Momondo's DNA journey sets out to prove that as the human race, there are more things that unite us than divide us. A group of volunteers are asked a series of questions about their heritage- where they come from, which ethnicities they tend to dislike, and their attitudes over the topic. Not surprisingly, many people showed pride for their own heritage and disdain for at least one other group of people or nation.
An English man claimed "I am proud to be English. My family have served and defended this country and been to war for this country... I think we are the best country in the world if I'm honest". An Icelandic man stated "I'm 100% Icelandic. I'm more important than you. I don't know you, but in my opinion I am stronger and more important than a lot of people". When asked which regions they are not fond of, the English man responded "Germany, not a fan of the Germans".
The interviewer and conductor of the experiment asks "how would you feel about taking a journey based on your DNA"? The English man responds "What could you possibly tell me that I don't already know"?
The interviewer goes on to describe how DNA works. "You get half from your mom and half from your dad, 50% from each, and they get 50% from their parents- and back, and back, and back. All those little bits of your ancestors filter down to make you, you." Soon after, the volunteers provide a DNA sample, and return two weeks later for their results.
Ironically, The English man ends up being 25% German, which everyone shares a laugh over. The proud Icelandic fellow finds traces of Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in his DNA. After finding this out he says, "Iceland has definitely moved closer to Europe now".
All of the volunteers express profound shock and wonder as their true roots are revealed. A woman who indicated an aversion towards Turkish people is actually part Turkish herself. The Interviewer announces, "in a way, we're all kinda cousins in a broad sense. In a more direct sense, you have a cousin in this room". The same woman goes on to meet her cousin who she never knew existed prior to that day.
At the end of it all, one participant poignantly points out that "there would be no such thing as extremism in the world if people knew their heritage like that. Who would be stupid enough to think of such a thing as a pure race"? Her question is thought provoking and brings awareness to the real and present dangers of racism and discrimination. Imagine a world without prejudice or ultraism. Our unwavering tendency to cling to what we think we know stifles our interactions and ability to spread love without discretion.
The video closes with the line" You have more in common with the world than you think. An open world begins with an open mind". This experiment challenges you to stop and confront your conventions every once in a while in order to accept all of life's grand possibilities. You may be surprised at what you find.
Let's broaden our thoughts, so we can "open our world".
