Some years ago, the European powers that be (or were) held a meeting. At this meeting, they laid out a map of Africa in front of them and, on it, drew random borders all over. Then they had a chat of sorts and drank coffee, and they divided the borders they had drawn among themselves. Each country took a portion or two of Africa, and it became theirs.

Then each country returned home, and it took Africa’s resources and used them to became rich while Africa became poor. And when each European country had taken the resources that it needed from Africa, it left it alone in a terrible mess. A mess that created wars and killed thousands and millions of Africans as if they were ants. And the wars brought famine and poverty. And the European countries – that had very earlier divided Africa among themselves – didn’t move a finger to fix the mess they had themselves made. And Africa kept drowning…

And now, the Africans that somehow manage to survive the wars and the famine and the poverty come to Europe to seek refuge from the mess. And the European country’s citizens – who weren’t present in the original meeting narrated above – frown and growl at the innocent Africans and call them names, and terrorists. And they blame them for a lot of many things which are too far from the truth. And they tell them to go back to their country and if not, they are ready to leave them to die at sea.

Now humanity believes we have made progress.

So much progress, in fact, that we’re now looking for a new inhabitable planet because our experts have predicted that we cannot last longer than a 100 years more on Earth.

That’s great no? A new planet! A new world, a new beginning!

Unless the great that are hold a meeting and lay out a map of the new planet and draw random borders all over it. And then they have a chat of sorts and drink coffee, and they divide the borders of the new planet among themselves and it becomes theirs. And they invite the rich into their new-found-land, while the poor will remain on Earth till every resource dies out. And the rich citizens of the new planet will frown and growl at those from wish to leave planet Earth and come to the new planet for a new life. And they will blame them for a lot of many things which are too far from the truth, and call them terrorists. And they will tell them to go back to planet Earth and that if not, they are ready to leave them rot there, or in space.

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash