What’s happening at inlingua Malta on World Diversity Day?
On the 21st of May, various students will have the opportunity to show their true colours. With a brief sentence that best describes them, they will show how they portray themselves in the society according to their ethnicity and beliefs. The purpose of this activity is to encourage biodiversity, embrace differences and bring people closer to each other. Follow our facebook page to keep up-to-date with this event.
What is it all about?
The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is a United Nations-sanctioned international holiday for the promotion of diversity issues. Diversity Day is an opportunity to help communities understand the value of cultural diversity and learn how to live together in harmony. It was adopted in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this holiday due to UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in November 2001. It was proclaimed by UN Resolution 57/249.
The many separate societies that emerged around the globe differed markedly from each other, and many of these differences persist to this day. As well as the more obvious cultural differences that exist between people, such as language, dress and traditions, there are also significant variations in the way societies organize themselves, in their shared conception of morality, and in the ways they interact with their environment. Cultural diversity can be seen as analogous to biodiversity.
How can you help within your community?
- Visit an art exhibit or a museum dedicated to other cultures.
- Invite a family or people in the neighborhood from another culture or religion to share a meal with you and exchange views on life.
- Rent a movie or read a book from another country or religion than your own.
- Invite people from a different culture to share your customs.
- Read about the great thinkers of other cultures than yours (e.g. Confucius, Socrates, Avicenna, Ibn Khaldun, Aristotle, Ganesh, Rumi).
- Go next week-end to visit a place of worship different than yours and participate in the celebration.
- Play the “stereotypes game.” Stick a post-it on your forehead with the name of a country. Ask people to tell you stereotypes associated with people from that country. You win if you find out where you are from.
- Learn about traditional celebrations from other cultures; learn more about Hanukkah or Ramadan or about amazing celebrations of New Year’s Eve in Spain or Qingming festival in China.
- Spread your own culture around the world through our Facebook page and learn about other cultures.
- Explore music of a different culture