The day for cultural diversity promotes peace among varied and diverse populations of the world. The day is an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the values of different cultures and strengthen our community. With approximately 190 countries and more than 7 billion people on earth, it is not hard to imagine that diverse cultures exist. Culture shapes our identity and influences our behaviour and makes us accept other cultures. Whether we work or study or even stay at home, our chances of interacting with people from different backgrounds are much higher. Cultural diversity not only means introducing your culture to another but also means accepting the positive sides of another one.

Accept and Respect – Being open to people shall make you expand your horizon and develop your interpersonal self. The first step starts with accepting that diverse cultures exist. We need to start thinking about the positives of another culture; for example, a person from a particular background may not have knowledge about history, but when he mingles with people from different cultures they would possibly learn about things they don’t know about. In today’s world, if we all are able to respect and accept each other’s cultures, life would be easier and we can learn a lot of good things from each other.

Diversity in the workplace – In this era of technology and globalisation, many companies are making an effort to create a workplace that is culturally diverse. A diverse workforce leads to increased productivity, better creativity, more cultural insights, good employee engagement and increased profits. The diverse workforce not only creates ideas but promotes higher multi-directional growth of an organisation. Most studies surrounding diversity in the workplace have found that, for every 1% increase in gender diversity, resulted in a 5% increase in the company’s revenue. Many recent studies have shown that companies with greater diversity in their workforce have faced increased profits.

“When employees respect each other and get along it is amazing to notice how productivity and morale increases.”

They say that Disney world is the happiest place on the globe, but is it also one of the most diverse places to work with? Disney recognises that diversity and inclusion are vital to any company’s success. It has set up various initiatives of its own like the Global Workplace and Women’s Initiative, giving promotions to Latinos and also expanded its workplace for various strata of people. A well-renowned company Accenture believes that no one should be discriminated against on the basis of their culture they belong to. Accenture is known to include people from various backgrounds to stimulate their organisation in a more productive way.

Cultural Diversity in Colleges – In the last few years, there has been a dramatic shift in the composition of campus populations in terms of different cultural backgrounds. For many students, the non-homogeneous population in the campus becomes their introduction to the real world as they come out of their sheltered places. The real world is diverse and a diverse college experience encourages students to think critically.

Student bodies that have diverse people bring value to the college. The most diverse universities create places for students to grow and learn; they expand awareness and help build social skills.  As per US News and World report, diversity prepares the students for work in a global economy and it lays the groundwork to be more comfortable around people. The US welcomes diverse people around the world to work, live and study. Cultural diversity is what makes the US be more innovative and successful. A study of Michigan university revealed that educational interactions among different ethnic groups generate positive learning outcomes. They also pointed out that students who attend diverse colleges and universities had strong critical thinking, problem-solving and writing skills.

“Diversity is a win-win solution when it comes to social development.”

Intercultural Marriages – With changing times, the concept of Marriage in the minds of people have also changed. Cross-cultural marriages not only increase the pride of a country but also induces self-betterment. Such institutions increase the possibility of learning a new language leading to better self-enhancement. They provide a richer cultural experience for the next generations who train themselves with an open mind and develop an understanding of two different cultures. Moreover, it is scientifically proven that genetically diverse relationships produce better children; being more intelligent and even physically healthier. The racial marriage barrier in the United States appears to be weakening as Americans have more contact with people from diverse backgrounds.

As our society becomes more culturally diverse, organisations understand that they need to work with others as a whole to turn up the sound is important. With the changing times, the concept of “Multicultural Collaboration” has come into existence.

Multicultural Collaboration between two or more groups consisting of members from different cultural backgrounds or with goals oriented towards different cultures is increasing tremendously. Culture is one of the most powerful forces in the world; it creates and builds our understanding and perspective. Such collaborations are effective as in They get everyone together; people having varied community concerns eventually come together to solve problems of the community. It emphasises common interests rather than differences. Becoming aware of our similarities, along with cultural differences, need not have to divide us. Togetherness creates community and if we look at each other as neighbours, we would be capable of taking better care of each other. We can build a society to help make things better and promote each other’s well-being. 

The MAHATMAN philosophy advocates living with greatness; Great Health, Great Wealth and Great Wisdom. Differences in people do exist but those could determine our strengths and drive humanity ahead. Learning from others and improving yourselves for a greater being is what acceptance teaches us. One has to strive for realising his own potential and be a greater and better version of himself.