In a world in
which globalization takes for granted that every place of the world is just
like our home, art expressions, like literature, are a tool to bring down those
myths. International publishers and technology are a great heilp for making these
things spread around the world and, with the aid of international
organizations, certain programmes arose that made this even more possible.
Thanks to all these, in the world of globalization and internet, transcultural
integration is made easier for those who look for it.
One of such
programmes was Crossing Borders. It was an initiative in collaboration between
the British Council and Lancaster University. It took place between 2001 and
2006, and was a mentoring project for young writers in Africa. Through the use
of information technologies and a series of live workshops and readings, the
young African writers were put in contact with experienced writers. They
created an online database to access and, most important of all, a series of
online magazines in which not only professional writing advise was given to
prospect writers but also many of the participant’s pieces of writing were
published.
The Crossing
Borders magazines, published in the British Council Website, are the projects
most important source of transcultural integration. Most writers, as it would
be expected, tell stories related to everyday life in their homes. They write
of what they know. This is a great source, for the international reader, of
information about their rich and ancient cultures and how only some aspects of
western culture have become as normal to them as they are to us.
Even though this
programme is no longer taking place, the initiative has been enough to inspire
many. Thanks to the internet, the product is available to anyone willing to
read and learn in any place in the world. This way, people from as far as
Argentina, The UK or the USA can read about the lives of young African students
and writers like themselves and their everyday life. Thanks to technology,
literature, even coming from unknown authors, is a source for integration and
learning.
Bibliography:
The Crossing Borders Archive. Available at:
