Winston’s story

Winston’s story

Dr. Winston Mano has a vision: a world without passports.

“Passports will become irrelevant in the future ... Capitalism and markets require everyone to participate to consume and to become indebted. The more capitalism expands the more migration will happen across the globe. It is unavoidable."

He cites the example of the European Union, where national passports are not always required.

In the meantime, however, he works hard building and improving the world as it is.

Mano, 46, was a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, and moved here 15 years ago to do a PhD. He returned home for four months before coming back as a senior lecturer at the University of Westminster, where he is now Reader and Director of the Africa Media Centre. He haspromoted research on African media issues and helped develop the university’s Media and Development MA course.

He is not untypical, in that many of the 110,000 Zimbabwean-born immigrants who the Office for National Statistics estimates  were resident in the UK in 2013 are highly educated.

"The UK provides an unparallelled opportunity to meaningfully engage with social change issues,” he says, “not least because key educational, media and development institutions are based in London.” Graduate teaching here is very global, he adds: “It satisfies me to deal with people from other parts of the world."

London is a metropolitan city full of diversity, he says, that adds sparkle to life. He never misses a chance to taste new international cuisines and has a particular fondness for late-night trains and buses - "This is where the real London comes alive! People openly seek conversation and pour their hearts out in fascinating ways.”

But he hasn’t forgetting his roots, which is why he is also involved in Zimbabwean activities. He helps run the Zimbabwe Achievers' Award, which recognises talent among UK-based Zimbabweans, and is himself a past winner of the Zimbabwe Academic Award, honouring his work in education.  
He is a member of the British-Zimbabwe Society, which promotes development and cultural relations between Zimbabwe and the UK. The society supports people-to-people links, informs and educates Zimbabweans, promotes understanding and respect, and encourages open discussion and debate. He travels to Zimbabwe two to three times a year.

His message to migrants? Be nice to each other and treat locals with respect.