Diversity Conference in Amsterdam

Turning Diversity into Prosperity

During our stay we had the chance to observe the diversity here. And to be honest: is there a city more diverse than Amsterdam? As far as I am concerned there is not. Ethnic minorities now make up 47% of the population of Amsterdam (which means that very soon the word "minority" may have applied to its Dutch inhabitants, too) - 176 nationalities in all


By CLAUDIA GABRIELA MITROFAN
from Bucharest, Romania


The series of diversity conferences began in 2000 in Sydney, Australia with a focus on multiculturalism and human rights. Since then the scope of the conference has broadened, to encompass a wider spectrum of diversity issues. Diversity is constituted by a range of human attributes- age, race , sex and sexuality, and physical and mental characteristics and symbolic attributes (culture, language, gender, family, affinity and persona). The organizers have also broadened the scope of the conference so it extends across al levels of social interaction and governance to a world stage to give it a globalist flavour - to Hawaii in 2003 and Beijing in 2004.

The conference has a history of bringing together scholarly, government and practice-based participants with an interest in the issues of diversity and community. This event examines the concept of diversity as a positive aspect of a global world and globalized society. Diversity is in many ways reflective of our present world order, but there are ways of taking this further without necessary engendering its alternatives: racism, conflict, discrimination and inequity. Diversity as a mode of social existence can be projected in ways that deepen the range of human experience.

Fourteen young students across the world were selected to take part in this conference. An international volunteering organization took charge of choosing the most experienced students on diversity issues from all over the globe. We had to send an application form which could make a picture of interests and preferences on globalization problems and a CV where we stated our extracurricular activities on related domains.

During our stay there, in the beginning of July, we had the chance to observe the diversity in Amsterdam. And to be honest: is there a city more diverse than Amsterdam? As far as I am concerned there is not. Ethnic minorities now make up 47% of the population of Amsterdam (which means that very soon the word "minority" may have applied to its Dutch inhabitants, too) - 176 nationalities in all.

Therefore, we had the chance to meet a very diverse from all points of view culture and get the chance to know each other better as more than ten countries were represented. This diversity conference was not an isolated event: during our stay there Amsterdam was full of activities related to diversity as a complete Diversity Week had been programmed.

The conference looked at the realities of diversity today, critically, as well as optimistically and strategically. This was a place for speaking about diversity, and in ways that range from the "big picture" and the theoretical, to the very practical and everyday realities of diversity in organizations, communities, and civic life.

At the end of the conference each and everyone of us had the chance to share his/her opinions on what they've seen there. We were feeling very important persons because the conference itself followed the United Nations model on comparing the advantages and disadvantages aspects of diversity today.

This meeting supports a move away from simple affirmations that "diversity is good" to a much more nuanced account of the effects and uses of diversity on differently situated communities in the context of our epoch of globalization.


(Published: 10.10.2007.)

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