Breaking the Walls of Negative Cultural Diversity

Breaking the Walls of Negative Cultural Diversity

by: Hyacinth S. Faune [SJSaranghae]

Culture is a word embellished by a million definitions, a million truths, and a million lives. It is a word that keeps humanity in constant balance. It is a word rooting from the ancient civilizations, to the declining empires, to the hierarchy of the medieval and renaissance time phases, to the present world. Culture conveys the whole of history summed up in a single word. It brings out people’s beliefs, traditions, norms, lifestyle, and a race’s legitimate jurisdiction. Culture unravels the visionary illusions and the truth about a group of people. It separates fact from fiction, reality from conjecture, in a pursuit to trace back a thousand years of ancestry and inheritance that we all practice today in our modern customs. Culture is a medium to make all of us feel the pulse of history in our veins. At the same time, culture describes the many ways human beings express themselves for the purpose of uniting with others, defining an identity, and distinguishing one’s self as unique.

As cultures interact and intermix, cultural identities change. This process can be enriching, but disorienting. The current insecurity of cultural identity reflects fundamental changes in how we define and express who we are today. These times are most crucial; cultural divergence and racial discrimination. Racism is the systematic practice of denying people’s access to rights, representation, or resources based on racial differences. These situations sharpen the long-standing dilemma that eventually leads to discrimination and exploitation. How can universal human rights exist in a culturally diverse world? As the international community becomes increasingly integrated, how can cultural diversity and integrity be respected? Is a global culture inevitable? If so, is the world ready for it? How could a global culture emerge based on and guided by human dignity and tolerance?

If we think about it, we all have one goal: to make this world a better place. Each of us wants to make a difference and create an impact the world will never forget. But what barricades us from this goal and the reality to achieve it is diversity. Our different stands and mindsets diminish our search for that specific answer and truth on how to eliminate the global crises we face today. We see the world in a different pair of paradigm. Our own perceptions are actually for an individual’s benefit, something most of us are unaware of. Instead of finding ways to mitigate the problems by unity, joint forces and intelligence, and interweaving cultures, we want to make the difference ourselves. It then does not matter how the others struggle for their own survival and how to lift up their lives. In my opinion, the reason why these major problems couldn’t be ceased is because of the contributing factor of “cultural diversity.” There are positive outcomes of cultural diversity, as well as the negatives that result from it. When we are divided, there is no real communication. There is no real peace. There is no real respect. Oftentimes, we think that alone, we can make a stand for this generation by letting ourselves unlock alone the doors of uncertainty. But that’s just ridiculous. One person cannot change the whole world. It takes the cooperation of a billion others to do that. But being culturally diverse, we go on separate ways, forgetting that once aimed goal of rebuilding the earth into a majestic paradise. Now, that goal seems to be out of our grasp. Man’s continuous thirst for superiority runs deep in his psyche.

Wars are everywhere. The recent of which is the attack of the Giza Strip between Israel and the Arab Muslims. It takes more than one person to trigger the said conflict. Because of ideology, territory and cultural diversity [Muslims and Jews have different cultures], the world has turned its face on the two nations set at war in between a narrow boarder. Dawn until dusk all that could be heard were cannons, and riffles, and temporary ceasefires. There would be total chaos if these two races were to be together. It is just like the ancient wars in history. Pointless conflicts because of differences; trying to prove which race is greater, which culture is far more absolute, and enslaving the races who are different by labeling them as community outcasts. It reminds me of our lesson in 2^nd year Asian History. When Mrs. Vidal taught us about the Caste System, the order of society in the ancient civilizations of Indus, Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. It was when the Dravidians were treated as a low form of life. They were the “untouchables”, marked as slaves for eternity. The Caste System was a total imbalance, which is why Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi was against it. All these enigmatic disasters are brought about by cultural diversity. If we still see racial discrimination and racial struggle for supremacy, making one better than the other, then REAL peace can not be obtained.

Do you remember the 2003 or 2004 song of the Black Eyed Peas entitled, “Where is the Love?” I like how the song puts up these lines:

1. “But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate”

2. “If love and peace so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don’t belong
Nations dropping bombs
Chemical gases filling lungs of little ones
With ongoing suffering
As the youth die young
So ask yourself is the loving really strong?
So I can ask myself really what is going wrong
With this world that we living in
People keep on giving in
Makin wrong decisions
Only visions of them livin and
Not respecting each other
Deny thy brother
The wars’ going on but the reasons’ undercover”

The song has a real prowess meaning about our world today. And all these problems are attributes to cultural diversity. Most of us are so pre-occupied making wrong decisions that we end up disrespecting and denying others. Disrespect then turns to aggravation, then to hate.

Instead of letting anger reign over, be the cycle breaker! Each of us can break the cycles of negative cultural diversity so that we can truly unite to help solve all the crises we are currently experiencing. Together we can all take a stand on planet Earth. Together, we can make a global culture of peace, love and freedom, with our cultures interweaving beneath the linen of fulfillment. Breaking the walls of negative cultural diversity may be difficult, as this has been going on for thousands of years. History has made some of its mark through cultural diversity. But it is not impossible. In order for humans to improve better, we must all cooperate saving the earth and stopping all conflicts. If one person could make a small difference, imagine how a billion populations can cause a global change.

It’s just a matter of respect and change of perspective. It’s just a matter of a “Paradigm Shift.”