Cultural diversities celebrated

Sri Lanka is a country of many races and religions, observing many different cultural practices. If a tiny island like ours was home to such cultural diversity, can you imagine the wide diversity that must be prevalent in the vast variety of cultures in the world?

Today is a day which celebrates this variety of differences in the world. Why? May 21 is the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

Culture embraces not just a way of life, value systems, traditions and beliefs, but also literature and the arts. The protection and promotion of their diversity presents many challenges.

Cultural diversity is also a major factor in sustainable development.

The Day for Cultural Diversity came into being after the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity was adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on November 2, 2001, and this Declaration and the main lines of its Action Plan was welcomed by the United Nations General Assembly. The Day gives an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn better to live together with people of different cultures.

UNESCO promotes greater awareness of the vital relationship between culture and development, and the important role played by information and communication technology in this relationship.

Cultural diversity has been at the core of UNESCO's concerns since the organisation was born 60 years ago. It has expressed its commitment to cultural diversity in a spirit of dialogue and openness.

Some of the actions UNESCO has taken in this regard and the areas it concentrates on are:

To ensure harmonious co-existence and peaceful living together -

respecting human rights

promote inter-cultural dialogue

fight against racism

action in favour of indigenous people

cultural approach to HIV/AIDS

Defend diverse creativity and the multiplicity of cultural expressions -

tangible and intangible heritage

endangered languages

local indigenous knowledge on nature

contemporary cultural expressions: cultural goods and services

crafts

creative content: radio, television and news media

multi-lingualism in cyberspace

cultural and linguistic diversity in education.