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The Corona Virus pandemic has divided the world. Last year, millions of people suffered mental health issues because of social distancing measures. Some of the Covid-19 patients also lost sense of smell and taste, leaving them with only a few senses to survive.
As the crisis lingered on, people felt socially isolated from one another. During the same time new initiatives were taken to bridge the gap between citizens using technology. One such non-profit initiative is named ‘Portal’.
In simple terms, ‘Portal’ connects people from different regions of the world. It is a non-profit initiative which helps you interact with citizens form across the world through a giant screen.
You come in front of a screen installed with a camera and interact with citizens from another part of the world through another screen installed in front of them. Interestingly, the screens are placed on streets which means you connect with the community. It is like a facetime for community.
The advantage of Portal is to let people talk to others and understand their culture. For instance, the streets in London would show the Londoners roaming around with distinct features like dressing, walking style. On the other hand, a screen installed in Germany would show how people dress up in Berlin or Munich.
Up until now, Vilnius which is the capital of Lithuania is connected with Lublin in Poland. The technologists plan to connect following cities:
- Reykjavik with Vilnius
- Vilnius with London
If this is replicated at a global level, there would be real time integration of cultures across the world. It is possible that people from Ethiopia might be able to see the flash mob in Champs-Élysées using ‘portal’.