World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, more commonly known as “World Day for Cultural Diversity” takes place every year on May 21. Here’s what you need to know about this international holiday, as well as resources you can utilize at your organization.
Why was World Day for Cultural Diversity established?
World Day for Cultural Diversity grew out of a United Nations declaration. After the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in 2001, the United Nations established the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development in 2002, set for May 21 every year.
What are the main objectives of World Day for Cultural Diversity?
According to the United Nations, “Bridging the gap between cultures is urgent and necessary for peace, stability and development.” This holiday provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of cultural diversity. More specifically, World Day for Cultural Diversity is meant to “advance the four goals of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions adopted on 20 October 2005.”
Those four goals include:
- Support sustainable systems of governance for culture
- Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase mobility of artists and cultural professionals
- Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks
- Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms
How to Celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity
Global organizations can use the day to highlight the cultural diversity among their teams and provide cultural learning experiences to help individuals grow their cross-cultural awareness and skills. Here are some ways you can celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity at your organization:
- Share cultural resources to expand awareness of different cultures and enable stronger interactions and relationships among global colleagues. Aperian’s 100+ GlobeSmart Guides provide comprehensive information about different cultures and their business norms.
- Celebrate the cultural diversity within your organization by highlighting the different cultures represented among staff members. Consider collaborating with individuals who would like to share their cultural traditions or experiences with others.
- Raise awareness of how cultural background impacts work styles by having employees create their GlobeSmart® Profile. They will be able to see a visual representation of their preferred way of working, and teams can compare Profiles to see their team average and see how their culturally influenced work styles show up when collaborating.
- Host a cultural awareness workshop for your staff, or partner with a learning provider who can facilitate cultural training experiences.
- Utilize the resources and activities in our Global Diversity Toolkit for creative ways to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity organization-wide
- Have leaders reaffirm the organization’s commitment to fostering a workplace culture that is respectful of cultural differences.
World Day for Cultural Diversity Activities and Resources
Here’s a list of helpful resources from Aperian to help you develop your own awareness of cultural diversity as well as support your organization’s World Day for Cultural Diversity celebrations:
Activities
Guides
Blog Posts
On-Demand Webinars
Research
Want to foster greater cultural competence at your organization? Start a free trial of Aperian to learn how our culture tools and resources can help your teams grow.
