W1: "The World I Want to Live In"

W1: "The World I Want to Live In"

🌍 The World Beyond Walls

A Different Kind of Tomorrow

Close your eyes for a moment. Picture a neighborhood with no gates, no guards, and no fear. Laughter of children from different backgrounds echoes under the canopy of trees that seem to whisper stories in every language. In this imagined world, compassion is currency and inclusion is law.

This is not a utopia built on fantasy, but a vision rooted in values we urgently need today—equality, justice, and shared humanity. I call it The World Beyond Walls, and it represents the kind of future I believe we can and must build together.

What Would It Look, Sound, and Feel Like?

Figure 1: Schools Float on Lakes in Flood-prone Areas

In this world, cities are designed around people, not profit. Buildings are made from biodegradable materials like hempcrete and living mycelium that change with community needs. Schools float on lakes in flood-prone areas to ensure no child is left behind because of climate or location.

Figure 2: Streets Hum with Music from Different Cultures

The streets hum with music from different cultures, blending into a living symphony of peace. There are no sirens, only the sound of storytelling, soft wind chimes, and joy. People greet each other with open palms. Here is a universal gesture of peace.

Public spaces are multi-sensory. Vertical gardens grow on rooftops, releasing the scent of jasmine. Community ovens bake fresh bread, shared freely. Technology enhances emotional well-being: benches play music to reduce anxiety, and light therapy zones brighten lives during cloudy days.

Figure 3: Homes are Shared Not Owned

Homes are shared, not owned. There is no homelessness, and no mansion stands empty. Education is lifelong and free. It is a blend of science, storytelling, and sustainability. Healthcare is preventive and holistic, combining both modern medicine and indigenous wisdom. Every elder is a teacher. Every child is valued.

Values and Laws That Shape This World

This This world is shaped by restorative justice and the African philosophy of Ubuntu — “I am because we are.” (Paulson, 2020) Laws focus not on punishment, but on healing and transformation. Disputes are resolved in community circles, not courtrooms.

Technology supports justice. Artificial intelligence ensures fair trials and equitable resource distribution but never replaces human connection. AI helps amplify marginalized voices in governance—not suppress them.

Core laws include:

• The Right to Empathy – Emotional literacy is taught from early childhood.
• The Kindness Dividend – Compassion is rewarded in workplaces.
• The Zero Waste Mandate – All production is circular; nothing is wasted, and everything is reused.

Personal Reflection: Why It Matters

This world is personal to me.

Figure 4: Under The Weight of Bullying

As a student, I watched a dear friend fade under the weight of bullying. He was soft-spoken, came from a minority background, and didn’t fit into society’s mold. Teachers turned away. Classmates mocked. Eventually, he stopped coming to school.

His story, like countless others, shows how our current systems fail those who don’t conform.

I dream of a world where no child is made to feel small and where schools celebrate differences, not punish them. Where justice is rooted in empathy and education uplifts the heart, not just the mind.

This is why The World Beyond Walls matters. It's not a fantasy. It's a blueprint for SDG-driven change.

 

Barriers: What’s Stopping Us?

It’s not technology or money that stops this world—it’s apathy. Fear dominates our policies: fear of change, fear of loss, and fear of others. We invest more in prisons than peace. We measure success by GDP, not by compassion.

We’re told this vision is “too idealistic.” But that’s what the status quo says to people who dare to imagine better. As Greta Thunberg once said, “No one is too small to make a difference.” Change begins with those who refuse to settle.

 

Conclusion: The Heart of the Future

The World Beyond Walls is not just a dream—it is a call to action. Every time we speak up against injustice, include the excluded, or choose kindness over cruelty, we lay another brick in this world.

We won’t build it with concrete.

We will construct it with our hearts.

 

References

Paulson, S. (2020, September 30). “I Am Because We Are”: The African Philosophy of Ubuntu. To the Best of Our Knowledge. https://www.ttbook.org/interview/i-am-because-we-are-african-philosophy-ubuntu