Held every year on 21 May, UNESCO leads the celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, highlighting not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development.
With the founding principle of our University being Unity in Diversity, it’s a great opportunity to reflect how international education and communication are the core of our vision, mission, and values.
At Richmond, we aspire to understand, accept, and celebrate what makes us different from each other. We are proud to have students from more than 60 countries enrolled with us. Being able to discuss ideas, course concepts, work and make friends with other nationalities allows us to deepen our understanding of global communities—making both our staff and students more well-rounded individuals.
With 89% of all current conflicts in the world occurring in countries with low intercultural dialogue, UNESCO highlights that in order to forge effective cooperation and sustain peace, strengthening intercultural dialogue must be a priority.
“On this Day, UNESCO would like to call upon everyone to celebrate cultural diversity, through which we will be able to build the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind,” says Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay.
According to UNESCO data, the cultural and creative sector is one of the most powerful engines of development worldwide. It accounts for more than 48 million jobs globally –almost half of which are held by women – representing 6.2% of all existing employment and 3.1% of global GDP. It is also the sector that employs and provides opportunities for the largest number of young people under the age of 30.
As our students begin work in these sectors and others after graduation, they will have experienced a mix of diverse cultures, backgrounds and perspectives, providing them with the knowledge and the skills to implement diversity and inclusion throughout their lives.
One of our alumni, Cristina, who studied BA Finance & Investment, found our cultural diversity made a difference in seeking a career:
“The diversity at Richmond is something I have seen to be appreciated by employers in interviews, as nowadays, a multicultural environment is an aspect companies put a lot of importance on.”
You can find out what UNESCO does for cultural diversity for dialogue and development via their website. https://www.unesco.org/en/days/cultural-diversity-dialogue-development
