Education

The Information Society

Human Security and Peace

Cross Cutting Issues

Action Tools

Resources

Programme Leaflet [PDF version Oct. 2004] Programme Leaflet [WORD version] Oct 2004

Tolerance is one of the fundamental values essential to relations in the twenty-first century. It should include the active promotion of a culture of peace and dialogue among civilizations, with human beings respecting one another in all their diversity of belief, culture and language, neither fearing nor repressing differences within and between societies, but cherishing them as a precious asset of humanity.

IFUW must recognize and promote respect for cultural diversity for the purpose of advancing objectives of peace, development and universally accepted human rights. We must prevent and mitigate cultural homogenization in the context of globalization, through increased intercultural exchange guided by the promotion and protection of cultural diversity.

Women, as agents for change, must strive to build an international order based on inclusion, justice, equality and equity, human dignity, mutual understanding and promotion of and respect for cultural diversity and universal human rights, and reject all doctrines of exclusion based on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

In November 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity - a legal instrument which recognizes, for the first time, cultural diversity as a "common heritage of humanity" and considers its safeguarding to be a concrete and ethical imperative, inseparable from respect of human dignity. The twenty points of its Action Plan emphasize the role of education and the need both for fostering the exchange of knowledge and best practices in regard to cultural pluralism and for countering the digital divide and ensuring diversity and universal access to the educational, cultural and scientific digital resources available worldwide. The process in underway to draft a new international convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

IFUW and its national federations and associations can play a role by taking action to:

• hold, develop and preserve cultural heritage and traditions in a national and international atmosphere of peace, tolerance and mutual respect;
• respond to the challenges and opportunities posed by globalization in a manner that ensures respect for the cultural diversity of all; and
• promote cultural pluralism and tolerance at the national, regional and international levels in order to enhance respect for cultural rights and cultural diversity.

Unesco's Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue is an excellent starting resource on cultural diversity and intercultural dialogues. Of special interest are:

• UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (pdf version in English, Français, Espagñol, Russian, Chinese and Arabic)
    
• New Unesco Courrier 2004, "Focus - Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations", especially the article on globalization and cultural diversity.
    
• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development - 21 May