The Global Impact of Man-Made Fences

Fences, fences, fences. These man-made dividers crisscross the global landscape, dividing land, hearts, and humanity itself. Towering walls mark national borders. Razor-sharp barbed wire blocks desperate refugees and migrants. Our obsession with separation knows no bounds.

Take, for instance, the U.S.-Mexico border. The debate over a wall has lasted for decades. Once, it was a campaign rallying cry. Now, it has seen renewed intensity. Migrants from Central and South America continue to risk life and limb in search of safety and opportunity. Steel barriers rise while families are torn apart, trapped between hope and hostility.

In Europe, fences are sprouting like weeds. Poland recently completed a high-tech border wall. The purpose is to keep out migrants crossing from Belarus. This action is part of a broader trend among European nations to fortify their frontiers. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean is a watery grave for thousands of refugees. They are fleeing conflict and poverty. Nations squabble over who should bear the burden of saving lives.

Closer to Asia, India and Bangladesh share one of the world’s longest-fenced borders. It is an emblem of distrust and division. This border has severed age-old cultural and familial ties. In the Middle East, Israel’s barriers with Palestine are stark reminders of the region’s enduring conflict. The walls cement not just territory but also animosity.

These fences, walls, and barricades have amassed more mileage than all the roads and bridges joined. Yet ironically, we engineer ways to keep others out. At the same time, we preach the idea of a “global village.” It’s a world where we are more connected than ever. This connection halts when it comes to the lines we draw on maps and in our minds.

But fences are not just physical structures; they symbolize mistrust, fear, and the unwillingness to share. They remind us that while we advance technologically, our emotional and moral progress remains stunted. We’ve developed the ability to send rockets to the moon but can’t seem to bridge the divides on Earth.

In this era of globalization, the irony is stark. We talk of open markets and shared resources. Yet, we balk at the idea of open borders and shared humanity. The world isn’t just overfenced—it’s overcautious, overprotective, and overdivided.

What if, instead of building fences, we built bridges? What if the resources spent on walls were redirected to foster understanding, cooperation, and coexistence? What if the global village became more than just a catchphrase and truly lived up to its name?

As it stands, our planet is overfenced, and so are our minds. We must tear down these barriers—both physical and ideological. Otherwise, our dream of a truly united world will stay just that: a dream.

– Promod Puri