Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity are the various aspects that particularly represent different cultures , such as language, traditions, cuisine, religion, customs, family organization model, politics , among other characteristics of a group of human beings that inhabit a certain territory.

It is a concept created to understand the processes of differentiation between the various cultures that exist around the world. The multiple cultures form the so-called cultural identity of individuals or of a society; a “brand” that personalizes and differentiates the members of a certain place from the rest of the world’s population.

Diversity means plurality , variety and differentiation , a concept that is considered the complete opposite of homogeneity. Currently, due to the process of colonization and cultural miscegenation among most nations on the planet, almost all countries have their cultural diversity, that is, a “little piece” of the traditions and customs of several different cultures.

Some people consider globalization a danger for the preservation of it, as they believe in the loss of traditional and typical customs of each society, giving way to global and “impersonal” characteristics.

In order to try to preserve the rich cultural diversity of countries, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) created the “Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity”.

The UNESCO Declaration on Cultural Diversity recognizes multiple cultures as a “common heritage of humanity”, and is considered the first instrument that promotes and protects cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue among nations.

Importance of cultural diversity

It is a fundamental value in building a peaceful future for humanity . Most conflicts in history have not only an economic origin, but also a cultural one, so a perspective that celebrates diversity and difference can provide a peaceful and democratic solution to conflicts. It is an indispensable feature of democratic life in the 21st century.

On the other hand, recognition of the very diverse forms of human culture can give us a more realistic measure of who we are and where we come from, and therefore what our future steps might be.

A society open to other languages, other religions , in short, other forms of society, will always be a vanguard society, complex, vast, as was the heart of the empires of yesteryear, places where vast and distant cultural traditions met.

Types of cultural diversity

There are really no types of cultural diversity, but in this concept there is room for different forms of cultural expression that can also be very diverse, such as:

• Linguistic diversity , which consists of the coexistence of different languages ​​and / or dialects within the same territorial unit.
• Religious diversity , which consists of the practice of different religions and/or mystical or spiritual traditions within the same nation .
• Ethnic diversity , which consists of the presence of different ethnic groups or peoples within the same country.

Examples

• Papua New Guinea (820 different languages)
• Indonesia (737 different languages)
• Nigeria (510 different languages)
• India (415 different languages)
• Mexico (291 different languages)
• Cameroon (279 different languages)
• China (235 different languages)
• Australia (231 different languages)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (214 different languages)
• Brazil (188 different languages)
• Philippines (171)
• Ecuador (120 different languages)