Kenya Joins Other Nations to Celebrate World Cultural Diversity Day
Kenya has joined the host of other African countries to celebrate the World Cultural Diversity Day. The international day which is been celebrated on 21st of May was declared by UNESCO. UNESCO declared it as an International day of observance in 2002, after the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity’s resolution 57/249.
This year’s theme is termed ‘Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
The human race is being called upon to embrace cultural diversity and the ways in which it helps improve positive dialogues among nations, cultures, and educators.
On this day, the richness of the world’s cultures is not only being celebrated but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development.
We understand the significance of dialogue on cultural diversity and respecting the beliefs/values of various cultures and working together to develop a future of inclusivity and peaceful coexistence. In essence, the day was created to bridge the leakage between cultures as cohesion is vital for peace, stability, and development. On an individual level, observance of the day can help in deepening our understanding of the values of cultural diversity.
The World Day for ‘Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development’ is an avenue to promote culture and highlight the significance of its diversity as an agent of inclusion and positive change.
It represents a medium to celebrate culture’s manifold forms, from that tangible and intangible, to diversity of cultural expression, to creative industries and to reflect on how these contribute to the dialogue, mutual understanding and the environmental, social and economic of sustainable development.
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According to UNESCO’s Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, The goal of World Day for Cultural Diversity commemorative event are: to support sustainable systems of governance for culture; to achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase the mobility of artists and cultural professionals; to integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Speaking on the World Day Cultural Diversity, the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, explains the mission behind the theme of this year.
He stated that “Diversity takes different forms, but the language is one of the first we encounter as social beings. Language is what defines our internal world just as much as it defines the way we communicate in the outside world. It is what links us to our roots, our culture, and history, but also to our communities and our families”.
In line with the ongoing celebration, Kenyans are being urged to: explore music from different cultures; share a meal with someone from a different community and read a book authored by someone from another country.
Happy Cultural Diversity Day
