Diversity in a Global Era: The context and consequences of differences

Abstract

Global challenges (e.g., hegemonic globalization, demographic shifts, poverty/famine, conflicts and wars, and environmental disasters) are bringing diverse populations into contact under conditions of rapid socio-technical changes, social upheaval, conflict, competition, uncertainty, and anger and resentment. These complex circumstances of interpersonal and national contact are associated with widespread psycho-social and socio-political problems. Powerful global efforts to reduce diversity conflicts by the hegemonic imposition of Western economic, political, and cultural systems is not a solution to the emerging diversity conflict issues. Rather, the “global monoculturalism” being promoted represents an exacerbation of the problem as evidenced by the growing radicalization of individuals, groups, and nations seeking to resist the homogenization pressures. This paper offers a series of recommendations for individual and collective solutions that may serve to promote and to sustain both diversity and solidarity via both policies and actions. The recommendations include world citizenship, global leadership, diversity education and training, positive attitudinal shifts, universal human rights, and the development of the full-functioning global citizen. Nobel Laureate Octavio Paz has noted: “Life is diversity, death is uniformity …. Every view of the world that becomes extinct, every culture that disappears, diminishes a possibility of life”. Clearly, diversity and unity are not opposites to be pursued independently, but rather manifestations of the same principle on which our universe was born and functions – fission and fusion – separation and connection. Diversity is life. Life is diversity.

Keywords:

• diversity
• global
• hegemonic globalization
• monoculturalism
• human rights
• ecology of conflict

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Notes

Notes

Portions of this article were presented as part of a keynote address at the International Conference on Diversity and Health, Sydney, Australia, 10 March 2008.