Kitchen Talks: Borders For almost every person on the plane | frame
Kitchen Talks: Borders
For almost every person on the planet, country borders create a system regulating where we can travel, live, work and learn. For some, borders are a social construct that divide people into privileged and underprivileged societies and usually serve the powerful, while for others they are the legitimate heritage of how independent cultures and states developed over time, each with their own legitimate histories, norms and societies that deserve to be respected. But the picture is usually more complex. Having an open border with a country can be seen as a sign of trust and political integration, but it can also be a sign that one state dominates the other. A single ethnic group can be divided by a border, sometimes deciding to ignore it entirely. Histories of empire and conquest have left different groups with very powerful attachments to the same piece of land. Which, as we have all too recently been reminded, can lead to war. So what are borders, why do we have them and are they worth all this fighting?
Kitchen Talks combines an English-language discussion group with a space where people with different views come together for dialogue. We invite participants to speak about controversial topics, express their ideas with respect and learn about why people hold diverse beliefs. This group discussion may be attended by people with very different (and potentially uncomfortable) views and we encourage all participants to engage with each other in curiousity and a spirit of openness. We will be meeting at Dom (Betlemi 23) in the old city and entrance costs 5 lari.
Feel free to read the following articles exploring different sides of the topic. As always be aware that outlets generally promote different narratives for specific purposes:
— What do borders really do? (UofT)
— I’m an immigrant and I find open borders troubling (The Hill)
— The case for open borders (The New Yorker)
— 22 unusual international borders (India Times)
— Why are these borders so weird? (Big Think)
To learn more about Kitchen Talk’s approach to dialogue and discussion, feel free to read our primer: http://www.summerpax.com/kitchentalks.
To save your spot, please register though the link. Looking forward to seeing you on Monday!
