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Cultural diversity

Our rich diversity . . . is our collective strength. (Johannesburg Declaration, 2002)

Humanity has inhabited every corner of the world, except Antarctica, for centuries. As

groups of people worked and lived together, they developed distinctive cultures. Together the

cultures of the world create a rich and varied tapestry. The resulting cultural diversity expands

choices, nurtures a variety of skills, human values and worldviews and provides wisdom from

the past to inform the future. Cultural diversity is a mainspring for sustainable developmentfor individuals, communities and countries. Thus, building an effective global approach to

sustainable development and E! needs to address respecting, protecting and maintaining the

cultural diversity of the world now and in the future.

Cultural diversity exerts strong influence on E! in that"

All E! must be locally relevant and culturally appropriate#

Culture influences what this generation chooses to teach the next generation including

what knowledge is valued, skills, ethics, languages and worldviews#

E! re$uires intercultural understanding if people are to live together peacefully,

tolerating and accepting differences amongst cultural and ethnic groups.

Goals and purpose o the !orld "eport on Cultural Diversity

The %orld &eport aims to address the manifold aspects of cultural diversity, critically review

common notions and assumptions, and propose policy'oriented recommendations on topics as

diverse as identities and dialogue, the future of languages and intercultural education, media

pluralism and cultural industries, the business world, local knowledge, biodiversity,

sustainable development, governance and human rights.

A renewed discussion of cultural diversity ( the promotion and protection of which are

supported by an array of normative instruments ( is timely in these times of crisis. The

impacts of globali)ation *and increasing urbani)ation and migration+ are challenging our very

understanding of cultures and identities. n this sense, cultural diversity is a much more

complex phenomenon than it initially appears, as are the relationships between globali)ation

and cultural diversity. As these are facts with which we must contend, it is of utmost

importance today to create the conditions upon which cultural diversity can become the means

for ensuring dialogue and peaceful co'existence, and sustainable and fruitful development.

%hile the promotion of cultural diversity has taken on increasing visibility on theinternational scene, it often continues to be perceived as a threat to the cohesion of

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