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:
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.
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:
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. Some suggestions to celebrate the World Day for Cultural Diversity include:
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:
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