Source 7: UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity
UNESCO(2001)announced a universal declaration to protect cultural diversity. The declaration reaffirms the meaning of culture as ” the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs”. It affirms the importance of maintaining cultural diversity and protecting all cultures as per the universal declaration of human rights. It establishes and promote cultural heritage as a catalyst for development and creativity. Furthermore, the declaration stresses on the vital role of the organizations at monitoring, safeguarding , respecting , and encouraging the various forms of cultural expression.
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Source 8: Why cultural diversity matters | Michael Gavin
After analyzing various native cultures of the pacific islands, Gavin(2014) explained that cultural diversity doesn’t only reflect the variety of languages or customs only ,as widely thought. It includes the ideas and feelings that are very difficult and sometimes impossible to translate accurately from one language to another. He added that the essence of a culture could be deeply impeded inside a person to the extent that it shapes is view of himself and the world. Gavin condemned globalization for the decrease of cultural diversity because ,despite the apparent value that this diversity holds for humanity ,their fates are determined by those from cultures economically and politically more powerful. He asserted that, contrary to what is thought, contact between cultures don’t kill cultures; however, the imbalance of power does, for this imbalance forces guardians and parent to favor the more popular cultures as means to help their children be more prepared for life, therefore survive(Gavin, 2014). Gavin’s views are unique in the sense that they were based on firsthand analysis of indigenous cultures. His conclusions clarify some misconceptions regarding the common thought that people of less popular native cultures voluntarily adapt to the more modern ones, when, in reality, they don’t have a choice. Nowadays, this cultural predation has escalated to affected larger cultures that include the Egyptian one. Egyptian youth now find themselves propelled to become familiar with western cultures in order to succeed in the multinational workplaces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48RoRi0ddRU