Peace at the Border : A Thought Experiment

This is the introductory chapter to an edited collection 'Rethinking Border Control for a Globalizing World' which is based on a thought experiment in which a 'preferred future' of more relaxed borders is imagined. The book provides a new point of departure for thinking critically and creatively about international borders and the perceived need to defend them. The ultimate goal is to identify potential pathways towards this preferred future that provide a practical guide for a progressive politics dedicated to moving beyond mere critique of the harm and inequity of present-day border control practices. This chapter sets out the methodology for the 'peace at the border' thought experiment and explains how major historical transformations of the meaning of borders alert us to the possibility that contemporary borders might be changed in ways that are currently unforeseen