The world and diversity: Issues in debate

Abstract

The migratory waves from the cradle of humankind, scientifically located in the African continent, that continue until today for different historical reasons, the human trafficking of Africans, and the colonial invasions of territories in America, Africa, and Asia have brought together descendants of different peoples and cultures in the same geographical territory. On the one hand, there has been undeniable cross-cultural enrichment in these encounters: bloods have mingled, the gods have touched, and the identity fences have weakened. On the other hand, differences continue to be the reason for conflicts, and are ideologically manipulated by the ruling classes through the practice of dividing to dominate. These conflicts are reflected notably in racism and xenophobia, engendering violations of the human rights of different peoples and consequent social inequalities. The question that arises is how to establish equity and equal treatment without first recognizing both the collective existence of the bearers of differences and their identities. Despite advances in science and technology, in the globalization of the market economy from a neoliberal capitalist perspective, and in the media, debates about diversity and its differences put all countries in the same boat. This text discusses several issues concerning diversity, starting from the Brazilian realities of the last twenty years after the Durban Conference.