Governments are put in place to maintain order, peace, and stability in their societies. When people within those societies refuse to accept the differences in culture that exist, that order, peace, and stability cannot be maintained. A solution to this issue is for the government to implement programs that promote cultural diversity. They promote an accepting society so that each member feels like he or she belongs no matter what differences his or her unique culture has from other cultures. When a society appreciates differences rather than just tolerating them, this order, peace, and stability can truly be reached. Australia has found success in implementing these programs (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). These programs prevent certain cultures, such as the Penan, from being degraded and forced to change their ways of life. The Penan is a group of indigenous people who lived in forest but due to severe deforestation, they were forced out of their habitat and had to completely change how they lived. They were all forced into “servitude and prostitution” (Wade Davis, 2015). If the government had cared enough to protect this culture, the Penan would not have been reduced to powerless individuals without a unique way of life. Some obstacles to this kind of protection do exist.
One reason that some people may be opposed to the active involvement of government bodies in protecting cultural diversity is that it does take funding to carry out. As with all decisions about funding allocation, there will not be a unanimous decision to fund certain projects because there is always a plethora of projects to fund. In Australia, the government allocates funding to specific programs that help promote and preserve cultural diversity. An article about cultural diversity in Australia says that through the implementation of these programs, “Australia remains a socially stable country, not despite its cultural diversity, but because of the acceptance of it and the firm belief that diversity is one of the country’s enduring strengths” (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). It is for this reason that I believe allocating funding to programs with the aim of promoting acceptance of cultural diversity is worth the cost. These programs help keep societies strong and stable, making a community that lives in harmony.
References:
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/1301.0FeatureArticle32009–10
Wade Davis. Transcript of "Dreams from endangered cultures" (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.ted.com/talks/wade_davis_on_endangered_cultures/transcript?language=en