Cultural diversity enriches humanity

Flora Teckie

A Bahá’í Perspective

 MAY 21 — observed globally as the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development — was a reminder of the beauty and richness of the world’s different cultures, as well as the need to preserve and value our cultural diversity.

It is because of the diversity of colour and culture that our world is a beautiful place in which to live.

The Baha’i Writings state: “The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music, where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord.”

What is causing division, warfare and bloodshed is prejudice.

Prejudice comes from the belief that one group or a part of humanity is superior to another.

Overcoming our prejudices, which are major barriers to unity, requires a profound change of heart and a new mind-set.

It is the power of the Word of God that can produce such a necessary transformation.

The Bahá’í Writings affirm that: “Every human creature is the servant of God. All have been created and reared by the power and favour of God; all have been blessed with the bounties of the same Sun of divine truth; all have quaffed from the fountain of the infinite mercy of God; and all in His estimation and love are equal as servants. He is beneficent and kind to all. Therefore, no one should glorify himself over another; no one should manifest pride or superiority toward another; no one should look upon another with scorn and contempt; and no one should deprive or oppress a fellow creature.”

One of the distinguishing cultural practices in many parts of Africa is the concept of the extended family.

Through such a practice, society is able to assure assistance to many who are needy.

Of course, care must be exercised that such positive qualities are not abolished through materialism and urbanisation of life.

 Oneness of humanity

To create a universal culture of collaboration and conciliation between people of different cultures and backgrounds, we need to believe in, and practice, the principle of the oneness of humanity, and to return to spiritual awareness and responsibility.

Not by a suppression of differences will we arrive at unity, but rather, by an increased awareness of, and respect for, the values of each culture, and indeed of each individual.

Acceptance of the oneness of humanity provides a unifying vision of, and the foundation for, a new system of values.

Only when we, as individuals, see ourselves as members of one human family, sharing one common homeland, will we be able to commit ourselves to the far-reaching changes, on individual and collective levels, which an increasingly interdependent and rapidly changing world necessitates.

The principle of the oneness of humanity does not imply that we should abandon legitimate loyalties, suppress cultural diversity, or abolish national autonomy.

These are all essential if the evils of excessive centralisation are to be avoided.

Unity in diversity is the answer

Through unity —  a unity that embraces and honours the full diversity of humanity — the problems which face humanity today can be solved. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, states that ,“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”

“So powerful is the light of unity,” is his further testimony, “that it can illuminate the whole earth.”

Bahá’u’lláh compares the world to the human body, to which we can look as a model.

Human society is composed of not only a mass of diverse people, but of associations of individuals, each one of whom is bestowed with intelligence and will.

The main principle operating in the human body is that of unity in diversity. This diversity of form and function is necessary for the life of any complex, well-developed organic entity, such as a human being.

No cell lives apart from the body, whether in contributing to functioning of the body or benefitting from the well-being of the whole.

In the same way as the perfect functioning of the human body is due to the unity of diverse cells and organs, so the well-being and well-functioning of body of mankind is dependent on the unity of its diverse elements — of all races, nations, ethnic groups and religions.

The Bahá’í International Community, in a statement entitled ‘The Prosperity of Humankind’, says: “Since the body of humankind is one and indivisible, each member of the race is born into the world as a trust of the whole. …The principle of collective trusteeship creates also the right of every person to expect that those cultural conditions essential to his or her identity enjoy the protection of national and international law. … the immense wealth of cultural diversity achieved over thousands of years is vital to the social and economic development of a human race experiencing its collective coming-of-age. It represents a heritage that must be permitted to bear its fruit in a global civilisation.”