We are unique

• As Malaysian, we were born different and this will make life colourful.

• It is very important for all of us to value these differences and respect the diversity.

• We should enjoy and live in harmony

What is diversity

The diversity includes cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual difference.

How to respect diversity

• To respect diversity encompasses acceptance and respect.

• We have to understand that each individual is uniqueand recognize our individual differences.

• These can be alongthe dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

• Explore the differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.

• Understand each other and the diversity contained within each individual bysimple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the differrences.

What can you do

• Find an opportunity to interact with each other of different ethnic groups.

• Celebrate and value diversity by attending other’s festival or celebration

• Be proud of yourselves and your family traditions and share with your freinds.

• Respect and value people regardless of the color of their skin, their physical abilities, or the language they speak

• Promote the development of respectful relationships across these cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity.

• Promote tolerance, acceptance and affinity across differences, through communication, education and the arts

What is your role Learn to appreciate the differences

• Try to create opportunities to interact and make friends with people who are different from you

• Be a role models from your own culture as well as to those from other cultures.

• Share your culture with your freind for a better understanding.

• Try to resist prejudice and discrimination surround you to create positive enviroment.

• Don’t let racist and prejudicial remarks go by without intervening. It’s important to tell your freind that name-calling of any kind, whether it’s about someone’s religion, race, ethnic background, or sexual orientation, is hurtful and wrong.

• Try to counteract any demeaning and harmful messages.

• Don’t show negative reaction on the differences for examples eye or skin color can simply become a category of human variation.

• Promote an environment in your school or neighbourhood which students or teens from diverse backgrounds feel more comfortable being themselves.

• Create wall spaces to display posters depicting cultural groups in a non-stereotypical fashion in your classroom or common hall.

Referrences:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respect_diversity
• http://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/malaysia-a-multi-racial-cultural-and-religion-country-history-essay.php#ixzz3XIG9ibtf
• “Harmony in Diversity, a Human Rights Based Approach”, The Star
• http://gtooi.hubpages.com/hub/Malaysian-Culture
• Multicultural Education: Managing Diversity In Malaysian Schools , Najeemah Mohd Yusof School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia
• http://www.edutopia.org/blog/preparing-cultural-diversity-resources-teachers