Can You Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion?

May 21 is the United Nations designated international holiday to promote inclusivity and diversity. The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development was adopted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. This year, the Third World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue takes place in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan on the theme: “Sharing Culture for a Shared Security” in May. Five different international organizations have planned this conference for world leaders to promote cultural awareness.

Why Is Diversity Important?

Almost all of the world’s major conflicts have an aspect of cultural dimension. Understanding the differences in cultures and religions builds bridges on what is common to everyone. Acknowledging the value of all cultures and ethnicities promotes inclusivity, according to Peter Mousaferiadis, creator of the 1^st prize in the #DoOneThing video contest, “Diversified We Grow.” The video is available on YouTube, and it is a nice introduction to the question of why diversity is so vital in today’s multiracial world.

What Can You Do to Promote Diversity?

The UN offers these 10 suggestions for individuals and families who can’t attend an international conference.

1. Watch a movie or read a book about a religion other than your own.
2. Have dinner with another family whose background is much different than yours.
3. Visit museums and art exhibits that celebrate other cultures and traditions.
4. Study philosophers and historians from other countries to gain a different perspective.
5. Attend a worship service outside of your own religion. Contact the leader before you attend if you are concerned about the worship traditions and participation.
6. Play a game in which you put a post-it with the name of country on it on your forehead. Others tell you stereotypes about the country and you have to guess which one it is.
7. Read the ULC blog and others for information about celebrations around the world, such as Hanukkah, the Holi Festival of Colors, or the Chinese New Year.
8. Talk about your own culture with your family.
9. Listen to music from around the world.
10. Invite others to speak to your group about their traditions.

Join the Facebook campaign at “Do One Thing For Diversity and Inclusion” for more ideas about encouraging inclusivity in your community. This grassroots campaign encourages people to take action for diversity and promotes concrete ideas to do just that. There may be no way for you to change a conflict in Bangladesh, but you can prevent arguments in your community.

This campaign also sponsored the #DoOneThing video contest. The second place winner, “Tomato Story” By Lidiia Kozhevnikova is a very powerful story of how differences can be attractive. After you’ve found the first two videos, catch the third place winner, “Me and the differences” By Francesco Lucantoni. The contest is from 2013, but the message is timeless. Keep scrolling down the timeline and you’ll find a number of other cute videos with the same message.

Small Steps by Individuals Make Changes

A person’s cultural background affects their behavior and performance, but a person’s behavior and performance can also affect their culture. It’s important to understand how the dynamics of culture and religion shape a person, in order to challenge stereotypes and remove barriers between misunderstandings. None of these things happen overnight. It’s the small changes individuals make in their own lives that shifts the country’s thinking over time.

Join the celebration on May 21 by doing one thing to promote cultural diversity. Work within your own organization or church to encourage unity amid the differences in your community. The United Nations webpage on Cultural Diversity Day offers numerous resources both globally and locally. Promoting diversity discourages racism and intolerance. It starts with each person making strides to understand their neighbors.