Education and Identity

In our postmodern world we have a clear consciousness of our mutual vulnerability and mutual interdependence.  Being part of the globalized culture is not exclusively related with economy: it is also related with cultural and personal identity. Through immigration movements we learnt that we are living in a pluri-multi-inter- trans society composed by groups from diverse origins. Instead a society composed by a prevalence group, or a melting pot (were all are different but only one) we are sharing resources and creating possibilities one of each others, defending our values and traditions as part of all but different. These actual times are considered as identity crisis, related as the absense of  answers for questions as who I am? I am different from you? What happen if I live close to others with different values and cultures, I will lose my identity?  But I don’t think in that way. I observe how people are able to learn from other cultures, assimilate the values and norms, the rituals and traditions and maintain their own original culture in a hybrid or synthetic culture. Some people are more open to enrichment others prefer their own culture. Being touched by other cultures in a constructive way, creates a sense of home in anywhere.  It creates a sense of family and society living in Latin America, Canada, United States or India.As an immigrant, my perspective is how we are able to assimilate the new culture actively: being transformed by the culture and transforming the culture at the same time. Active participation in culture and society will offer alternatives to create not a liquid culture, or a sense of dislocation. Active participation would give us the solid and unique possibility of synthetic cultures, created as a result of living and sharing with other humans during this short time that we call live. This is the main work of education for diversity: to teach how we can live, work and grow together sharing the world and building opportunities for future generations based on an actively inclusive and diverse culture.