary — but only with global leadership. Without that, Africa may suffer the worst, yet it will not be the last. We are all in this together, and we must work together to the end.”[ii] Small could be beautiful and more efficient more sustainable Thus, one of the many lessons we should learn from the corona crisis is to shift the direction from bigger is better toward smaller and decentralized economic models with smaller and self-reliant units of production, supplies, and services. This is not about going to back hunting and gathering mode of society. As can be seen in the global growth of transition towns and eco-villages, reinventing smaller units is the new modern way of leapfrogging back to living with and not apart from nature. Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian earth scientist Dr. Vandana Shiva asserts that “With the health emergency engendered by the coronavirus we need to look at systems that spread disease and systems that create health in a holistic, systems approach. A systems approach to health care in times of the corona crisis would address not just the virus, but also how new epidemics are spreading as we invade into the homes of other beings. It also needs to address the comorbidity conditions related non-communicable chronic diseases which are spreading due to non-sustainable, anti-nature , unhealthy industrial food systems” She continues “…we need to discard “policies and practices that lead to the physical and moral degradation of the food system while destroying our health and endangering the planet’s ecological stability, and endangering the biogenetic survival of life on the planet.”[iii] Thus, it is high time we turn toward a new sustainable form of production and consumption. A form that is more efficient, healthier, safer, and sustainable than the currently dominant, extractive, and destructive forms. Toward this kind of utopian society, I propose the following seven strategic steps. Decentralise the mega citifies and sectors in order to localise the control over their vital sectors of education, health, production, and energy supply units. In such smaller communities, people will be able to walk and bike in green parks with small schools, clean energy plants, solar and heat pumps Focus on enlightenment and entrepreneurship education to prepare collaborative and job creating citizens rather than frightened job seekers Shift our economic system toward green and cradle to cradle zero economic production, processing and consumption systems that are in harmony with the environment Shift investment from the destructive militarised economy, commercialised public health to life giving and regenerative economic activities  Reform from post-WWII world order to a more democratic global forum with equal representation of the different regions of the world according to proportional democracy with no veto to power on global issues Promote intercultural contacts, exchange, and collaborations to reduce harmful old and prevent new stereotypes Foster and reward international peaceful and climate-friendly joint ventures by providing tax-free to such ventures    Already we see all over the world people volunteering to help, offering food and sharing within and across communities. We also see doctors, nurses, caregivers, and social workers from multicultural backgrounds putting their lives at risk in order to save the lives of fellow humans. This heroic dedication shows the corona

I was once driving down a highway on my own and my cell phone was out of battery. After a while, the engine of my car began to sputter and eventually came to a halt. I checked that there was still fuel in the car. So, I tried turning on the ignition a couple of times in the hope that the car would start. But it didn’t. I had no idea where the nearest petrol station was, I hadn’t seen a car go by since I stopped and I didn’t know how much longer it would be until the sun went down and it became dark. But, I sat in the car and kept turning the ignition on again and again in the hope that the car would start and allow me to go on. We all know that in a situation like that, we try the ignition a couple of times, and if it doesn’t work, accept the fact that something is wrong with the engine and try different ways to fix it. And in the worst case, if we are unable to make any difference under the hood, throw in the towel and leave the car behind and hitch a ride or walk to the nearest place with a mechanic. When stuck in situations like the metaphorical broken car, we tend to keep turning the key hoping to get out of the situation we are in and fail to accept that something is broken and needs fixing. This could be for a host of reasons — we don’t want to accept that we made a bad decision, we don’t want others to come back and tell us “We told you so”, we don’t want to face the reality of having to start all over again from scratch, we don’t want to tell ourselves that all the effort that we have invested in it so far is a total waste. But sitting there and waiting for the car to start is only prolonging this realization and the eventual fix. We can lie to ourselves all we want and feel good and optimistic about it for a relatively short period of time, but eventually, we have to find a way to move forward once the sun goes down. Accepting painful truths about ourselves is what helps us make significant transformational changes. Only then can we hope to get better! Written by: Pareeksha Chadaga Karanth Crossing Borders Admin & HR Coordinator

Will we see a “new normal” after COVID-19? History has shown that behavioural change, when a majority of people within a culture recognise a positive need for change, will cause effective changes to take place and often remarkably quickly. In comparison, for example, dictatorship and the fear of reprisal can secure behavioural change such as accepting that only one political view is correct or what dress codes are permissible and which are not. However, in such cases, once the controlling element has been removed, it is very unlikely that such change will be lasting. The oppressed society will tend to revert to a form of diversity that was normal before the oppression. I would argue that this tends not to be the case when behavioural change is driven from within as opposed to the force of external law or dictatorship. For example, when Sweden became an extremely anti-smoking nation and its Government also limited many other individual rights, a Danish journalist, Mogens Berendt, in 1982 wrote a much-discussed article “Luk Sverige” (Close Sweden) in Berlingske Tidende, and followed up with a book called “Tilfældet Sverige” (The Swedish Way) – a book that painted a picture of an extremely authoritarian and somewhat dictatorial Swedish Government.  Danes at first seemed in general to put this all down to Swedish authoritarianism. However, not too many years later, Danish society began a very serious public debate about the health dangers of smoking for both smokers and non-smokers (passive smoking). Today, the result of this behavioural change has been widespread acceptance of the rules and regulations that followed in the wake of this health discussion – even among smokers, who have been forced to accept a smoking ban in most public areas, where it had been customary to accept smoking. Yes, not all smokers are impressed with the social stigma that smoking has become, but they are nevertheless driven to accept that “Danish society” has evolved into a “new normal” with new written and unwritten rules about smoking. Not long ago, smoking in Denmark was an integral part of accepted cultural behaviour. Smoking was normal behaviour in the street, in public buildings, in cars and in planes. One could even go as far as saying that smoking was a generally accepted social habit giving status. Now, cigarette packets and cigar boxes carry very clear health warnings, and, in some countries like Denmark, they are no longer visible in shops – they are hidden in draws or behind curtains. The power and effectiveness of this “new normal” has been that the changed behaviour came from within. The rules and regulations came as a result of a behavioural change. Post COVID-19, in potentially 18-24 months’ time, we may well see new examples of such “new normal” behavioural changes, where the public debate about this pandemic (especially within social media) will evolve into new behavioural changes. Perhaps this evolution will be exacerbated by this being a massive wake up call to the dangers of biological threats. For example, although global travel is cheaper than ever before, I expect that very many will think twice about where they travel, how far they travel and how they travel. As a behavioural reaction to COVID-19, we could see a dramatic fall in travel and a significant increase in the use of the many of the digital communication tools available. Just six months ago, could we seriously have imagined that a majority of commercial planes globally would be grounded for an unknown period of time, that countries would close their air space, that borders would be closed globally and that everyone would be sent home for a significant period of time as a protection against a deadly virus. My prediction is that this “perfect storm” crisis will result in new long-term behavioural patterns. I predict that it will have a social and economic impact that none of us can imagine with massive changes in global travel, global production and social interaction. People will err on the side of caution and those that don’t will risk paying a heavy price for blindly ignoring that this may be a game changing “new normal” with new behavioural challenges.  Republished with permission, this article was first published by the author on 8 April 2020 on his LinkedIn page