We are one
This call for unity may also mask some hard realities facing most South Africans. Our society is about conflict and pain. These are deeper questions that arise from the idea of diversity, mostly known for the idea of a ‘rainbow nation’. Can we have a rainbow nation? Is this possible with the issues surrounding our society? Is it even possible in this globalised world?
This university space gives a platform for addressing the economic, cultural, social, educational, and cultural needs of the ever-changing world we live in, by providing a space where diverse cultures, experiences, values, and perspectives are recognised, celebrated, and appreciated. Diversity and culture are umbrella terms that contain all aspects of our lives through knowledge, progress, and existence. It’s larger than entire structured parts including gender, race, religion, age, and ethnicity, to name just a few.
French sociologist Émile Durkheim believed that social order descended from the collective norms, practices, beliefs, and values of a group of people. Durkheim theorised that it was through the culture shared by a society or collective, that a sense of social connection – which he called ‘solidarity’ – emerged among people that drove them to bind together into a cohesion.
Humanity should be the opening chapter in celebrating our differences, so that we see people as human beings before we see colour, race, gender, and language. The expression, "Think globally; act locally", has motivated our national culture to better appreciate that the world is a multicultural society, of which we are a part.
Appreciation of cultures must involve understanding the perspectives of others, broadening our own, and fully experiencing and educating ourselves. Celebrating our differences, as well as our common interests, helps to unite and educate us. Through each other's diversity, we become more aware of our own. Not only do we become more aware, but we also gain a sense of pride in the diversity of our own culture. Understanding people and their backgrounds is crucial for personal and community growth. To see that it is our values that unite us, that allow us to come together in a country where we have a history of division and pain. We are united in our diversity; despite the history of our nation, we can come together for the betterment of everyone.
Let us learn to respect ourselves during our time, not forgetting our African values and traditions. Any society needs to learn how to respect itself, carry itself with dignity, and do away with self-hatred. Our indigenous knowledge should take centre stage, including regalia and language, because it is part and parcel of our heritage.
It is now time to come together to rebuild and restore this broken nation and the dignity of our people through critical reflection and mutual respect. With that said, let me introduce myself:
Ke motsweneng wa ha Khiba, leleme le letsho ke ho koma ditjhare, mo a hlamiseng ka hanong ha se moji, ha se kgale a ja tsa batho ngwana mma Khiba.