Advocacy for cultural diversity
by Charlotte Courtois, founder of Konstelacio.
When celebrating what sets us apart as much as what binds us together becomes an act of resistance.
I hesitated for a long time before writing to share this plea for cultural diversity with you. Is it my place? Is it useful? Yet how can I remain silent in the face of this disturbing uproar?
Cultural diversity and the richness it represents have been at the heart of my life and my commitment for more than 25 years now. Long before I laid the first bricks of what would become the NGO Konstelacio. It became both a passion and a revelation when I first set foot in a foreign country at the age of 13 and discovered that there were many different ways of living and understanding life.
The possibilities seemed endless in my teenage mind. "Exhilarating," they would say over there. Intoxicating, we would say here.
I was already convinced of this at the time, and I am more convinced than ever today that cultural diversity is a real asset. From business school to sociology and anthropology research, then to becoming a social entrepreneur almost 15 years ago, it is this conviction that has set the tone for both my professional and personal life.
Today, in my interactions with education professionals, such as during my meetings with UNESCO or in my presentations to companies, I have noticed several reactions.
The first is dismay. How could things have gone so wrong so quickly and so badly?
The second is fear. What will happen to our commitments? How will this impact our daily lives? Our work? Our families?
The third is reflection. And now, what do we do?
How can we defend cultural diversity?
I don't have the answers to all these questions. Not yet, and maybe I never will. But despite the temptation to give up, it is our responsibility to take action!
Celebrating and protecting our cultural diversity is becoming an act of resistance.
Celebrating the diversity of our cultures means defending every person's right to take their place in society, but also to find their voice, forge connections, and participate in building a shared future.
To simply be.
Celebrating our differences means making room for discussion, discovery, and creativity. It means working together to find creative solutions to the challenges facing our society, as well as to issues that are sometimes more personal.
Celebrating what brings us together, what we have in common, strengthens our shared humanity. It reminds us that when everyone rows in a different direction, the boat that carries us can no longer move forward.
I have been saying it, writing it, and shouting it for years. There can be no unity and cohesion without diversity.
Indeed, the more curious we are about others and their cultures, the more we gain knowledge and understanding about who we are. And the more we know who we are, the less we feel threatened by difference.
At Konstelacio, this has been the driving force behind our efforts to educate children about peace and intercultural dialogue for 14 years now in some 15 countries.
Whether you are a member or not, I strongly encourage you to join us in building, at our level and with our resources and skills, a society of tomorrow that is both conscious and proud of its cultural diversity.
A society where everyone has their place and the right to contribute to this fascinating shared humanity.
Every bit of support counts.
Every action makes a difference.
Come and resist with us.