Youth for Change International

 Diversity and Tolerance - A Brighter Future

 Can you eat the same bread and butter everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Or can you wear a single color throughout your life? No, because we all crave variety or diversity. The diversity of multicolored flowers in a nursery, of clothes at a store, of food at a restaurant, of animals at a zoo -- all of it attracts and excites us. But why then, are we so wary of the diversity among the people with whom we share this world?

We humans have different races, religions, cultures, sexual identities, age groups, physical attributes, abilities, beliefs, views, ideas and opinions. This diversity is clearly visible in our homes, our neighborhoods and classrooms, on TV -- practically everywhere. It enriches and lends beauty to humanity. Just as the biological diversity of an ecosystem increases its stability and productivity, the diversity among people brings together the resources talents and experiences of many people for the mutual benefit of all. Sadly, the differences among us have always formed the basis of fear, bigotry, harassment, conflict and even violence.

We fear diversity simply because we are used to the way things are, and change makes us feel uncomfortable. Some of us perceive it as a threat to our own power. Factors like ignorance, misunderstanding, misinformation, lack of education and awareness, too, make us resist diversity.

When we don't understand another's values, lifestyle or beliefs, it becomes easier to belittle them. As a result, on the basis of differences, we start categorizing people, labeling them unfairly or saddling them with stereotypes. These stereotypes are generalized assumptions concerning the characteristics of all the members of a particular group. They are reflected in the media and our surroundings in statements like: "All Indians are..." or "Old people always..." and so on.

Stereotypes often give birth to prejudice, i.e., a premature judgment about a group or its members, made without proper knowledge or thought. It demonstrates an unfair bias, violating the standards of reason, justice and tolerance. It is this prejudice, that has conjured the feelings of suspicion and hatred and is manifested in personal bias, discriminatory practices and violence.

As a result, the world is now splintered at each and every level. Families are fragmented on the grounds of economic status or personal differences. Schools categorize students according to appearance, athletic achievement, style, race and academic achievement, so they are included in one group and are excluded from others.

The atmosphere at our workplaces is stiff, and now at the slightest provocation, we snap all ties with our neighbors and friends. Gays and lesbians are harassed or assaulted to an extent that they lead their lives in fear or attempt suicide to escape ostracism. Women, children, senior citizens, the disabled and the economically weak, too continue to be the victims of bigotry. Many racial, ethnic and religious groups fall prey to hate crimes. Wars, terrorism, aggression, bombings, vandalism, looting, physical assaults and threatening mail and calls have become a routine affair.

Something must be done to change the future, if we are to have a future. This is where tolerance comes into play.

Tolerance is a personal decision that stems from the belief that we share one world. Each one of us is special and deserves to be respected and accepted for who we are. This means, we re-program ourselves to treat each other with automatic love and respect and stop all prejudices that have been on autopilot for so long. Reach out to different people, say, the elderly gentleman sitting beside you on the bus or the neighbor's child who walks with crutches.

Mahatma Gandhi said, "You must become the change you want to see in the world." So we must be a role model for others and take a firm stand against hatred, bigotry, injustice and inequality. Let us build a peaceful and productive society based on human rights, diversity and inclusion in a spirit of respect, tolerance and mutual understanding. It is a tough job, but it can become a reality.

Anupreet Kaur is an active member of YFCI and is the Chairperson of the Judging Committee of the Be the Change Awards. Anupreet is one of the winners of the 2006 Skipping Stones Youth Honor Awards and her article was also featured on Teaching Tolerance. This article was reprinted with permission from Skipping Stones. If you would like a reprint of this article, please contact the editor of Skipping Stones.

 Photo Credit © Stanford University