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Churches working to ensure everyone is counted in 2010 US Census
By Nancy Frazier O'Brien
Catholic News Service
World Report on Cultural Diversity
The newest World Report of UNESCO is focused on cultural diversity as a source of renewal for public policies in service to development, social cohesion and peace.
Cultural diversity is addressed in terms of dialogue, dynamics, and the new specific challenges it may pose for languages, educational systems, news and entertainment media and the business world.
Based on the analysis of recent initiatives, concrete examples, case studies and successful practices, this report advances a number of pathways worth exploring for renewing development strategies in favour of poverty eradication, environmental action and sustainable, human-centred governance.
The World Report aims to address the manifold aspects of cultural diversity, critically review common notions and assumptions, and propose policy-oriented recommendations on topics as diverse as identities and dialogue, the future of languages and intercultural education, media pluralism and cultural industries, the business world, local knowledge, biodiversity, sustainable development, governance and human rights.
A renewed discussion of cultural diversity - the promotion and protection of which are supported by an array of normative instruments - is timely in these times of crisis. The impacts of globalization (and increasing urbanization and migration) are challenging our very understanding of cultures and identities. In this sense, cultural diversity is a much more complex phenomenon than it initially appears, as are the relationships between globalization and cultural diversity. As these are facts with which we must contend, it is of utmost importance today to create the conditions upon which cultural diversity can become the means for ensuring dialogue and peaceful co-existence, and sustainable and fruitful development.
While the promotion of cultural diversity has taken on increasing visibility on the international scene, it often continues to be perceived as a threat to the cohesion of increasingly diversified societies. Hence, the necessity of elucidating the conditions upon which cultural diversity can constitute a positive contribution to realizing the objectives of development and peace.
The World Report is available on line: Full report in English
Buy printed copies on line: UNESCO Publishing
Summaries:
English | French | Spanish | Russian | Arabic | Chinese
Press Releases
Catholic Bishops Urge Participation in 2010 Census
WASHINGTON—Through the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to encourage participation in the Census 2010, in order to reach hard-to-count communities.
“By reaching out to more than 25,000 parishes and missions, we hope to trumpet the importance of being counted as well as channel interested persons toward employment as census takers,” said Beverly Carroll, assistant director for African American Affairs of the Secretariat.
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