VISIONS OF DIVERSITY : FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION

Through modern history, almost every society has seen diversity as negative.

It was a “problem” that needed to be solved.

Can we see diversity in a different way?

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION:SEGREGATION

Segregation is a separation of humans into racial groups, which affects their daily activities.

Spanish colonialism in America divided the population in “Spanish towns” and “Indio towns”.

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION: SEGREGATION

In the 20th century, The United States had a division between white and africanamerican population.Governmental policies and the law privileged white population.

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION: SEGREGATION

In South Africa, the Apartheid (the status of being apart) was a system of racial segregation that remained until 1994. The law allowed 1% of the population (white) dominated the rest.

Assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multiculturalism that supports or promotes the assimilation of cultural and ethnic minorities into the dominant group.

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION: CULTURAL ASSIMILATION

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION: CULTURAL ASSIMILATION

Guatemala’s governments in the latest 19th century promoted the assimilation of indigenous people into the dominant group. In order to have Guatemalan citizenship people was forced to stop “being indigenous”.

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION: ANNIHILATION

During the World War II the German government killed more than 6 million Jewish, Catholics, Romani, homosexuals and communists.

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION: ANNIHILATION In 1932 in El Salvador, there was a peasant uprising and it was quickly suppressed by

the government. Between 20,000 and 30,000 peasants were killed in a few days. Most of them were

indigenous and represented a high percentage of the total of indigenous population.

In the second half of the 20th centurythe paradigm started to change

Now humanity tries to see diversityIn a different way…

FROM DENIAL TO RECOGNITION: CULTURAL PLURALISM

Cultural pluralism is a new paradigm that establishes the possibility that humans can cohabit peacefully in societies with ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

Diversity is valued as positive and nobody has to loose their culture or identity to be a part of the society or live his/her Rights as citizens of a particular country.

From this perspective derives:Multiculturality Interculturality

CULTURAL PLURALISM:MULTICULTURALISM

The recognition of ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

Implies that all no matter how diverse a society is everybody’s Human Rights should be respected. And all citizens (no matter their cultural background, language or identity) should have the same opportunities.

It also implies the right “to be different”.

CULTURAL PLURALISM:INTERCULTURALISM

The recognition of ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

Implies that all no matter how diverse a society is everybody’s Human Rights should be respected. And all citizens (no matter their cultural background, language or identity) should have the same opportunities.

It also implies the right “to be different”. Suggests “unity in diversity”

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Interculturality (as fact) Interculturalism (as perspective or philosophy) Intercultural Education (educational strategies)