"Culture" refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that shape the way its members understand the world. It includes groups that we are born into, such as race, national origin, gender, class, or religion. It can also include a group we join or become part of.Culture is a strong part of people's lives. It influences their views, their values, their humor, their hopes, their loyalties, and their worries and fears. So when you are working with people and building relationships with them, it helps to have some perspective and understanding of their cultures.
But as we explore culture, it's also important to remember how much we have in common. People see the world very differently, but they know what it is like to wake up in the morning and look forward to the adventures that of the day. We are all human beings. We all love deeply, want to learn, have hopes and dreams, and have experienced pain and fear. At the same time, we can't pretend our cultures and differences don't matter. We can't gloss over differences and pretend they don't exist, wishing we could all be alike, and we can't pretend that discrimination doesn't exist.
But first, it is important to remember that everyone has an important viewpoint and role to play when is comes to culture. You don't have to be an expert to build relationships with people different from yourself; you don't have to have a degree to learn to become sensitive to cultural issues; and you don't have to be a social worker to know how culture has affected your life.
The world is becoming increasingly diverse and includes people of many religions, languages, economic groups, and other cultural groups.
It is becoming clear that in order to build communities that are successful at improving conditions and resolving problems, we need to understand and appreciate many cultures, establish relationships with people from cultures other than our own, and build strong alliances with different cultural groups. Additionally, we need to bring non-mainstream groups into the center of civic activity.
I started The Cultured Workshop as an educational platform to help build relationships, connecting and understanding about diversity, culture and communities. Hosting these workshops in educational center, businesses and in the wedding world has helped bridge the gap of differences as well as appreciation for diversity and uniqueness. Here are some tips to helpful tips to start building a diverse community.
1. WELCOME EVERYONE
2. GUILT DOESN'T WORK IN FOSTERING DIVERSITY.
3. TREATING EVERYONE THE SAME MAY BE UNINTENTIONALLY OPPRESSIVE.
4. PEOPLE CAN TAKE ON TOUGH ISSUES MORE READILY WHEN THE ISSUES ARE PRESENTED WITH A SPIRIT OF HOPE.
5. BUILDING A TEAM AROUND US IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF CREATING INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY CHANGE AROUND DIVERSITY ISSUES.
Each of us can build the kinds of communities we dream of. In our families, organizations, institutions, and neighborhoods, we can insist that we won't remain isolated from those who are different from ourselves. We can transform our neighborhoods, institutions, and governments into equitable, non-oppressive, and diverse communities.
If you would like to host a Cultured Workshop at your place of work, community or educational institution, please contact me at The Cultured Workshop online or on Instagram.
