Date: 21 May 2014
Region: Worldwide
Learn a new language with a native speaker of your community! Or during a trip to a new country, go off the beaten track, mingle with the locals and discover things about their culture that the tour-guide is ignorant of. Or if you are a teacher, dedicate a class on how cultures have influenced one another: a Chinese proverb can also be found in the Arabic tradition; backgammon is also played in Iran and Greece and tattoos are used in South America and Africa.
These are just some of the suggestions for the celebration of 21 May, World Day for Cultural Diversity. “The day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to live together better”, says UN and lists 10 simple things you can do.
In 2001, UNESCO adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and in December 2002, the UN General Assembly, declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
In 2011 UNESCO and the UN Alliance of Civilizations launched a campaign “Do One Thing for Diversity”. By encouraging people and organizations from around the world to take concrete action to support diversity, this campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of intercultural dialogue, diversity and inclusion and to combat polarization and stereotypes.
The campaign works through a dedicated Facebook page, serving as a platform for people around the world to share their experiences through posts and videos.