Ezine Articles-Expert Author-It Takes An Intercultural Village by Nina Bingham

It’s been said: "It takes a village to raise a child." I say, in the 21^st century, it will take an Intercultural Village!

Because of the influence of mass media, we have become a global “community". As we communicate globally and have access to the world’s news and views, our world grows. Because of the mass media and technology, our perspectives broaden, our curiosity is heightened, we gain in knowledge and skills, we grow in intelligence, and even enlightenment. By sharing information we are all better for it, and in this way, globalization promotes the furtherance of human rights into the future and around the world. Tolerance of minorities will increase as more minorities become technology literate and politically savvy. In my lifetime I have seen tremendous change in favor of human rights, and yet, with all my heart, I wish society would evolve faster than it is. I am impatient for equality, as I hope my children are. I hope in their lifetimes they will see equality become the agenda of every country and court, even if I don’t. If I have given them anything, it is the legacy of thinking for themselves, and cherishing equality. I hope their agenda is to change the world. But how will the "next generation," my children, and grandchildren, accomplish this feat?

Charles Darwin defined that in nature, evolution is inevitable. We cannot, as a species, help but adapt to our changing environment: survival of the fittest. I believe the same is true sociologically as well. Society and culture will adapt and change according to the changing demands of the environment. If there is a growing demand for change, it will inevitably occur. As example, the U.S. population is set to undergo a radical transformation by the year 2050. At that time, over 50% of the U.S. population will comprise those ethnicities which until that point in history have been deemed "minorities."  The "minority" will equal the "majority" in terms of numbers alone. Then we will have, for the first time, an equalized "melting pot" in the U.S. How will this affect our nation?

I believe this shift in minority population will drive changes in law, government, education (which is already occurring in response to the Spanish-speaking students), and interpersonal relationships, to name a few. Institutions will be forced to respond appropriately to the needs of this more integrated U.S. population. The "old boys club" will become infiltrated with new boys, whose ideas and customs are progressive and diverse. I for one can't wait! And here is why: although equality brings challenges to a society, as we strive to live in harmony with one another's divergent philosophies, histories and customs, it also brings creative solutions to the world stage. It brings the "two heads are better than one" philosophy front-and center. It allows for a free exchange of new solutions to emerge: solutions to world poverty and war, drugs and violence; the plagues of human-kind. If we are to solve our world's problems, we have to approach them at a higher level than the level on which they were originally created (paraphrased): Einstein said that. He also said: "The definition of insanity is to expect different results, but be willing to do nothing differently (paraphrased)." The insanity in our world comes from resisting and refusing change, because change is an evolutionary immutable law, as Darwin pointed out.

While I was driving one day, I saw a bumper sticker which read: "Evolve, dammit!" I had to laugh out loud. As a species, we psychologically cling to that which is familiar, and refuse that which is different from us. Humans innately, selfishly will do almost anything to avoid change; and yet, it is the very thing which has the power to save us as a species. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies. In the future, that means learning to communicate well inter-culturally. It is not important to learn to inter-culturally communicate, nor is it merely a politically correct move to make. It is far more critical than that. It is, boiled down, the survival of the human race at stake, and I for one want to live!

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