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
Last Reviewed | : | 20 Nov 2014 |
Writer | : | Dr. Siti Aishah binti Saidin |
Accreditor | : | Dr. Zil Failllah binti Mohd Said |