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Cutting Edge | The Infinite Reservoir: Cultural diversity for shaping the future we want
Culture in all its diversity is an infinite reservoir from which we gain our knowledge of the world and which we tap into to find solutions to contemporary issues Ever since the emergence of Homo Sapiens human progress has evolved thanks to cultural diversity through the exchange between human groups of discoveries and innovations institutional experience and knowledge Culture is in constant flux evolving across time and space adapting to the circumstances of the day Each culture is therefore rich with insights provided by this vast accumulation of knowledge Our cultural diversity is our greatest strength It is the ultimate renewable resource for humankind and societies As such valuing diversity and protecting and promoting cultures as asset for societies is imperative The world is still not on track to attain sustainable development Furthermore the recent United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Report noted that the pandemic has already had a very significant impact in a number of areas undermining decades of development efforts Countries where inequality has grown are home to more than two thirds of the world population according to the 2020 World Social Report The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights frequently sounds the alarm on the rise of racism and xenophobia with culture itself being instrumentalised to divide societies and communities in many parts of the world as highlighted by a 2018 Report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Moreover the future of our planet is at stake the climate crisis is upon us with 2021 being described as a makeorbreak year for people and planet by UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres In addition new technologies have critical implications as to how we interact with the world and each other with huge ethical implications for the future of humankind Todays societies are resolutely multilingual and multicultural many of them home to a large number of cultures and ethnic groups This diversity has been nourished throughout the ages due to trade and migration Colonialism slavery and the displacement of populations due to conflict have also altered the social fabric of societies leading to a loss of critical knowledge Diversity not only refers to differences due to the presence of different cultural or ethnic communities but also different life experiences due to gender sexual orientation disability or age Cultures transcend national boundaries and digital technologies have also put people in contact in an unprecedented way creating new communities across borders Confronted by the diversity of codes and outlooks States sometimes find themselves at a loss to know how to respond and harness cultural diversity for the common interest Now in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic States are recalibrating longer term policy choices among many seemingly competing priorities be it health infrastructure or employment Where does culture fit in this panoply of public policies History has shown us that following trauma societies and peoples have turned to culture to find responses UNESCO itself was created due to the conviction that rebuilding societies following the Second World War could not only be done through political and economic means but also a renewal of ideas and new solidarity through our fruitful diversity