World Day for Cultural Diversity
Part 1: Overview
The commemoration of the Day of Diversity was adopted by the United Nations in 2001. Its stated purpose is to encourage people to take concrete actions:
- To raise awareness worldwide about the importance of intercultural dialogue, diversity and inclusion.
- To build a world community of individuals committed to support diversity with real and every day-life gestures.
- To combat polarization and stereotypes to improve understanding and cooperation among people from different cultures.
Part 2: Activities
Samaritan Behavioral Health, an American non-profit organization providing help for different people in need in their community from the elderly to youth at risk to people suffering from depression offers an interesting resource for their Appreciate Diversity Month. The document called 88 Ways to Appreciate Diversity offers lots of really great ideas for activities celebrating cultural diversity. Although the document is geared to businesses it does provide some interesting ideas for schools.
- Web of Inclusion: Set up a bulletin board on a wall. One student writes a fact about their life. For example, I moved from Syria when I was 8 years old. Another student has to make a connection to that fact. For example, I also had to move and change schools when I was 8 years old.
- Diversity Book Club: Create a book club that reads literature from different cultural sources.
- Media Critique: Have students watch a TV show or movie and critique the depictions of minorities.
- Coffee Can Conversations: Have students bring objects of cultural significance. Objects are placed in a can. Students then have to discuss how they think these objects are significant in that culture. This can spark lots of discussion.
- Flag Pride: Have students bring in flags that they associate with. Hang up the flags. Have students discuss the significance of the colors and symbols of the flag.
- Cultural Activities Bulletin Board: Have a bulletin board where different students can post events coming up in their communities. It would be great if staff and students can make an effort to attend these different events.
- Cultural Heroes. Have students research heroes from their cultural backgrounds. Teachers can post some of their heroes as well.
- Schools Around the World. Learn about schools around the world. Use sites like this one to explore how long the school day, year is.
- Internet Scavenger Hunt: If you want to open up students minds about a certain topic have them do different research by organizing an Internet Scavenger hunt.
- Feature Different Food in the Cafeteria: Talk to the school's catering company to see what is available.