THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERCULTURAL COEXISTENCE

Unlike multiculturalism, interculturalism consists of the peaceful and harmonious interaction that should prevail between different individuals and groups that inhabit the world, be it that they live in the same territory or located in distant regions. The key to interculturalism is dialogue, mutual listening, consensus, agreement and empathy, of course, which means putting yourself in the shoes of the other, a fundamental principle for healthy coexistence.

COSTA RICA

It is a country made up of indigenous African, Asian and European population. They are all proud of their history, they assume Spanish as the official language and do not consider their cultural identity to be lost; even foreign minorities have been absorbed in the mainstream culture.

NIGERIA

It is a country that has not yet assimilated interculturalism and more than 25 ethnic tribes coexist in its territory, among which are the Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Ijaw, Kanuri and Ibibio. Ethnic groups are not considered part of the same culture, which has led to serious internal ethnic conflicts and bloody civil wars.

ACTIVITY

To conclude this topic, do the following activity on indigenous and cultural identity base don field work from Mexico, which will help you better appreciate the cultural diversity in the world and in Mexico, and the importance of intercultural coexistence. The field work mentioned was developed from an interview made to 20 people (adult men and women) on the streets of the Miguel Hidalgo Municipality in August 2011. The interview asked “What does it mean to be indigenous in Mexico?”

1.- Part of the interviewees said that be indigenous mean to be ignorant and opposing to progress and modernity, because they are marginalized as they try to preserve their strange customs and traditions, which is why they should abandon them and fit in to the development of the country, and even worse: “sometimes they don’t even speak Spanish”

2.- For others, be indigenous means to have been proudly born with in a particular ethnic group that recognizes the value of preserving its language, their dress style, their history, traditions, economy and ways to maintain the unity of the social group to which it belongs.

3.- A third groups answered: being indigenous is having your own territory, adapting to it and learning to manage its natural resources, in accordance with the values and traditions of the community, even though these areas are considered, by non-indigenous people, hostile and inadequate for living.

Organize a debate and discuss which of the three answers reflect  an attitude of multiculturalism and intercultural coexistence and why. Write down your conclusions in your notebook.