By Paul Ejime
Many avid tourists should be familiar with the Global Village in Dubai, which the United Arab Emirates established in 1997 as a cultural destination with pavilions showcasing the cultures and traditions of countries across the globe. It also serves as a place for a festive carnival with restaurants.
Before then, the Global Village concept was coined and popularised by Canadian theorist Marshall McLuhan in his book ‘Understanding Media: the extensions of Man (1964). He posited that “new media technologies, such as television and the internet, were collapsing time and space, creating a more interconnected world that he referred to as the global village.”
The concept has since gained traction in a globalising world, where news/information travels with the press of a button or as fast as the speed of light or sound, unlike in the analogue era.
However, a major downside of the technological development is the erasure of human physical contact and interpersonal relationships.
The COVID pandemic left a lasting, if not negative, impact on human socialisation, leading to increased feelings of loneliness, a decline in social skills, a change in work ethics and individual lifestyles, with changes in communication methods and a reduction in in-person interactions.
Still, no thanks to today’s technology-driven digital world of social media, family members, colleagues and friends may be so close, and yet, very far apart.
Husbands and wives, siblings, and colleagues might be seated on the same sofa, but are agonisingly separated by the application of digital devices.
Even more worrisome is the emergence of new nationalism, individualism, and the “I and me-mindset,” enabling the “fortress mentality.”
Immigration is as old as human history, driven by the pull and push factors, including family, education or employment reasons. But, migration is now being criminalised, even when there is irrefutable evidence to show that many nations were built by immigrants from different parts of the globe.
The same governments and individuals who once canvassed that the world is an interconnected global village of humans are now spreading hatred.
Human movements are being restricted unduly, immigrants/foreigners are now seen as enemies, intruders and criminals “taking the jobs of the fortress citizens, eating their dogs and doing all the bad things,” forgetting that the immigrant population is sustaining the economies of many countries, doing jobs despised by “the privileged citizens.”
While some governments and groups are using laws/policies to enforce the inhuman segregation, individuals have joined the fray by either attacking immigrants openly or through covert discrimination and xenophobic dispositions.
The catchphrases range from “making our country great, or great again,” to “my country,” “my property,” and “me or I before others.”
Ironically, this is in the same world that preaches “unity, equal opportunity, peace and justice,” and populated by adherents of different religions that swear on their commitment to tolerance and common humanity.
Dear brothers and sisters, in this Special Season, I wanted us to reflect on our relationships with fellow humans, which are the yardsticks for measuring our relationship with our Creator, irrespective of faith, creed, tribe, race, social status and political persuasion.
Even when we have not experienced it, the emptiness or vanity of life is obvious.
The world is a stage, and human life is about making a positive impact on others, not about money/wealth, vehicles, houses, or other possessions.
A vivid illustration is the composition of our body. None of our body parts is made for its own use – for instance, our eyes, ears, mouth, nose or limbs. Similarly, the Sun shines for others, the rose is admired not by itself, and a candle that lights another illuminates the space.
None of us had a choice about the family or country we came from, who/what we have become in life, how we came into this world, and how/when we will depart.
It, therefore, behoves us to make the best of all situations we find ourselves, especially by cultivating friends instead of enemies, since no one knows tomorrow!
Yesterday has gone, today is a present, which we must cherish/leverage to assist others, and tomorrow is pregnant and beyond our comprehension!
To everyone, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, 2026, and beyond!
Ejime Family!
