Citizens of the globe
By: Chloe Leech
Tags: Diversity, Better World, Globalization

Recently I was sitting in the UK visa application center and it dawned on me how archaic it is that in 2021 we still need to apply for the right to live somewhere. Full disclaimer — I am extremely lucky that I have a New Zealand passport which provides me with a lot of privilege. This conversation is to introduce a concept I want to become a reality in my lifetime.

We live in (an almost) globalized world. You can order food from a local Lebanese joint via an app developed in Denmark, delivered by a driver from Canada who is riding a bike which was designed in the Netherlands. We are richer in terms of experience, culture and innovation due to globalization. Quality of life has arguably improved over the last 40 years due to the ability to share ideas and technology globally.

Unfortunately we still live in a world which is governed and restricted by lines and boarders created in a previous lifetime. Often these lines were drawn on a map with a ruler by rulers who had never even visited the country, let alone the continent.

These boarders, whether artificial or natural, are arbitrary divides but divides which become barriers and roadblocks to achieving a truly globalized world. Restricting the movement of people inadvertently slows, if not stops the sharing of ideas, culture and therefore innovation. A divided world is not one I want to be a part of. Imagine a world where we were not defined or labelled by the place where we were born. Instead we are defined by the conversations, contribution and legacy we create. Our birth place has some impact on our identity, it is an initial anchor. However, it should not become a ball and chain which we drag around for the rest of our lives, preventing us from finding our tribe and our purpose.

Depending on which side of the line you were born still determines far too much. I remember sitting in Marrakesh talking with a man from Algeria. He was a successful entrepreneur who had created a number of innovative companies. He yearned for nothing more than to travel the world and experience different cultures, share ideas and learn about the world we all call home. Due to his passport he was confined to only being able to experience a very small part of the globe. I vividly remember the sadness and disappointment he felt being caged to a corner of the world. We cannot experience the world in its entirety if we are limited to places dictated by the passport we hold. Can we honestly say we share one planet if we do not all have the right to live or visit certain parts of this planet?

Many of my closest companions, conversations and memories are ones which involve people and places which are not New Zealand. Do not get me wrong I am beyond blessed to have been born in one of the most beautiful places, but the real magic happens when I am out of my comfort zone being challenged by ideologies and thinking which is different from my own. Seeing things from different perspectives and realizing there are multiple ways to solve a problem is diversity in its purest form.

How can we truly share ideas and experiences and live in a world which is genuinely diverse if not everyone is able to move freely? The concept of everyone being a citizen of the globe, who has a universal passport should not be a foreign idea, it is only an extension of the EU concept. Everyone should have the right to wander the world which we all share. Imagine being able to roam freely, find your tribe whilst sharing ideas and culture norms along the way? I am convinced this nomadic freedom would instantly result in less conflict, hate and bureaucracy and allow more time to focus on fostering friendships, sharing ideas and ultimately innovation.

Earth will not reach its full potential until everyone is a global citizen with a global passport.

40 years ago John Lennon wrote Imagine, singing “imagine there’s no countries”. Maybe it is finally time to make Lennon’s dream a reality, it really isn’t that hard to do.