Why cultural diversity matters | Michael Gavin | TEDxCSU

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity in addressing complex global issues, using the story of David, a native speaker of a dying language, to illustrate the rapid loss of languages and cultural knowledge. They argue that cultural diversity is crucial for humanity's survival and innovation, citing examples like quinine and artemisinin in medicine. The speaker calls for action to level the playing field for different cultures, drawing inspiration from Vanuatu's efforts to integrate indigenous knowledge into education, preparing future generations for the challenges ahead.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The theme of 'do better' is a fitting motto for our complex and dynamic world, emphasizing the need for diverse knowledge to tackle today's 'wicked problems' and future uncertainties.
• 🏝️ The story of David from Malakula, Vanuatu, illustrates the imminent loss of indigenous languages and the cultural diversity they represent, with potentially half of the world's 7,000 languages disappearing in the lifetime of a generation.
• 🗣️ Language is not just communication; it shapes our worldview and understanding of the world. The loss of a language means the loss of a unique perspective and knowledge base.
• 🌱 Cultural diversity is intrinsically linked to the rights of indigenous people, whose rights to determine their cultural futures are often overlooked or undermined.
• 💊 The value of cultural diversity is evident in its contributions to global health, such as the discovery of quinine by the indigenous people of Peru and artemisinin by Chinese herbalists, both crucial in malaria treatment.
• 🌱 The dynamic nature of culture means it is not static but evolves with interaction. However, the current loss of diversity is not due to cultural contact but rather the dominance of a few cultural groups over many others.
• 🔄 The imbalance of power within societal systems, such as education and economy, drives the loss of cultural diversity as minority cultures are marginalized and have less influence on these systems.
• 🏫 Education systems often perpetuate cultural dominance by teaching in a single language and from a single cultural perspective, which can alienate students from their own cultural heritage.
• 🌟 Small steps can be taken to level the playing field, such as the example from Vanuatu where one day a week is dedicated to indigenous education, allowing students to draw from both local and global knowledge systems.
• 🌈 Embracing and celebrating cultural diversity in our systems can better prepare future generations for the challenges of a complex world, ensuring they have access to a broader range of perspectives and solutions.

Q & A

What is the significance of the theme 'Know Better, Do Better' in the context of the speech?

The theme 'Know Better, Do Better' is significant as it emphasizes the need for diverse knowledge to cope with the complex and dynamic challenges of the world, including the wicked problems we face today and the uncertainties of the future.

Why are the problems we face described as 'wicked problems'?

The problems are described as 'wicked problems' due to their complexity and how widespread they are, making them difficult to solve with conventional approaches.

What is the importance of cultural diversity in the context of global challenges?

Cultural diversity is important because it represents thousands of different ways of seeing the world and our place in it, providing unique sets of knowledge that can help address global challenges.

Why is the loss of an indigenous language like the one spoken by David in Vanuatu a concern?

The loss of an indigenous language is a concern because it represents the disappearance of a unique worldview and knowledge base that has been developed across generations, contributing to the overall loss of cultural diversity.

How does the concept of 'fena' in the Tero language illustrate the depth of cultural diversity?

The concept of 'fena' in the Tero language illustrates the depth of cultural diversity by showing how a single word can have multiple interconnected meanings that are difficult to translate accurately into other languages, reflecting a unique worldview.

What role does cultural diversity play in the development of medical treatments, as exemplified in the speech?

Cultural diversity plays a crucial role in the development of medical treatments by providing different perspectives and knowledge bases, as seen with the discovery of quinine by the indigenous people of Peru and artemisinin from Chinese herbal medicine.

Why is the loss of cultural diversity happening, according to the speaker?

The loss of cultural diversity is happening due to an imbalance of power within society, where fewer and fewer cultural groups are determining the shape and fabric of societal systems, leading to the marginalization of other cultures.

How does the speaker suggest we can level the playing field to preserve cultural diversity?

The speaker suggests we can level the playing field by creating systems that celebrate cultural diversity, explore our differences, and embrace multiple ways of thinking, such as the example of schools in Vanuatu that incorporate indigenous language and knowledge into their curriculum.

What is the role of education in maintaining cultural diversity, as discussed in the speech?

Education plays a significant role in maintaining cultural diversity by providing opportunities for the younger generation to learn about their indigenous languages, cultures, and knowledge systems, ensuring they can draw from both traditional and conventional worldviews.

How does the speaker propose we prepare for the challenges of the future in relation to cultural diversity?

The speaker proposes that we prepare for future challenges by respecting and upholding the rights of indigenous people, recognizing the value of cultural diversity, and creating systems that allow for the preservation and celebration of diverse cultures and knowledge.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 The Complexity of Wicked Problems and Cultural Diversity

The speaker begins by acknowledging the complexity of the world we live in, highlighting the theme 'No Better Do' as a motto for navigating the challenges of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow. The concept of 'wicked problems' is introduced to describe issues that are both complex and widespread. The speaker emphasizes the need for diverse knowledge to address these problems. The narrative shifts to the island of Malakula in Vanuatu, where the story of David, one of the last speakers of an indigenous language, illustrates the rapid loss of cultural diversity. The death of David, and the imminent extinction of his language, serves as a poignant example of the broader issue of language and cultural loss. The speaker poses three critical questions: why should we care about this loss, why is it happening, and what can we do about it? The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the importance of cultural diversity, which extends beyond language to include unique worldviews and knowledge systems.

05:01

🗣️ The Value of Cultural Diversity and Language

The speaker delves into the value of cultural diversity, arguing that it encompasses more than just languages. It includes the rights of indigenous people to determine their cultural futures, which have often been overlooked. The discussion then shifts to the broader value of cultural diversity for humanity, using the example of quinine, derived from the bark of the cinchona tree by indigenous Peruvians, and artemisinin, from Chinese herbal medicine, to demonstrate how indigenous knowledge has contributed to global health. The speaker argues that cultural diversity is a rich source of unique perspectives and knowledge that can address global challenges. The paragraph concludes with a call to recognize the importance of cultural diversity and to respect the rights of indigenous people.

10:02

🌱 The Dynamics of Culture and the Causes of Cultural Loss

The speaker addresses the second question by discussing the nature of culture as dynamic and ever-changing, contrary to the static perception that it can be preserved in a museum. The paragraph explores the impact of power imbalances within society, where a few dominant cultural groups shape societal systems, leading to the erosion of cultural diversity. The story of David from Malakula is revisited, highlighting the choices he must make for his children's future within a society that does not value his culture. The speaker suggests that the loss of cultural diversity is driven by these systemic power imbalances rather than mere cultural contact or exchange.

15:04

🏫 Empowering Cultural Diversity through Education

In the final paragraph, the speaker proposes solutions to the loss of cultural diversity. The focus is on education as a means to empower and preserve cultural knowledge. The example of Malakula is highlighted again, where the community has taken steps to incorporate indigenous education into the school system, allowing children to learn from their elders and to take pride in their cultural heritage. The speaker argues that this approach prepares children to draw from both their local cultural knowledge and the broader knowledge systems provided by conventional education, thus equipping them to face future challenges. The paragraph concludes with a call to action to create systems that celebrate and explore cultural diversity, embracing multiple ways of thinking to better prepare for an uncertain future.

Keywords

💡Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity refers to the variety of human societies, beliefs, and customs that exist within and across different groups and regions. In the video, it is emphasized as a critical element for understanding the world and our place in it, with the potential to offer unique perspectives and solutions to global challenges. The speaker uses the example of the indigenous language of Malaku in Vanuatu to illustrate how cultural diversity is being lost, highlighting the importance of preserving these unique worldviews.

💡Wicked Problems

Wicked problems are complex social issues that are difficult to solve due to their interconnectedness, the involvement of multiple stakeholders, and the lack of clear solutions. The video connects the concept to the unpredictability of future challenges and the need for diverse knowledge to address them. It suggests that cultural diversity is essential for tackling these problems because it provides a broad range of perspectives and solutions.

💡Indigenous Languages

Indigenous languages are the native languages spoken by the original inhabitants of a region. The video uses the story of David, one of the last speakers of an indigenous language in Vanuatu, to underscore the urgency of preserving these languages. The loss of an indigenous language signifies not just the loss of words but also the loss of cultural knowledge, history, and worldview that is unique to that language.

💡Cultural Rights

Cultural rights are the rights of individuals and communities to maintain, express, and develop their cultural identities. The video discusses the importance of recognizing and upholding these rights, particularly for indigenous people, as a means to protect cultural diversity. It points out that too often, these rights have been ignored or undermined, leading to the erosion of cultural heritage.

💡Imbalance of Power

Imbalance of power refers to the unequal distribution of influence and control within a society, often leading to the marginalization of certain groups or cultures. In the context of the video, the imbalance of power is identified as a key factor contributing to the loss of cultural diversity. The speaker argues that a few dominant cultural groups shape societal systems, which in turn influences the choices and cultural practices of minority groups.

💡Cultural Erosion

Cultural erosion is the gradual loss of cultural practices, traditions, and values, often due to the influence of dominant cultures. The video discusses how cultural erosion occurs when minority cultures are not supported or valued within the broader society, leading to the abandonment of traditional practices and languages in favor of those promoted by the dominant culture.

💡Worldviews

A worldview is a framework for understanding and interpreting the world, which is shaped by one's culture, experiences, and values. The video emphasizes the importance of diverse worldviews in addressing global challenges, as they provide different perspectives and knowledge bases. The concept of 'fena' in Tero, an indigenous language of Aotearoa (New Zealand), is used to illustrate how a single word can encapsulate a complex worldview that is difficult to translate into other languages.

💡Education Systems

Education systems are the institutional structures and processes through which knowledge and skills are imparted. The video critiques the current education systems for often being culturally biased, favoring certain worldviews and knowledge over others. It suggests that by including and valuing indigenous knowledge and languages within education, we can help to preserve cultural diversity and empower future generations.

💡Cultural Pride

Cultural pride is the positive recognition and appreciation of one's own cultural identity and heritage. The video highlights the importance of fostering cultural pride, especially among indigenous communities, as a means to preserve cultural diversity. It argues that when individuals take pride in their culture, they are more likely to maintain and pass on their cultural practices and knowledge to future generations.

💡Sustainable Solutions

Sustainable solutions are approaches that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The video implies that cultural diversity is a key component of sustainable solutions, as it provides a variety of perspectives and knowledge that can help address complex global challenges in a way that is equitable and environmentally responsible.

Highlights

The theme 'do better' is a fitting motto for our complex and dynamic world.

Wicked problems are increasingly complex and widespread, requiring diverse knowledge to address.

We face an uncertain future with challenges we cannot yet predict.

Knowledge is being lost, despite our capacity to know better.

The story of David from Malakula, Vanuatu, illustrates the loss of cultural diversity.

Cultural diversity is not just about languages but includes a myriad of worldviews and knowledge systems.

Indigenous languages encapsulate unique concepts that are difficult to translate.

The loss of cultural diversity is tied to the rights of indigenous people, which are often overlooked.

Cultural diversity has practical value for humanity, as seen with quinine and artemisinin.

The imbalance of power within society drives the loss of cultural diversity.

Cultural groups' decisions are influenced by the dominant systems around them, affecting cultural preservation.

Education systems often perpetuate a single cultural perspective, limiting diversity.

Communities in Vanuatu are taking steps to level the playing field by incorporating indigenous knowledge in schools.

Cultural diversity should be celebrated and multiple ways of thinking embraced for a better future.

If we don't act now, future generations will live in a less diverse world without even realizing it.

Transcripts

thanks it's been an incredible event

hasn't

it we've got a great

theme no better do

better I think in a in a lot of ways

this theme is an apt motto for the

complex and dynamic world that we live

in you know

increasingly the problems we're facing

are being described as wicked problems

due to their complexity and how

widespread they

are but think about the

future 25 years from

now I think if we're honest with

ourselves we really have no idea what

kind of challenges we're going to

face and so we really need a diverse set

of knowledge to be able to cope with the

wicked problems of today and the

uncertainty of

Tomorrow the iron though is that in many

ways we already do know better we're

just letting so much of that knowledge

slip

away this is the island of malakula in

the South Pacific nation of

vanatu vanatu has the highest levels of

cultural diversity per capita of

anywhere on the

planet for

now recently a boat left this

Bay it was carrying an old old sick

man I'll call him

David the Seas were rough it was

dark and the health clinic was far up

the

island and unfortunately the boat had

left a little too late and the old man

was a little too

sick and so a few hours later the sound

of the motor could be heard coming back

across the

bay and soon the crying and the Wailing

spread across the sand and into the

village David had

died now those who loved and knew David

grieved but of course you didn't know

David and 150,000 people die on this

planet every

day so why should we mourn the loss of

this one man of

David well David was one of three

remaining speakers of an indigenous

language and now the two remaining

speakers are also old frail

men and when they pass away so too will

the

language for the children and the

grandchildren of these men don't speak

this

language and what's amazing about this

story to me is that it's not

unique collectively today humans speak

approximately 7,000

languages but in the lifetime of my

children who today are 6 and N years old

as many as half of those languages will

disappear just like David's is about

to and I think this situation leaves us

with three questions that we really need

answers

to why should we be worried about this

loss of cultural

diversity why is it

happening and what should we do about

it before we answer the first of those

questions though let's keep in mind that

cultural diversity is more than just

languages and looking at these languages

in

detail gives us a little glimpse into

that now any of you who speak more than

one language already have a feel for

this because you know that there are

certain Concepts certain ideas certain

words that are next to impossible to

accurately translate from one language

to

another why is

that

let's take an

example I had the privilege for many

years to work and live in

ALA more widely known as New Zealand and

the Maui people of aloa speak

Tero and in Tero there's a word

fena fena means

placenta it's the nourishment we get in

the womb it's our virtual

lifeblood but this same word

fena also means

land

now it's next to impossible to do so but

I ask you for one moment to imagine that

you grew up

mouy what would be your relationship to

the

land would it be different than your

relationship is

now and when we think about this we have

to remember that this is one concept one

word and if we take the totality of all

the words the whole language of the

whole culture well then we begin to

realize that when we're talking about

cultural diversity we're talking about

thousands of different ways of seeing

the world and our place in

it and these thousands of World Views

they're the foundation of thousands of

unique sets of

knowledge so let's get back to our first

question why should we be worried about

the loss of this cultural diversity

well I think first we need to

realize that

culture involves the rights of

people it's the rights of indigenous

people to determine the future of their

cultures rights that have too often been

ignored and

undermined but let's be cynical for a

moment because far too often the

policies of governments around the world

have been cynical about the rights of

indigenous

people and so let's ask a different

question what value does this cultural

diversity have for the rest of

humanity and to do so let's look at a

disease that has plagued our species for

thousands of

years in a certain light it's beautiful

but malaria affects 200 million people a

year now the first WID spread treatment

of malaria was

quinine quinine was developed from the

bark of the chinchona tree by the

indigenous people of

Peru and then ignoring intellectual

property rights the British East India

Company took Hine and spread it around

the

world to do so though they had to

realize that people didn't really like

Quine it was

bitter and so they mixed Quine with

something sweet and voila the gin and

tonic the tonic contains quinine go to

the supermarket it still

does and the Gin well people like

drinking

that and so Quine Sav thousands of

lives malaria did not enjoy this

party malaria developed resistance and

so today the most effective and

increasingly widespread treatment for

malaria is

artemisinin artemisinin comes from a

Chinese herbal

medicine today it's saving thousands of

lives now I ask you for a moment to

imagine where we would be without the

indigenous people of Peru their World

Views and Quine or without the Chinese

herbalists and their worldviews and

arisin

imagine if we just had the

British we'd have a whole lot of gin and

no

tonic so if we accept now that we're

going to respect the rights of

indigenous people and that there's a

value to cultural diversity for all of

humanity then our next question

is why are we losing this

diversity I think here first we need to

recognize that culture is not static

it's not something we can take and just

put in a

museum culture belongs to people culture

is dynamic and

changing the other thing we need to

recognize is that contact amongst

different cultural groups communication

Twitter doesn't automatically lead to

the loss of cultural

diversity about 15 years ago I was in

Peru I was on a tributary of the Amazon

River the sun was setting

in front of me there was a soccer field

there was a game going

on and there's a woman standing next to

me she had her pet parrot on her

shoulder and across the soccer field and

above the tropical forest the moon was

Rising it's a beautiful scene and the

woman turned to me and she asked does

the moon shine in your

land

whoa yes I said the moon does shine in

the United States and then she didn't

pause she immediately turned and

said do you know Monica

Lewinsky now what's amazing about this

story I think is that that woman spoke

an indigenous language she used

indigenous science to manage her natural

resources by so many different measures

her culture wasn't necessarily

threatened even though she knew about

Miss

Lewinsky so if it's not contact between

cultures that is driving the loss of

cultural diversity well then what

is here I think we need to recognize

that increasingly fewer and fewer

cultural groups a small number of

cultural groups is determining the shape

and fabric of society these groups are

determining the systems of law of

Education of economies of natural

resource

management and it is this imbalance of

power that exists within society that is

driving the loss of cultural

diversity I ask you think back to

David back on

malula not right before he died but when

he's raising his

children he's got a decision to make and

ultimately the future of culture is

about decisions about

choice and he looks out at the systems

around him and he looks at the schools

where he's going to send his kids he

looks at the markets where his family's

going to find the goods that they desire

at the laws of the land and he sees that

all of these systems are shaped by other

cultural groups speaking other

languages and now David's going to base

this decision on one main thing the

thing that all parents base their

decisions on he wants to ensure that his

children have the best chance to Survive

and

Thrive and so for this decision David

really doesn't have a freedom of choice

when it comes to his culture

so what does he do he leaves the culture

behind he leaves the language

behind and he sends his kids off into

the society that's dominated by this

other

culture and it's in this way in this

imbalance of power in the systems of our

society that we lose cultural

diversity

so our last question what do we do about

it I think first and foremost we need to

realize how how unlevel the playing

field actually is how imbalanced the

power actually is in

society to do so let's look at one

system within Society let's look at the

school and let's look at the schools

where David was going to send his

children school there is taught in

English the

textbooks the examples in those

textbooks are from some far off land

where David's children have never been

and in all likelihood never will

go

this same inbalance in power inbalance

in culture exists in our own

schools I'm lucky and that I get to

volunteer in my kids

school and not that long ago I was in a

Kindergarten

class what you realize when you're in a

Kindergarten class is how amazing

kindergarten teachers are you know

they're incredibly creative super

dedicated and these have to be some of

the most patient human beings on the

planet right and importantly we don't

pay them nearly enough

money the other thing you realize is

that the systems con strain these

kindergarten teachers even the very

materials that they're provided so I was

sitting around a table and there was a

kid from Vietnam and two kids from Libya

and a whole bunch of kids from

Colorado and we're learning about

prepositions you might remember the

these words on under over prepositions

okay now they're in kindergarten so they

have two pictures and they have to match

the preposition to this pair of pictures

so there's a table and there's a cat the

cat is under the table and we go

learning our

prepositions and we get to this

pair and the girl from Colorado she

jumps up

over the cow jumps over the moon she's

excited she's got it right and those two

kids from Libya over here with huge eyes

what right I mean imagine they go home

that night right and they're around the

dinner table and they're saying you know

Mom and Dad we thought it was a little

weird the people strap the boards on

their feet and they go swooshing down

the snowy slopes but that's nothing here

in the United States cows jump over the

moon because they were learning more

than prepositions weren't

they the lesson was embedded in

culture and that in and of itself is a

good

thing the challenge we face is that the

lessons in our schools here and all

around the world are increasingly

embedded in one

culture everywhere cows are jumping over

the moon an English nursery

rhyme so what are we going to

do we can't be naive we can't assume

that we're going to evenly spread power

and control of the systems of society

equally across 7,000 different cultural

groups it's not going to

happen but we can take small steps we

can begin to level the playing field and

inspiration comes from where we

started back on malakula in

vanatu the communities on this island

decided to begin to level that playing

field and they let's take an example the

schools

they talked to the heads of the schools

and they said look we're going to give

you 4 days a week but we're taking one

day

back and they use indigenous

architecture and they built a

building and one day a week the kids go

to that

building and they learn from the Elders

of that community in their indigenous

language about the skills they need to

live in that

community and just as importantly they

learn to be proud of who they are to be

proud of their culture to be proud of

their

language and these communities argue and

I wholeheartedly agree that those kids

are going to be better

prepared because now they're able to

draw from the world viw and the

knowledge base that has been developed

across Generations in that place and

they're also able to draw from the world

view and the knowledge systems that come

down from the conventional school

system and so those kids become better

prepared to deal with the wicked

problems of today and the uncertainty of

tomorrow so I think we have answers to

our three key

questions we absolutely need to be

worried about the loss of cultural

diversity we need to respect and uphold

the rights of indigenous people and we

need to recognize the value that

cultural diversity has for all of

humanity but to face this challenge we

must also realize how uneven ly power is

spread across our

societies and we must take these

examples from vanatu and elsewhere and

we must begin to create systems which

celebrate cultural

diversity which explore our

differences and which Embrace multiple

ways of

thinking and if we can do that we'll be

better prepared for

tomorrow but if we don't do that

now if we don't do that then our

grandchildren are going to grow up in a

world that is far less

diverse and they won't even know

it know better do better thank

[Applause]

you