Biodiversity is what defines a place. What are the species there? What is the ecosystem like? The answers to these questions differ based on location. South Korea has its own unique biodiversity and its own unique threats, but this will be discussed at a later time. The question that I will address today is how are biodiversity and cultural diversity linked and should the government intervene in this relationship? Biodiversity is often threatened because of negative human interactions to the environment such as destroying habitats for human land development and this too is similar in cultural diversity. Humans are the main threat to cultural diversity often because certain groups of people believe that their background should have greater importance then others. I think that this is unfair to minority culture groups and that all cultural backgrounds should be respected. When it comes to government legislation and funding, I think to some extent their should be involvement. The government shouldn't passively sit by watching while a cultural group is attacked or lost all together. Some funding is also key for those organizations that work to raise awareness for their group and create a positive environment where others can be included too.
Languages, religions, food, fashion, and citizenship are a few elements that make up cultural diversity. What would the world be like if these things were all the same? People all believed the same thing, ate the same, and looked the same way? That would be contrasting to the word 'diversity'. This is why its important to respect and foster positive cultural relationships. The government should recognize these differences and help in any way they can. The government places importance on passing laws and providing funding (hopefully) to protecting the natural biodiversity, why is cultural diversity any different? If governments foster these relationships, the people of that country will feel more connected and develop a deeper understanding of the people living around them. Children will grow up to appreciate diversity and a desire to include others. Respecting of the land and the people should go hand and hand.
Perhaps some may disagree with me and say that the government shouldn't intervene because perhaps it is too costly or that there are too many cultures to recognize or that even with all these attempts someone will still be left out. These are all reasonable concerns. In my opinion, these shouldn't matter, because by putting our energy into something that truly matters- history, respect, and understanding is priceless. Sure, someone will ultimately be unhappy but we have to look at the greater good. The same goes for biodiversity, we can't go backwards and save those species that have been lost forever but together we can work to persevere the remaining species (and cultures) so that future generations can enjoy the world we live in too, and that we can tackle other issues that challenge the globe.
Languages, religions, food, fashion, and citizenship are a few elements that make up cultural diversity. What would the world be like if these things were all the same? People all believed the same thing, ate the same, and looked the same way? That would be contrasting to the word 'diversity'. This is why its important to respect and foster positive cultural relationships. The government should recognize these differences and help in any way they can. The government places importance on passing laws and providing funding (hopefully) to protecting the natural biodiversity, why is cultural diversity any different? If governments foster these relationships, the people of that country will feel more connected and develop a deeper understanding of the people living around them. Children will grow up to appreciate diversity and a desire to include others. Respecting of the land and the people should go hand and hand.
Perhaps some may disagree with me and say that the government shouldn't intervene because perhaps it is too costly or that there are too many cultures to recognize or that even with all these attempts someone will still be left out. These are all reasonable concerns. In my opinion, these shouldn't matter, because by putting our energy into something that truly matters- history, respect, and understanding is priceless. Sure, someone will ultimately be unhappy but we have to look at the greater good. The same goes for biodiversity, we can't go backwards and save those species that have been lost forever but together we can work to persevere the remaining species (and cultures) so that future generations can enjoy the world we live in too, and that we can tackle other issues that challenge the globe.