Marking United Nations World Day for Cultural Diversity, UNESCO and the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) are launching a global campaign to create a grassroots movement of people who advocate for diversity. The campaign calls on individuals to take one action relevant to their lives that promotes diversity and inclusion–from experiencing another culture through film, food, or museums, to learning about other cultures or countries, or dedicating time to volunteer for that cause. The campaign, “Do ONE Thing for Diversity and Inclusion”, will work via a dedicated Facebook page, serving as a platform for people around the world to share their experiences through posts and videos. The campaign has already won the support and participation of several major corporations from Silicon Valley, including Cisco, Intuit, True Blue Inclusion, McAfee, and Yahoo, among others. From diversity councils and employee resource groups, to cross-cultural training, these companies aim to mobilize their employees to build a worldwide movement which, every year will celebrate diversity. “Greater personal engagement and responsibility for the future devolve power to the people. Take positive action to change the world for the better. Join us in celebrating the World Day for Cultural Diversity and turn it into everyday activism”, said President Jorge Sampaio, High Representative for the UNAOC. “New technologies have fundamentally changed the way we communicate and get to know each other,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. “What better way to celebrate diversity and inclusion than by using Facebook, Twitter and all of the new social networks that are breaking through barriers and connecting people everywhere – especially the young, who are clearly today's drivers of change.” “Intuit is honored to collaborate with the UN in support of World Day for Cultural Diversity and inspire others through our actions,” said Brad Smith, Intuit president and CEO. “We are committed to nurturing inclusion for a more engaged, collaborative workforce that connects us with our diverse customers and marketplaces and fuels our global business.” Along with the corporate partners, hundreds of NGOs and foundations are also joining the campaign, that brings alive the values enshrined in UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and which will culminate at the occasion of the Alliance of Civilizations Fourth Annual Forum in Doha, Qatar on December 11-13, 2011, where the campaign will show global public support for cultural diversity and inclusion to world leaders. BM
