Celebrating Multiculturalism and Diversity

By Paula Boland, UNA-NCA President & CEO

This speech was originally shared on May 21, 2021 as part of a celebration for the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

Good day everyone.

I appreciate the opportunity and am honored to be here in Houston to celebrate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (officially observed by the UN on May 21). While I know this is a virtual event, I can still feel the power of being in a room with a strong group of incredible women and men from all walks of life who want to embrace and celebrate cultural diversity and make the world a better place.

Many thanks to the organizers LJ Woodard and Darla Smith from The International Festival USA for providing a venue where diverse perspectives, cultures and values are accepted, appreciated and celebrated. And to our distinguished speakers Mayor Turner, Congresswomen Lee, Garcia and Fletcher, Dan Stoecker from UNA-USA Houston, Gina Belafonte from Sankofa, and the Honorable Judy Cheng-Hopkins, former UN Assistant Secretary-General of Peacebuilding Support.

I am fortunate to serve as the National Council Chair of the United Nations Association of the USA, which is a grassroots movement of 20,000 Americans from over 200 chapters who support the vital work of the UN, its agencies, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. I am also the President of one of UNA-USA’s largest chapters serving over 1,000 members in the national capital area.

Diversity is a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, which include race, ethnic origin, religion and creed, sexual orientation, age and ability, to name but a few. As human beings, we are revealed and make ourselves known to one another by infinite varieties of intelligence, language, race, values, politics, religion, national service, gender presentation, philosophy and a host of other elements common to humankind.

The recognition of a common humanity is the first step in the celebration of our differences — differences that inform our cultures, our values, our minds, and all our ways of being in the world.

No one chooses the culture or society that they are born in. However, culture influences our lives from the beginning to the end. A person’s cultural background plays an important role in determining what choices they make and which paths they take in life. More importantly, cultural background determines how people treat each other. Culture influences personal biases and helps develop a personalized vision of the world.

Throughout my personal and professional journeys, I have benefited from having exposure to other cultures and backgrounds. As the daughter of Fulbright scholars and scientists, I have lived and worked in different countries and have come to appreciate the critical value of cultural understanding. This has had a profound impact in the choices I made and the paths I took from becoming a lawyer to transitioning careers and sectors following my passion for cultural diversity and international cooperation.

In any society, there exist certain cultural stereotypes that influence how people from certain cultures are treated. The influence of such stereotypes cannot be ignored as they may lead to negative treatment of people based on race, ethnicity or religion, among other. We have seen this throughout history, most recently reflected in violence against Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.

The adoption by UNESCO (the education and scientific agency) of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was a milestone in international cultural policy. Through this historic agreement, a new framework for informed, transparent and participatory systems of governance for culture.

It’s important to note that three-quarters of the world’s major conflicts have a cultural dimension. Bridging the gap between cultures is urgent and necessary for peace, stability and development.

Cultural diversity is a driving force of development, not only with respect to economic growth, but also as a means of leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual life. Cultural diversity is thus an asset that is indispensable for poverty reduction and the achievement of sustainable development.

It is worth noting that the diversity of life is also made up of plants and animal species, habitats and ecosystems.Therefore, a more sustainable world is one in which biological, cultural and linguistic diversity thrive through the strength of the system. It is upon the foundation of this diverse array of ecological and human cultures that a sustaining, resilient world is built.

There are three key elements or attributes for achieving cultural diversity, particularly for those who serve in leadership and educational roles:

Listening — listening is a foundational element for understanding and embracing people who are different from us. Listening helps develop authentic relationships with people who are different from one another. It’s through listening that leaders are able to create an environment where people can be themselves, where differences can be better understood and even celebrated.

Empathy — empathy begins with seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. It is the ability to identify with someone else’s situation, thoughts and feelings; to understand and care about how and why they are in that place.

Advocacy — advocacy happens when empathy inspires people to action. Most often people who listen and empathize are moved to do something in response. Advocacy is often birthed from powerful shared experiences and the sense of connection that is developed.

Advocacy is the foundation of our movement at the United Nations Association of the USA as we advance our mission of building a strong US-UN partnership and seek to invest and promote diversity and inclusion.

The phrase, “Think globally; act locally,” has inspired our national culture to better understand that the world is a multicultural society of which we are a part. The systems of the world — its governments, economies, religions and cultures — are increasingly dependent on interdependence. Differences become strengths in a collaborative effort. And collaboration is a path to building peaceful societies around the world.

I encourage you all to be proactive in promoting your culture and that of your community, and creating spaces for continued understanding of cultural diversity from an early age and through all sectors of society.

I would like to close with a quote of Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan:

“Our universal values oblige us to show the same respect and sensitivity for people of other communities that we would expect to receive ourselves.We all have to find within us the courage to celebrate our diversity but also the commitment to tackle the gross inequalities which scar our world.”

Many thanks again for the opportunity to be here today.