Community is created when there’s room for all cultures

Last week, we celebrated World Day for Cultural Diversity. The day gives us a chance to pause and reflect on how diversity shows around us. It also offers the university community an excellent chance to examine how we could strengthen the visibility and role of cultural diversity in our own university. It’s worthwhile to reflect on what we need to do to make sure every member of our university community feels genuinely included. 

Cultures meet in daily life

Our lives are impacted by the various conventions and traditions we’ve adopted from our environment. Language, religion, family, and social circles shape our identity and the way we relate to the world around us. This is all a part of culture, meaning the traditions, conventions, and values that transfer from one generation to the next (UN Association of Finland). Cultures constantly change as a part of society, which is why we need to create space for cultures to interact in our university community. 

UNESCO declared the World Day for Cultural Diversity in 2001, and its purpose was, and is, to strengthen diversity and intercultural dialogue. This is a part of UNESCO’s declaration, which places intercultural dialogue at the centre of reaching lasting peace (UN Association of Finland). To reach this goal, businesses, institutions, sports clubs, and universities need to work purposefully to create equal space for cultures to manifest and make an impact in their community. 

Diversity strengthens the university community

The student community is an important social community for many students. It’s a place to share experiences, create lifelong friendships, and support each other in various themes surrounding student life. While these may feel obvious to many, we as a university community must reflect if everyone has a chance to feel included and bring their culture and identity to student life regardless of background, language, religion, and conventions. 

At its best, the university community offers an easy chance to get to know different cultures and strengthen cultural diversity. Traditions create continuity and community in the university, but we must also examine the chance different cultures have to be a visible part of the university community. We should also explore how we can develop student life as part of an increasingly diverse world. The university community must be ready to learn from different cultures and develop alongside them, so it can create equally meaningful experiences for all its members. 

Cultural diversity cannot occur without concrete action. It takes the courage to examine our own approach, the will to understand, and the curiosity to learn from each other. The university community should be a place where different cultures don’t merely coexist, but instead create an even tighter community together. 

Kerttu Keski-Rauska
International Committee member
kerttu.keski-rauska@vyy.fi