Opinion: Through the Lens of Shared Humanity
Similar to how Alice got too big for the house in Wonderland, we are outgrowing society’s current structures. Photo: disneyscreencaps.com
By Alina Weckström, Head of Media at Ambitious.Africa
The fixation on walls in global politics reflects a concerning trend of division between people with a different worldview. Young people and journalists around the world can imagine alternatives together by placing our shared humanity at the centre of everything we do.
The Berlin wall came toppling down in 1991. This did not stop the construction of new walls. 9/11 in 2001 spurred on xenophobia against Muslim people in the West. This was just one of the twenty-first century catalysts that have led to the construction of intangible walls between us. This year, the lack of global and regional responses to COVID-19 has resulted in stricter border controls and “each to their own” scenarios.
Right-wing terrorism struck New Zealand in 2019, and Norway in 2017, in a devastating way. The ongoing police brutality was brought to the attention of mass media this summer with the brutal murder of George Floyd. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign was centered around the promise of building a physical wall between the US and Mexico, which energised his nationalistic base.
Physical walls have already been built. Hungary built a border barrier on its border with Serbia and Croatia during the European migrant crisis in 2015 to prevent those desperately fleeing their home countries from entering. Division has been further sowed through the EU's failed response to the refugee crisis and the implosion of the Schengen agreement. The Mediterranean has become a sea wall - and a graveyard.
Democracies in danger
The events have exposed a steadily building, deep divide between people from different cultures, nationalities, political parties and socioeconomic and religious backgrounds. It is reflected in the recurring theme of walls and borders in global politics and consequently media, too.
The walls may seem impenetrable. They separate opposing groups and make the other side appear less human. This has helped people justify their worst crimes. They weren’t “like us,” and therefore not human. Social media has become a razor sharp tool to increase polarisation between people with different opinions for political gain. Corporations such as Facebook have intentionally manipulated human weakness for monetary gain.
These phenomenons have been destabilising democracy by calling to the tribalistic instincts in the most subconscious parts of us. Political parties have mobilised those not equipped with a strong education or the critical thinking skills necessary for self-reflection and empathising with those with a different worldview. People are faced with choosing between two sides when the reality is less binary.
By denying the value of others, we must understand that we deny the value of ourselves. Whether we like it or not, whether we can see it with our imperfect eyes or not, we are all interconnected. No wall can change that, it only momentarily masks that truth.
From dehumanisation to shared humanity
The walls are both a symptom and cause of chronic dehumanisation. The walls reflect an unwillingness to imagine a unified future in a time when we need more than ever to find mutually beneficial solutions to global challenges. The walls reflect emotional and mental barriers to see the good in others - but the walls are not indestructible.
We can break the spell of dehumanisation by constantly returning to our shared humanity. The word for this in the Southern African Nguni languages is ‘ubuntu’. It means “I am because you are”. This philosophy, I am arguing, is an effective antidote to us versus them thinking. It’s a philosophy that could help global media thrive into a place of more genuine connectedness.
When we put shared humanity at the centre and cultivate ubuntu, we naturally start scanning for traits in others that bring us together rather than pull us apart. This helps us stay curious towards others and recognise every human difference as an opportunity for learning. It helps us expand our insulated little worlds. We go from crying ”Me, me, me!” to starting our sentences boldly with “we”.
The role of global media
Journalists hold a responsibility to knock down walls through the power of words. These words ought to call to positive action, shift mindsets and open up new ways of seeing. The right words can help us step into the shoes of others by making the unfamiliar feel more familiar to us. We need more stories which exemplify how beautiful life is when we tear down the walls between us.
We have to be careful, however, not to allow numbers to perpetuate dehumanisation and obscure the people they are referring to. Numbers should uplift and accentuate human stories. Numbers should help us get closer to understanding the human experience. So we need to humanise the facts, numbers and charts and utilise modern technologies to make our storytelling more effective.
We can connect with more journalists around the world, not just locally. In the current global crisis we have seen how people defy borders and the walls of their own homes through video conferencing tools. We can use the limitations global crises pose to get even more creative together in these times.
When journalists contribute to reinforcing existing views, it is like feeding an addiction. We have to go cold turkey. The more energy we give to the illusion of the wall, the stronger it gets. The wall symbolises closed-mindedness and lack of nuance, colour and life. The wall solidifies when we shut our senses and our hearts to others, when we continue living in the echo chamber of our own minds and those that agree with us.
Young people - our present, our future
Young people are key. It’s hard to come up against our dynamic energy and raw ambition when we unite. Almost half of Africa’s population is under fifteen. In Europe less than two fifths are this young. Those who have privilege can use it in a supportive and productive way to help more young people get their voices heard through journalism and media. Narratives and mindsets are already shifting.
When our leaders don't stand up for us, young people have no choice but to step up. If the current tech monopoly was built in the dorm rooms of Harvard, young people around the world can also build new mutually beneficial solutions together. We need new perspectives because we have already outgrown the existing structures around us.
Young people have the power to show others the value in understanding others. We need to lead by example and show others that we won’t lose ourselves just because we listen and acknowledge the human value of those we don’t fully agree with us. I believe these walls are our collective ego’s last attempt to hold onto our fragile separated selves. A new time is coming and it starts with collective action led by young people.
About the author
Alina Weckström, 27, started writing for Ambitious.Africa in May 2020. She is now Head of Media for the initiative, currently building a global team of young journalists to create new, uplifting narratives around Africa. She is also a musician and interning as a reporter for the Swedish Sunday magazine Aftonbladet Söndag in Stockholm, Sweden.
Contact the author: alina@ambitiousafrica.org