Celebrating the diversity of human society

We respect and celebrate the diversity of human society

You have chosen to Sus Out how your group can develop more sustainably by celebrating human diversity. This page will help you to understand how you can better understand human diversity and how you can use this knowledge to contribute to the sustainable development of your community and others.

What is human diversity?

Human diversity refers to the varieties of gender, race, ability and age that are evident in human societies around the globe; to the different values, cultures, sexualities and spiritualities of human communities; and to the variety of ways in which humans interact with other elements of the natural world, such as the use of different foods, different fuels, different forms of housing and transport. It is common for any of us, when we enter the world, to assume that the people close to us are representative of all people and that they way things are done in our family or community is the way in which things are done by everyone, everywhere. As we become more aware of human differences we are exposed to strong tendencies in our societies to construct and maintain distinctions between 'people like us' and 'others'. This can range from enjoyment and celebration of one's own identity to discriminating against or even seeking to annihilate the identity of others.

Celebrating human diversity is a process of educating ourselves to appreciate and respect the many forms that human nature takes on the planet and of becoming open to the contribution that different humanities can make to our common well being. This does not require us to ignore differences that we find uncomfortable or to accept values or behaviours with which we do not agree; it does invite us to acknowledge that these differences derive from the common humanity that we share and that relatively minor differences in our genetic or social histories mean that we could easily have been in the place the other person now occupies. Above all, a celebration of human diversity reminds us that the range of human difference is one of the powerful assurances we have of our ability to adapt to environmental changes and to the future challenges we face.

Human diversity, inclusion and sustainable development.

Sustainable development is intended as an inclusive principle that applies to all people wherever they are but it is not assumed that the process of sustainable development will be the same for everyone or will proceed at the same pace. Human difference has always been a focus of conflict between people whether on the basis of gender, race, colour, ability or any other variation. Some differences are inherent to peoples' nature, others, such as nationality, religious or political affiliation, are acquired through processes of social organisation. Human differences, whether inherent or acquired, are often linked to conflicts over natural resources such as land, water or minerals or to access to public goods such as employment opportunities, health services or education. Tensions over these and similar issues can be experienced individually as discrimination or oppression, as intra or inter community strife or, internationally and globally, as war. The most common and most persistent of these tensions in human society lies in the power that men seek to exert over women.

A fundamental feature of sustainable development is that it cannot be achieved solely through the exercise of power, by the imposition of the will of powerful groups on others; sustainable development has to be a process of co-operation and collaboration. For this to be effective there has to be the possibility for everyone to contribute to making decisions about the direction and pace of development as it affects them (participatory governance). The unsustainable behaviour of some people will always have to be limited but the legitimacy of these limits should be based not on the exploitation of human differences but on our common need for sustainable development.

How does human diversity affect you group?

Your group is made up of human beings who may share some common concerns or interests or goals but who are all different. Your group also relates to a wider community that, again, contains many varieties of humanity. Are you sensitive to these differences as a group and do you talk about them? Do you make a particular effort to ensure that anyone in your community can access the activities or services of your group? Every human organisation has its 'in' groups and its 'out' groups, even groups that come together because they feel excluded from the mainstream can develop their own 'out' groups. Are you aware of how your group relates to the diversity of the community of which you are a part?

Community groups are strongest when they are most inclusive and when they are open to everyone who shares their purpose and not just to 'people like us'. In a representative democracy, community groups who speak up about local issues or conditions are always being challenged about whom they represent. Your group's credibility and its sustainability may depend in future on your ability to demonstrate that you respect and celebrate human diversity.

Developing your ability to be more inclusive

Your group decided that it would like to become more inclusive and you pledged yourselves to an action you could take to show that you have achieved this. A three step approach will help you to clarify your pledge and to put an action plan in place:

Develop your understanding of the diversity of your community.
Think about how your group relates to different groups of people.
Review your pledge and plan what you will do.

When you have clarified your pledge and agreed on your action plan, a range of organisations are available to help you.

Helpful organisations

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Useful resources