Gaining from Diversity The American experience

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Gaining from Diversity The American experience

• Imam Yahya Hendi
• Clergy Beyond Borders
• At
• KIM
• Oslo, Norway
• May 8th, 2009

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From the very beginning

• The USA was founded on the foundation
• Freedom of religion and diversity.
• Religious diversity.
• Racial and ethnic diversity.
• Together we stand, united we fall.

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The Foundations of the constitution

• Without its rich mixture of religions, races, and
  cultures, America would not be the nation that it
  is today.
• Founded upon the basis of equality and freedom
  for all.
• America acts as a stage where intensely
  different cultures not only coexist peacefully,
  but also thrive symbiotically and create a
  nation.

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Cultural Diversity

• Each culture provides its own special and
  irreplaceable contribution to our understanding
  of America today.
• From Asia to Europe to Africa to Latin America.
• Diversity in America not only presents a host of
  intimate snapshots of culture and heritage, but
  documents the struggles of nationalities to
  integrate into the melting pot society of
  America, and highlights the strength and
  integrity of various cultures.

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Unity within Diversity
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"The Strength of our country is rooted in its
diversity
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Diversity recognizes and celebrates the gifts we
all have to give
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"Our colors might be different, but our hearts
beat as one.

• We could learn a lot from crayons some are
  sharp, some are pretty,some are dull, some have
  weird names. All are different colors, but they
  all have to learn to live in the same box.

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Our main creed is

• Cultural diversity is the name given to the idea
  that all peoples are able to develop in an
  environment conducive to the expression of
  different cultures and ongoing dialogue. As a
  principle, cultural diversity underlies a modern
  view of the world based on respect for plurality.

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Some examples in the USA diversity

• Our cities.
• Our religions.
• Our colors.
• Our colleges and campuses.
• Our politicians.
• Our landscape.

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Our cities

• Many major cities in the United States have been
  influential in shaping the nations cultural
  life, and an ethnically diverse population has
  contributed immeasurably to U.S. achievements in
  literature, the performing arts, architecture and
  cuisine.

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U.S. Cities Strike Up the Band for St. Patricks
Day Parades
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More examples
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Mosque built by Christians for Muslims 1934
first in Midwest only surviving Mosque (Cedar
Rapids, IA).
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Achievements documented
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The communitites will
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It does the following
Unless

• Compassion and justice in the Public Square
• sharing in solving sociopolitical challenges
• Focus on education.
• Feeling the pain and happiness of their
  neighbors.

Patience and persistence
Vision to Honor diversity and unity
Celebrating diversity
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Remember thatMulticulturalism means

• Awareness of Differences
• Respect for Differences
• Affirmation of Differences

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What do we all Gain?

• Creating business advantages.
• Create healthy competition that leads to success.
• Decrease intercultural conflicts and increases
  intercultural synergies.
• Globalization and cross borders actvities.
• Cooperation and international access.
• Conflict reduction and satisfaction.
• Exporting good models of cooperation.
• Learning from each other.
• Better at communication when growing up with
  differences.

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Hence

• All matter.
• All are needed.
• All have a role to play.
• All have a gift to give.
• All are a part of the fabric of the whole
  society.
• Marching together for all.
• Injustice any where is injustice every where.

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Together we move forward. Because we are fellow
citizens even if we are different
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To conclude

• Thank you
• yahyahendi_at_gmail.com
• www.imamyahyahendi.com
• 202-687-4272