Is Cultural Diversity a characteristic desirable in all Institutions in Society?

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ International Migration Report 2002 states that “175 million people are residing away from their country of birth.”  These people bring along a set of distinct and unique cultural characteristics like art, music, literature, lifestyle, tradition, beliefs, values, practices and expressions.  Our society is becoming an interesting mix of cultures.   Cultural Diversity is desirable in all institutions of society and we must work together to promote and encourage it.  We have a heterogeneous community from where we can draw a pool of strengths in knowledge, wisdom, experience and energy to make our world a better place.

            Our educational institutions must take the lead in making the young appreciate the positive aspects of a diverse culture.  Most schools have multi-racial populations.  There are students of different nationalities, children from mixed marriages, exchange students and those on scholarship grants.  Students and professors will be exposed to a culture, foreign from theirs, up close.  Our schools must employ methods of instruction that are not only appropriate but also considerate of the cultural diversity in the academe.  They should allow and respect certain practices which are inherent in their culture, like fasting during religious holy days, for as long as they pose no adverse threat to others.  Let our schools be venues for people to welcome, accept and nurture understanding of cultural differences as such may be of import to them in the future.

            No one country can exist all by itself.  The past had taught us valuable lessons on isolationism.  We are now practically without borders.  People travel, live in countries other than their own, speak many languages, and work with different companies across the globe. Cultural diversity covers both the internal and external relationships among communities of people.  The bigger scale of external involvement is our International Relations.  Modern diplomacy calls for awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences in efforts to pursue the cause of peace, work for sustainable development and open cultures to constant dialogue.

            Businesses are the backbone of society.  They provide jobs and the means to all our basic needs.  Big businesses have crossed oceans to establish companies worldwide and tap global markets.  They created value through an inclusive workplace of employees with diverse cultural backgrounds.  Their diversity is the key to their productivity and the company’s competitive edge.  Different cultures have different competencies which multi-national companies make full use of to drive the business’ profits up.

            The Media is an institution that is vital in communication and information dissemination.  Cultural Diversity in Media helps preserve the identity and social links within societies.  Media can help advance local expression and native language through opportunities for the community to communicate with each other.  Media facilitates interaction among members of the community by providing the forum where they may express their own ideas, share their knowledge and experience in their native tongue.

            Cultural Diversity is an essential and desirable characteristic in institutions of our society.  There is an imperative need for us to preserve the cultures of our world.  They represent the identity and unique tradition of a society.  We should recognize, accept and respect the cultural differences that are integral to our communities.  They represent our collective strengths and safeguarding them is our human duty as much as it is our human right.  Cultural Diversity counts on the plurality of knowledge, wisdom, experience and energy to move and improve the world.  Cultural Diversity facilitates dialogues and initiatives among nations.

            Our world had truly expanded and had been enriched by diversity of cultures and the gains it had brought humankind.

References

UNESCO (2008, Aug 4). What is Cultural Diversity.  UNESCO-Culture.

Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php- URL_ID=13031&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.