November 17, 2022

If you have been asked ‘No where are you really from?’ recently, it is probably still rankling. At times, your struggle to belong is raised by someone else. It is an issue faced not only by many young people but also adults. Other factors complicate the issue further. One such example is the phenomenon of ‘cognitive immobility,’ which is being mentally trapped in a place or home you left behind because of memories, nostalgia, and experiences. As a result, you can’t truly find a new home in a new place, and so the ‘longing’ for belonging takes on a strange twist. This cognitive immobility not only affects international students but also affects any students who have to move for economic or social reasons.

The Institute for Economics and Peace predicted that by 2050, 1.2 billion people will have been forced to leave their homes as a result of the climate crisis. Amongst initiatives trying to support displaced people is the ‘Tales of a City Tours’ project. Founded by Emily Stevenson in Leeds, UK, this aims to help forcibly displaced people connect with tourists and local residents. The guided city tours were led by refugees and…