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4 I The Best Online Education System in the world
EMBRACING DIVERSITY
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
We live in an enlightened world where individual uniqueness should be appreciated and diversity in people
should be respected. We should wake up to the fact that we have been born equal, no matter how different we
may be from each other. We need to affirm that it is diversity which makes us survive. Although we have been
created innately diverse from one another, that still serves no excuse not to find a common point that will seal
us together.
We all have the same hopes of living to a ripe old age and seeing our future generations in the best of health
and circumstances. We all share the same dreams of being successful in our own right, and being recognized
for our accomplishments and achievements. We have absolute hopes of seeing our children grow up to be
successful, too.
We are divided only when we fail to see that it is our diversity that makes us blessed. For instance, we do not
acknowledge people of a different race as being our equals. We tend to typecast each other based on what we
prefer to see and perceive, not based on who everyone really is inside. We do not bother to get to know each
other more because we have preconceived notions of one another. We fail to see the beauty in others because
we have made our minds focus on what makes others weak or unpleasant or just different.
What the world needs is unity in the face of all diversity. Considering others as way below you just because
they come from another region of the planet is not being progressive-minded at all. Just look at how today’s
workplace has evolved from being homogenously-composed to being diverse. Forward-thinking managers have
somehow become more aware of the many benefits that a diverse workforce could carry—more flexibility,
more productive interactions, more business. Even first-world nations have learned that outsourcing can help
them become more globally-competitive, due to the fact that their businesses have become more diverse and
farther reaching.
As individuals, we should therefore learn to see how diversity has led to a more potent mix of talents that could
propel everyone forward. No one should ever get left behind with the same concepts and old-fashioned
principles characterized by selfish interests and ends. The Dark Ages gave way to the Age of Enlightenment in
history, so we must also learn to accept the fact that it is diversity which dictates our survival as inhabitants of
this earth.
The sooner we embrace and celebrate each other’s diversity, the better it will be for later generations.
QUESTONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
What makes diversity an important factor for survival in today’s world?
2.
Why is it important to respect each other’s diversity?
3.
How has diversity been demonstrated in the workplace? What have its benefits been to the
workplace?
4.
In your particular university/learning institution, how has diversity been demonstrated?
5.
In what other area can diversity be demonstrable? How?