Val Haskell, global senior director, SAP, and a member of the Executive Council of CompTIA’s Advancing Diversity in Technology Community, reflects on diversity in honor of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
When I was a kid, it seemed like we only celebrated a few special days and national holidays. As I got older, I thought maybe the addition of holidays and things to honor was a plot to sell more greeting cards. Recently, I learned of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – being celebrated today, May 21. This is a day that deserves recognition and celebration. It could use a card too.
Last week, I was flying back to Texas from Brazil and the Brazilian next to me asked if immigrants were a problem in the U.S. That question launched a discussion about immigrants making the U.S. a great place and, in fact, most of us who live here were at one time, immigrants. Different cultures make things interesting. Whenever I travel I feel my world expand. But honestly, I don’t have to travel for that to happen. I can just engage in a meaningful conversation with someone at work, in my neighborhood or in my community at large.
The UN site says that three-fourths of the world’s major conflicts have a cultural dimension. That suggests a lack of understanding and respect for each other. Sometimes trying to understand each other can be challenging but in most cases it can be fun. It can be a way to connect to others; to appreciate the humanity we all share.
If you want to celebrate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development here are a few ideas:
- Go to lunch with your colleagues to a restaurant with a different culture.
- Invite someone who is culturally different from you out and get to know each other.
- At dinner, pick a country on a map with your family and have everyone research and share one tidbit they learned.
- Go on a date to a cultural performance.
These ideas are starting points and ways to have fun while expanding our understanding and comfort with other cultures.
Click here to get involved with CompTIA’s Advancing Diversity in Technology Community!
Add CompTIA to your favorite RSS reader
