What if countries didn’t have borders? | Monday Stories

The world is vast and culturally diverse, and with each passing day, our borders restrict our connections which inadvertently creates a distance among us. To challenge this concept, we created Monday Stories.

Every Monday, at 6 p.m. in Urban Lab, INPRO hosts Monday Stories, an event featuring a different guest each week who presents their country and culture and shares an insight into the country in a way that only a native could. Following their presentation, the audience can delve deeper through an open Q&A session, followed by a networking segment where attendees form small groups and discuss topics inspired by the presentation. 

“The power of this event lies in bringing people together. There are aspects regarding other countries that you can’t learn from the internet, and that you can only grasp from a native person” explains Jessica, from the United Kingdom, a past guest speaker and regular audience member. To truly understand this event we interviewed someone who experienced it. 

Jessica highlighted that her favourite event so far was the one about Mexico. She expressed how while learning interesting information about the culture and the country, she reshaped her perspective on Mexico. Looking ahead, she would like to have more guest speakers from Balkan and Central Asian countries, as these countries are often less discussed in the Western world, which is good taking into consideration the guest hosts we have aligned for the future of this event.

Jessica highlighted that her favourite event so far was the one about Mexico. She expressed how while learning interesting information about the culture and the country, she reshaped her perspective on Mexico. Looking ahead, she would like to have more guest speakers from Balkan and Central Asian countries, as these countries are often less discussed in the Western world, which is good taking into consideration the guest hosts we have aligned for the future of this event.

When invited by the INPRO team to be a speaker, Jessica initially felt nervous about representing her country in such a condensed presentation. However, with the support of some people back in the U.K. and the INPRO volunteers, she delivered a presentation she felt comfortable and proud of. 

During the networking session, many attendees approached her with additional questions and showered her with praise for her presentation skills. This engagement left her content with the overall result of the event.

When asked how she saw the future of Monday Stories, Jessica expressed hope for its success. Mentioning Spain’s revisit with a focus on smart cities, she was excited to see how other countries could be revisited in new ways.  She believes the project has the potential to flourish due not only to its variety but also to the way it fosters connection. Each Monday Stories event is shaped by the uniqueness of a country, building a different personality and preventing monotony. However, despite its diversity, every session is connected by its concept, to bring us closer together in the knowledge of each other’s cultures, allowing us to exist in a world without borders.