by Meredith Mani, AWC Amsterdam and DEIB Chair
Understanding other cultures fosters connection. The world seems smaller today because of our connectivity and access to information. May 21 is designated by the United Nations as World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development in an effort to bring attention to this important issue. Many of the UN SDGs directly target the intention behind this day.
SDG 1- No Poverty
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being
SDG 4 - Quality Education
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 10 - Reduce Inequalities
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 15 - Life on Land
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
When we delve deeply into the issue of cultural diversity and why it is important to societies, we see that there is a social, economic, and political component that informs the necessity to preserve the cultural sector. According to the UN, the majority of the world’s major conflicts have a cultural component. It stands to reason that peace and stability are achieved, at least in part, through cultural understanding.
The current conflict between Russia and the Ukraine can be viewed through the lens of cultural diversity. Russia calls itself a federation, but over the last few decades it has grown into a multinational empire. This has proven a challenge for Russian officials who have sought to unite its vast territories through commonalities such as language. The majority of Ukrainians declare Ukrainian as their native language, as opposed to Russian. The most recent census revealed similar results for how Ukrainians self-identify. (1)
Sergin Constantine recently wrote a blog for EURAC Research that explained, “The Russian army is systematically destroying predominantly Russophone cities and towns in Eastern Ukraine. Kharkiv is a case in point; the second-largest city of Ukraine is located in the northeast of the country, less than 50 kilometers from the Russian border. Before the war, it had strong cultural and socio-economic ties to Russia.”(1)
Russia’s recent targeting of cultural assets, like museums and ancient churches, could be a strategy to “erase” Ukraine as an independent sovereign state and align it culturally with Russia. Preserving a culture’s art goes beyond protection; cultural assets enable a culture to heal after a conflict ends. The destruction of a museum in Ivankir in April is one example of erasing cultural assets. The museum held dozens of works of art by the Ukrainian folk artist Maria Prymachenko that are now lost forever. Ukrainian officials are now reportedly hiding national treasures in bunkers to protect and preserve them.
Closer to home, no matter where you live, COVID-19 has dramatically impacted inter-ethnic relations. COVID-19 has impacted the in-person experiences that foster cultural diversity. Cultural festivals, museums and world heritage sites have been closed and effectively stopped most people from having an opportunity to experience another culture directly. While that is slowly changing as things open, much ground has been lost.
According to a UN statement about World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, “The impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector is being felt around the world. This impact is social, economic and political – it affects the fundamental right of access to culture, the social rights of artists and creative professionals, and the protection of a diversity of cultural expressions.”(2) More than $2.2 billion dollars have been lost in the cultural sector and nearly 30 million jobs have been impacted worldwide.
UNESCO World Heritage sites, which were shuttered during the pandemic, are a tangible source of cultural diversity. So valuable is the cultural exchange offered by visiting and experiencing these sites, that UNESCO has set up an interactive website for people to experience these sites and the impact COVID-19 has had on them.(3) The UN statement further defines its goals by stating, “The day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the four goals of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions adopted on 20 October 2005:
- Support sustainable systems of governance for culture
- Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase mobility of artists and cultural professionals
- Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks
- Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
As World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development approaches; there are several things you can do to bridge inter-ethnic relations. Find a museum near you that focuses on another culture or is offering an exhibit featuring another culture. Visit a UNESCO site on your next vacation. Going to the conference in Luxembourg? The Fortress and old city center were declared UNESCO sites in 1994. You can read a book or listen to music from a culture other than your own. Or visit a place of worship that’s new to you and experience that culture. No matter what you are able to do, try to do one thing on or around May 21 to expand your horizons and increase your empathy for other cultures.
1https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/mobile-people-and-diverse-societies/ethnic-and-linguistic-identity-in-ukraine-it-s-complicated