The scrambled world

Scrambled Worlds. We — people from diverse backgrounds and cultures — often live physically in one place, typically a global city, while our minds remain elsewhere. Thanks to digitalisation, it has become easier than ever to stay connected with one’s home country and culture while living abroad. Whereas migrants once had to learn the local language to integrate and function, today it is possible to live and work elsewhere while continuing to speak one’s native language, surrounded by compatriots. Global cities have become mosaics of distinct communities.

A world stirred, but not blended. Cultures now coexist physically, yet rarely form a cohesive whole. The mixture has been stirred, but not blended. Where distance once acted as a natural buffer between cultures, today they live side by side, while people remain digitally tethered to their origins. Extremists, populists, conspiracy theorists, and hate preachers eagerly exploit this situation, inflaming old divisions. The “scrambled world” is vulnerable to radicalisation, disinformation and violence — from organised terrorism to random lone-wolf attacks.

Crumbling cohesion. In this fragmented society, social cohesion is eroding. In the past, mutual dependence fostered integration: newcomers learned the language to find work and participate in society. Now, many can remain within their own cultural sphere while staying digitally connected to their homeland, living and working almost anywhere. As a result, communities in cities increasingly live parallel lives. Urban centres are turning into tribal clusters lacking a shared social fabric. The same divide can be seen between cities and rural areas: while cities are often cosmopolitan and progressive, the countryside tends to lean towards conservatism and nationalism.

The digital transition. We are living through a transitional period: from a world of closed borders and local traditions to a digital society where cultures, economies, and identities are globally interwoven. Tech giants offer cross-border services, labour markets are internationalising, and migration is growing due to economic, climatic and political pressures. Inevitably, we are moving towards a global society where traditional, geographically rooted cultures are becoming dispersed — while new social structures are still slow to emerge.

No way back — only forward. Populist instincts — a yearning for an idealised past — offer no real solution. The world of clearly separated cultures will not return. Closing borders won’t stop digitalisation, globalisation or migration. The only sustainable path is to move with the current. That means accepting that we are in the midst of a global transition — one that must be actively guided rather than resisted.

Making room for collaboration. Governments must facilitate international cooperation between citizens, businesses and researchers. Laws, labour markets and public policies must adapt to this new reality. National interest should be redefined as encouraging global engagement — for the sake of knowledge exchange and mutual understanding. That also means updating legislation to make it easier — not harder — to live and work across borders, as is too often still the case today.

New leadership needed. The scrambled world, evolving towards a more fluid society, demands a new kind of leadership — leaders who bridge divides rather than deepen them. Global cities already contain nearly every culture on Earth. The task is to turn these cities into positive melting pots, testbeds for human cooperation. It is time for new leaders who can guide us through this phase of transition towards inclusive, future-proof social structures.