The global village. That’s one of the terms for the world we live in. A town means small, a town means cozy, a town means you know 90% of the people in it. It is rather strange to call a globe a circumference of 24,901.55 miles or 40,075.16 kilometers. The last thing it is, it’s small, cozy, and there’s absolutely no way anyone knows 90% of the entire population. They would have to start sending out Christmas cards in January and would probably still be several years behind.

So why call it a global village if at first glance it seems like such a misnomer? It is because with the rapid advances in technology and with the way technology has spread and been adopted around the world, even in the most remote and rural parts, people from obscure regions are getting in touch with others in a way that I never thought possible. Thus, the Inuit of Alaska communicate with the Buddhist priests of India. Or presidents of multi-million dollar companies chatting with prostitutes in the Red Light District of Amsterdam and that’s not what I mean either. I mean an everyday conversation. Maybe even get advice from them for the stock market.

The world is smaller in the sense that global communication is easier and more affordable. There is a freer exchange of ideas and cultures between complete strangers who would never have had the chance to meet before. There is a mix of cultures as people choose the aspects of different cultures and religions that they like and want to experience and there are more and more intercultural, interracial and interfaith marriages. Unsurprisingly, this has not increased tolerance towards this mixing and mixing, nor have we seen increased tolerance towards religions, races and cultures other than our own. It is to be expected that we are advancing towards it, but it seems that the movement is slow and that the glaciers will overtake us.

Another aspect of the global village phenomenon is that tourism is booming. And it’s not just the well-heeled who travel. Kids fresh out of school looking to explore and have interesting experiences, 20-year-olds undecided about careers and looking for adventure, 30-year-olds wanting a break, young-at-heart 40s and 50s, people from All ages. and all lifestyles travel these days. It’s easy because countries recognize the value of tourism and attend to it. They cater to package tours, families, backpackers, and those traveling alone. They meet needs, are kind, and do what they can to help those who feel overwhelmed by being in a foreign country.

Local businesses and artists also take advantage of the hapless gawking, bug-eyed tourists who gawk at everything they see. Cafes and restaurants abound in the most popular spots and artists choose good booths to display their wares. In Africa, every roadside space serves as a marketplace for displaying stone and wood carvings. You can invariably spot the tourists because they are the ones walking around with big wooden masks or a very tall carved giraffe and besides the bright red sunburns they always look very pleased with themselves as if they know they got the best deal. How do they get those huge things on the planes and back home, who knows?

Some people have realized the enormous popularity of African arts and crafts as gifts or simply as part of home décor and have established import businesses that deal exclusively and personally with artists from Africa, buying directly from them and marketing the products on abroad. In scenarios like this, it’s best to buy from a company that follows a Fair Trade policy and doesn’t take advantage of the artist or exploit them in any way. Especially since many of these artists live in separate countries from their families so they can have the chance to make a better living and send money back home. If the company also has an environmental policy, all the better, especially if that policy includes not using any products that come from endangered wildlife.

In this way, some truly talented artists who probably would have struggled their whole lives to make a living put bread on the table, have the chance to achieve a moderate level of fame, and their art can be found all over the world, from China to London. . to alaska That’s not bad for a man or woman whose greatest desire is probably to live under the same roof as her family permanently.