Multiculturalism and Tolerance

To start with, multiculturalism is considered a world-wide phenomenon and becomes a commonplace in many countries, most of all in those that are large and modern like the USA, Australia or Great Britain. In my view this happening is a logical conclusion of a developing globalization and only gives us all reasons for tolerance and mutual respect between all the cultures and races. As a matter of fact, there have been many problems with racionalism and intolerance between different races in the history of mankind, in most cases caused by white European people who considered themselves to be a more advanced civilization compared with other races. However, I think there is no reason at all to think so, for many cultures and nations from Asia and Africa like the Chinese, the Japanese or even some Indian tibes proved to be on a high civilization level already in Middle Ages and enriched European community with useful inventions, which have been in use in our continent up to these days. Yet the insane idea of white ruling race led to a massive slaughter of Indians and other natural races.

It seems to me that one of the most fatal mistakes and signs of human cruelty and intolerance was the slavery of Africans. Over hundreds of years white people were convinced that those with black skin are not equal human beings to them and for that reason were forced to do the hardest and often most inferior work, unpayed and unappreciated. Fortunately, this totaly wrong opinion had not endured longer than to the 19th century and like other lies has finally been revealed and condemned. Despite it all, people with black skin had to fight much longer to disroot this long lasting attitude and to obtain equal rights in American community. Moreover, there appeared many other cases of intolerance in the world against nations of Asia, South America and Jewish race during Worl War II. Apart from these great tragedies, it is clear to me that all this failures of humanity have led to unevitable improvement of our today¢s world society. These days we can see that people are convinced of the need of consideration and respect to other races, they are open to get to know them better and ready to share their traditions and attitudes. The way I see it it is really enriching for us as the white Europeans as well as for people of other skin colour, and it helps to cherish our humanity.

Contrary to what most people believe, there still endure racial and religious conflicts and even fights in some parts of the world, like Africa or the Middle East. Citizens of some states argue if people of different race should be welcomed to their country and racionalism still survives in their minds. In my opinion other cultures seem to these people like a thread to their own traditions, for they find their own customs and faith to be the only proper. In some ways they are right in the effort to maintain their own cultural values, yet it seems to me like unreasonable mistrustfulness and prejudice that are not to endure much longer in our modern world, if we also serve as a good example for them. I cannot deny that I myself am sometimes unsure of where this world is moving with the ongoing fusion of nations and cultures. How much longer will we be able to tell without any doubt what nation we really belong to and what tradition we want to maintain? I think that everyone has to answer this question for himself. However, we cannot stop the trend of the modern world, at least with violance and hatred.  Multiculturalism should rather serve for us as a test of whether our nationalism means so much for us that we are able to hold to it in the stream of various attitudes and opinions.

On the whole, I consider tolerance and multiculturalism positive phenomenons of today¢s society and I strongly believe that if one really holds to his own faith and tradition, side by side living with other cultures will not mean a danger for him, but an enrichement. In the end, don¢t we ourselves still have many things to offer to the others?