In a desert metropolis of 22 million, many things are scarce, and few are as abundant as trash. For decades, Cairo lacked an organized approach to waste management—an administrational gap filled by the people of Manshiyat Nasser, a neighborhood known as Garbage City.

A manufactured, artificial opposite of the natural world, the workspace is a peculiar invention. It has the outside wrapped all around it, separated by just a few inches of wall and yet fully out of reach for eight hours a day. And those working in it are always ready to put their pay towards a vacation escape to the other side, while those working outside of it never dream the other way around, never fantasize about vacationing inside an office.

In a time when global cooperation is paramountestest—because existential threats like climate change and rogue AIs don’t recognize borders—the EU is a role model for multilateralism. Cultural exchange. Open trade. Pooled resources. It’s smart. And it’s the future. We don’t need more walls. We need more doors.