Imagine two communities living on either side of a great divide, with no ability to contact each other. Each community has their own strengths and weaknesses. They could learn so much from one another. But to learn about each other and the hidden gems of knowledge and experience, they would need to interact. So the obvious solution is to build a bridge. But the bridge cannot be built by one community. For one thing, even if they got to the other side, what if the other community denied them permission to cross? No, a bridge needs to be a collaborative effort. And just imagine the excitement as the communities from either side crossed over for the first time….and imagine the possibilities…

This is a rough description of what I mean by a collaborative bridge, but the concept is important. The fact is that these bridges have appeared all across the globe. It started with explorers on foot, then by boat, then by plane and these days, by cyberspace. But I’m not sure that we appreciate the opportunities that come from a diverse globe of communities – in fact, often we just focus on the problems (of course it’s important to recognise there will probably be some tensions).

It’s nice to go travelling, experience the dress and food of another culture, perhaps their beautiful and unique scenery. But what about the thinking, the ideas, and the possibilities of new collaborations? There is something to be said for meeting the people…if you don’t do that, you might miss the best part of travelling!