Diversity
While diversity comes is many forms, the focus of Difference Differently is culture and belief.
What does living in a diverse world mean for you? Complete the following three activities to explore this question.
Activity 1: Reacting to difference
Living with diversity provides many opportunities for stimulation, engagement and interest; it also poses challenges. One of the challenges is learning to recognise and cope with your own reactions to difference. Watch this video where Donna reflects on one of her experiences with difference.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had physical and emotional reactions like those described by Donna? If so, was this in a similar or different context?
Take this short quiz and see what your physical and emotional level of comfort is likely to be in different scenarios. When you have completed the quiz, you will be brought back to this page.
Activity 2: Cross-cultural communication
Another challenge of living with diversity is cross-cultural misunderstandings. Behaviours and gestures differ widely from place to place, and it is easy to make an assumption based on a gesture or behaviour that is incorrect because it means different things in different cultures.
Do the following quiz and see how much you know about diverse behaviours and gestures. When you have completed the quiz, you will be brought back to this page.
Activity 3: Curiosity
Curiosity helps people to benefit from living in a diverse world. Look at this image for a different perspective regarding living in and with diversity.
Image courtersy of Cassie Jal. All rights reserved
What do you see? What do you think about that? What does it make you wonder?
Interacting with and listening to others is powerful! As an example, watch this video to find out a little about Sujato and his story.
- If you could ask Sujato a question what would it be?
The video of Sujato is from the Difference Differently Diversity Q and A section, where 14 people answer questions about diversity. To hear more from Sujato and to meet some other interesting Australians, you may like to explore the Diversity Q&A section by clicking the green button (above, left).
And remember that curiosity, and asking questions, is the best antidote to assumptions.