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When is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development?

The 21st of May is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

What is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development?

Ignorance and prejudice sustain some of the great social ills, like poverty and warfare. The lower our opinion of our neighbor, the more likely we are to think they deserve whatever suffering life metes out to them. World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development promotes cultural diversity to prevent conflicts and establish peaceful cultures.

What is culture? It’s the collective identity of our people, the marker that tells us we’re home and among people who understand us. It can be divisive though. Cultural intolerance, at least in part, drives three quarters of the major conflicts around the world.

But it’s not the cultures themselves that propel these clashes. An unwillingness to respect differences between cultures creates the kind of enmity that leads to bias, hatred, and violence.

As we learn to appreciate other cultures, our understanding of human dignity grows. The UN set aside World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development back in 2002 to emphasize the role cultural tolerance plays in peaceful societies.

Fun facts about World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development!

  • There are over 7,000 dialects in use throughout the world today, and many are spoken by less than 100 people.
  • In 2017, there were about 258 million international migrants around the world. Only 20 countries housed 67% of those migrants.
  • The U.S. hosts the largest number of international migrants, followed by Saudi Arabia, Germany, and then the Russian Federation.

How to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development:

  • Rent a movie or read a book from another country or language.
  • Try out a new cuisine. Ever tried Ethiopian or Vietnamese fare? If not, this is the day.
  • Read about the great thinkers from another religion or culture.
  • Plan a trip to another country. If that sounds daunting, remember that it doesn’t have to be next week. Tell yourself, “Eighteen months from now, I want to be soaking up the local culture in [insert foreign nation here].”

What’s the hashtag for World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development?

Use #WDCDDD on social media to promote the tolerance of other cultures.