CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: CELEBRATING DIFFERENCES, PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC BARRIERS.
I’ve come again to give my take on this topic which majors on Cultural Diversity. My reasons for paying my own quota is not even known to me. It occurs naturally, and that’s one way I can fix in my own idea to restore our culture in its dying state. Frankly speaking, the effects of this has generated a sick-driven community, and Nation at large. Nigeria is a member.
Moving further, the above terms needed to be defined to earn an ease free digestion of the message, before any other factor could be considered. First, Culture itself must be understood as a total way of life of people as we've been taught in our early education days. It's a system of belief, behaviors, and traditions that covers a particular community. Also, culture, religion, tribe are intertwined - it's a cyclic process. If there's culture differences, there'd be religion, and tribe differences.
Cultural diversity is the differences in beliefs, traditions and behaviors within a particular region that shares more than one culture. As yoruba will call it "ÀSÀ" - the norms of a society. Inclusion is the adding of another entity to a group. Furthermore, cultural diversity and inclusion is the acceptance of the differences in beliefs, and traditions of a certain group of people in a particular society.
After giving the meaning of the above underlined topic, it's important to move to the content of the discourse one after the other, while elaborating the way forward towards that. But before that, I'd like to briefly mention the effects of this cultural thingy. It has caused a division in our political sector, hence supporting or voting for the man of your culture without putting his/her credibility in check. This has wrecked us.
It has also breed bigotry i.e intolerance towards other people beliefs, tradition and customs, but narrow-mindedly to their own beliefs as the better and reliable one - this has hindered the growth of the people and the Nation. In the employment sector also, this has done more harm than good, by selecting applicants based on culture familiarity rather than accountability, and diligence, even the education sector suffers the same vein. Unless the Country stands in for acknowledgement of cultural diversity and its inclusion, the Nation will be in a stagnant state.
Sorry for the diversion, back to the major discussion. The acceptance of differences in culture and its inclusion will bring about peace, development, socio-cultural advancement, and will also make the nation a unified one. In lieu of this, it's imperative to systemically address this, as it follows a sequence.
In every settings for development, the first tool for development is celebrating differences that cut across all culture. The differences in each and every culture must be duly recognized, and respected - because it's a natural phenomenon. Why? The culture you belonged wasn't birthed by choice, but rather a destined mode. It's an unconscious belonging, and hence must be treated as one. The inclusion of culture will help in celebrating differences i.e coming together as a unified nation, with differences, sharing beliefs, will help show concern, and authoritatively enhance development.
If the differences are properly stretched, and they are equally looked into, giving the need to see the beauty in every culture will help ochestrate.
Sequentially, the next in line is promoting understanding. Celebration of differences will directly or indirectly influence understanding and promote it. In a polylingual country, the inclusion of cultural diversity will help breed better understanding within the populace, and yield a tense free society. There would be a renowned sense of fairness and understanding with every culture. The influence of cultural diversity, and its inclusion goes beyond matching words - it’s a new dawn for better life.
Cultural diversity will help address systemic barriers ranging from language barriers, intermarriage - interreligious, and intermarriage specifically. Even the economy situation of the Country, as it is known everywhere that recognizing the beauty in each and every culture and full acceptance begets development. The whole system will be charged if its inclusion is accepted. The impact of diversity in culture will significantly catalyze improvement, and tribal war, ethnic debate, and religious war will be dropped to the barest minimum. And the flag of the Nation shall be raised to the maximum height we've been wanting. Greater heights attain.
Particularly the language barriers, inclusion of the cultural diversity will help improve and lessen the barriers, and extend the impact to the business arena also. The monopolization of businesses by different tribes — culture is not directly proportional to growth. The need for interweaving will sharpen the blunt edges, and systematically enable a sustainable environment for all. The inclusion of the diversity in culture will significantly influence.
I'd be dropping the pen here, as the main purpose of every discourse is to make it brief but well equiped with the valuable and needed points, and I hope this my view better serve the saying. Thank you.
© Babátúndé Olábòdé (GMNSE).
