Country as Imagined Community

More ideas from Bellagio...

Many of us like to think of country borders as permanent and meaningful. In some cases, these borders are physical, for example, parts of the divide between the US and Mexico. But, in many cases, borders are lines on a map that serve to separate cultures and people that don’t necessarily need to be divided, for example, Punjabi Indians versus Punjabi Pakistanis (same people, just different sides of the fence). In other instances, the concept of a “country” only makes sense to a colonizer, but not to the people who are part of that country. India, for example, could easily be divided into several countries, each with its own language, dress, cuisine, and cultural traditions. On the other hand, parts of Africa could easily supercede their country divides, either because of spillover populations or cultural affinities.

The “country” as nation-state can both unite and separate, but the country as physical border divides. One idea we’ve discussed at Bellagio is the potential of transforming borders into uniters. Imagine the line between two countries that may have had conflicting relationships in the past. Drawing a line in the sand that says "this is mine, that is yours" only further cements the divide. But, what if the line in the sand were made into a park—neutral territory for either side to enjoy, that was classified as neither country’s official domain, but something shared. The concept immediately changes the way one thinks about the border. It is a connector. A few areas are already doing this. If you’re interested, check out the Balkans Peace Park Project and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.