Our true nationality is mankind. – H.G. Wells
As cultures cross, conversations flow.
No matter the background, age or nationality, all of us bring something new.
Whether British, French, German, Dutch, Belgian, Danish or Greek, the stories we share are individual and unique.
We hail from different lands, different cultures, different histories, but as our modern world seems to forget, we are all human- and that means something yet.
“Stop them coming here!”
“Send them to Rwanda!”
“We must protect ourselves from these invaders.”
-our nationalist, populist governors tell us. Like we are talking about aliens, or insects, or vermin.
But wait, these are humans- with lives, families and souls.
What do we gain from locking them out, hardening borders, putting up walls?
Do we improve? As individuals or groups or societies? Or do we lose out- by forgetting something so undoubtedly human-
the ability to understand what is different from ourselves
Because without this, we lock ourselves in: smaller, smaller, smaller
Until we can no longer breathe.
As cultures cross, conversations flow- if we shut down these crossroads,
where do we go?
-a poem by Harry Hodder, September 2022
Love this Harry thanks for sharing, love Sarah xx