Today is the International Mother Language Day.

There are approximately 7000 different language spoken in the world. It’s crucial to acknowledge and celebrate this spectrum, because according to studies by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) 50% of these languages will disappear in the next few generations. This is mostly due to globalisation. Currently, only a few hundred languages are used in education systems around the world, and less than a hundred languages in the digital world.

Globalization continuously threatens our array of languages. This is why, in 1999, the International Mother Language Day was first proclaimed by the UN and it’s been celebrated every year on February 22nd, since 2000. The date represents the day in 1952 when two students were shot and killed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for demonstrating for the recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the national languages of Pakistan.

Every spring, Japan celebrates a day called Setsubun, or better known as Risshun, the bean-throwing festival. 

This year Risshun is celebrated on the 3rd of February. It is traditionally a day that marks the beginning of spring. When celebrated at home, roasted beans are thrown out the door cleansing away any demons from the former year.

While throwing the beans it’s appropriate to chant :

“Demons out, luck in!’

The ‘Faces the Mediterranean’ exhibition is a regular event
taking  place in April and May each year. It’s part of the Anna Lindh National Networks of Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Lebanon, Bulgaria and Cyprus, which aims at engaging with young people and with individuals from migrant backgrounds. Watch the video…

MAKE A NEW INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION

Doing business in another country is much more than flying out, staying in posh hotels and eating different food.  It’s entering into a different world where everyday business events have different rules. Understanding how different peoples across the world go about their day-to-day business, how they conduct meetings, undertake negotiations, make a sales pitch – and even how they regard their boss – will help us all develop Cultural Intelligence and appreciate the value of cultural diversity.

It will make us more successful in our professional lives.

In seven day’s time it will be “The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development” – giving us all an opportunity to link with others from different cultures and nations and learn something knew about them. Take the opportunity to link with someone across the other side of the world and ask them about their lives or work. Find similarities, find differences, but above all find a sense of community in this beautiful world of ours.

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING?

Here’s our chance to improve our cross-cultural understanding and become amateur interculturalists or anthropologists. Whether at home or work – why not find out about how other people do things, or how they think and feel about things?

UNESCO’s Diversity Day is an opportunity to help our communities to understand the value of cultural diversity and learn how to live together in harmony – one of the most pressing contemporary issues that we face as the human race.  The Day is intended to provide individuals and groups worldwide with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the values of Cultural Diversity and to learn to “live together” better, enhancing the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence.

Far from separating us, cultural diversity is a collective strength, which should benefit the entire world. In this sense, it should be recognized and affirmed as a ‘Common Heritage’ of Humanity.” UNESCO

Click here for the official website.

What is Culture?

1. Culture is the heartware of a nation/race/culture; its soul and what makes it tick

2. Culture reflects widely shared assumptions and beliefs about life

3. Culture is so embedded that most people do not and cannot analyse it

4. Culture is what is ‘normal’ around here

5. Culture is learned from our superiors and role models

If you are invited to a wedding where the rites and rituals are different from your norms, would you leave?  Well, a minister of the UK Government, Jim Fitzpatrick, did exactly that.  The minister for food and farming and his wife abruptly left a wedding in the East London Mosque in Whitechapel when he was told that it was an orthodox Muslim ceremony where men and women would be segregated.  His excuse for leaving?   He said: “The segregation of men and women didn’t used to be as much of a strong feature. We’ve been attending Muslim weddings together for years but only recently has this strict line been taken. It is an indication of the stricter application of rules that is taking place.” In other words, he was being judgemental: segregation isn’t right and it is especially NOT right in the UK. What he is saying is this practice interferes with social cohesion. It’s wrong!

I find it very hard to understand how an MP is so ignorant of the many practices that go on in this country. It is not just Muslims who might practise segregation at a wedding. Doesn’t he know that orthodox Jewish weddings practise segregation and it is also to be found at Hindu and Sikh weddings, amongst others? He’d better do his homework before he accepts another invite and, frankly, dishonours his hosts. Then, to speak of his anger afterwards seems the height of rudeness. He obviously took offense – but has now given it too.

Personally, I have always taken an invitation to an occassion like this as a great honour and a priviledge. The invitation demonstrates acceptance of me as a person even though I may be ‘different’ and it gives  me a wonderful opportuntity to experience someone else’s culture, traditions and religions. It gives me an opportunity to learn. Jim Fitzpatrick should be tolerant enough to be respectful of others and their practices especially at occasions like these. Why like these? Well, especially for marriages, people often like to celebrate these occasions in a way that has been traditionally handed down – this style of ceremony was the family’s choice and has probaly been in their families for generations..   This was not the occasion to make political statements. May the happy couple be blessed with a happy marriage without the fuss.

However, there are aspects of what Jim Fitzpatrick has said that we all ought to take account of. Evidence exists that shows there is a rapid encroachment of Islamic fundamentalist leaning in specific areas of London, Birmingham and Manchester. The influence of the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) is seen as distrubing as it appears to be enforcing its views on the local Muslim population. Muslims in Britain have come from so many different sects and countries that their religious faith and practices are as diverse as those within the Christian religion.  We readily accept that there is a huge difference between a Jehova’s Witness and a Baptist – so to in the Islamic faith. We cannot homogenise Muslims into just one group.

There are two specific expanding followings of extremely hardline muslims groups energetically operating in this country, to spread their particular ways; the Wahhabi sect (Saudi Arabia), and the Deobandis sect, (India). A lot of money is pouring into this country backing them. Fitzpatrick seems to be nudging us to open our eyes and take stock. Not against Muslim people at large, far from it, but at the political movements out to further their own ends. The Government Minister said he believed the East London Mosque was being influenced by the Islamic Forum of Europe, seen as a backer of Sharia law. “I think the stranglehold influence of the IFE is present more than ever. We are trying to build social cohesion in a community but this is not the way forward.”

Our culture in the UK, evolved through Protestantism, believes that everyone was born equal in the eyes of God and Man so segregation of any desription is a No-No. This issue is not about a right to choose to segregate, but about whether we tolerate the whole idea of segregration. Afterall, it’s not such a big leap between male and female segregration and between black and white – and I think we can all agree, that was plainly unjust.

Footnote: Muslim weddings I have been to usually have the main wedding ritual segregated. In one room , the priest deals with the groom asking him 3 times if he takes the woman as his wife. Then he goes to the other and asks the bride 3 times if she takes the man as her husband. After that, there are prayers and the ceremonial ritual is over. Then, men and women have mingled in the same room.  Segregation at weddings isn’t laid down by Islamic law.

 A nation is enriched by the people within it.  The more diverse they are the more we are enriched as a whole, and the more we grow as individuals. I firmly believe that cultural diversity is our biggest asset – but then how can it also be a liability? The answer really is simple – in trying to help people retain their cultural heritage or ethnic identity we manage to lose the message about UNITY.

UNITY is something we – as a nation – apparently strive for, but it’s the one goal we consistently fail to achieve. The UK Government searches desperately to identify what is “Britishness” so that it can bring a sense of belonging and UNITY to the nation. It has consistently failed to do so. I believe that is because, in spite of searching for our distinctive core values, they have not dug deep enough into the values of the nation and fundamentally do not understand about our Cultural Code.

Why is it that the French are very secure in who they are and why do Americans pride themselves on taking the oath of allegiance and flying the flag?  Why is it they seem to have UNITY – at least to the concept of nationhood – and we do not? That’s because they are French or American before they are anything else. 

Confronting one of the most hotly debated social issues in France, President Sarkozy gave a withering critique of burquas as a symbol of  women’s “enslavement” – and he wants to stamp them out. Apparently there is no room in France for the garment that some Muslim women wear to cloak their bodies and faces. Addressing the French Parliament, Mr Sarkozy said: “The issue of the burqa is not a religious issue. It is a question of freedom and of women’s dignity.” He emphasised, “The burqa is not a religious sign. It is a sign of the subjugation, of the submission, of women.”  To enthusiastic applause, he said, “I want to say solemnly that it will not be welcome on our territory.”

But why such “intolerance” on the part of the French?

The separation of Church and State is jealously guarded in France, embodying that cherished French principle of secularism. Born out of the French Revolution it has long been a tenant of the French way of life. Voltaire, one of the leaders of eighteenth century progressive thought, argued that religion was divisive, primitive and intolerant. While the Republic believes you have the right to worship as you want in private, it believes that as a French citizen you owe your allegiance first to the French nation rather than to God.

Five years ago,the wearing of ouvert signs of faith was banned in State institutions – being incompatible with French values. Last year, a Moroccan women was refused French citizenship inspite of speaking fluent French and having a French husband. Why? Because of her ‘radical practice’ of Islam. She insisted on wearing a burqua which is incompatible with French values.

However, in his recent speech, Sarkozy was at pains to stress that Islam must be respected like all other faiths. Interestingly, an extensive survey of Muslims in Europe recently found that France is the country most at ease with its Muslim population. Whilst 81% of Muslims in the UK felt themselves to be Muslim first and British second, over 50% of French Muslims viewed themselves as French first and Muslim second.

As I always emphasis – there’s no right or wrong – just difference. Cultural difference. C’est la vie!

The economic climate and globalisation has made industries more competitive so it is vital for organisations to have the right international skill set.  With the challenges of new markets, globally distributed remote teams,  the enormous changes happening in the workplace where people of all different nationalities are thrown together and different communication styles across the globe, it’s a sure bet that CULTURAL DIVERSITY is today’s business reality.  Our future clients and colleagues will be more likely to want to do business with us if we can demonstrate an authentic understanding for their culture, business needs and communications styles. You cannot afford to get things wrong!  International managers armed only with easy-to-learn, fast-to-recall cultural dimensions and differences will find themselves stereotype rich and operationally poor in today’s business reality of complex cultural organisations and culturally diverse customers. Ensure a positive difference for your business performance ,as well as for the people within it, by learning how to embrace cultural diversity profitably!