Multicultural it is a term that does not appear in the dictionary developed by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) . However, there is a concept that works as its synonym: multicultural .
These adjectives refer to what is characterized by housing or reflecting several cultures . Usually, the notion of pluricultural is applied over those territories in which different cultural traditions coexist , developed by several ethnic groups or population groups.
An example of Pluricultural state is Bolivia (that since 2009 , is officially called as Plurinational State of Bolivia ). In this country About forty aboriginal ethnic groups (such as Quechua, Guarani, Aymara and others), mestizos, native descendants of Europeans, black people, Asian immigrants and many other communities live together.
Multiculturalism can be considered, in itself, as a value . The coexistence between multiple cultures implies a plurality of knowledge and traditions that enriches a nation . However, if this coexistence is not peaceful or develops in harmony, the concept may imply something negative.
For the multicultural to be positive, all the cultures in question must be respected, without some imposing themselves on others. In this way, different traditions can coexist and members of each culture can enjoy their rights .
You often hear or read phrases that celebrate the diversity , highlighting its potential in the academic training and social development of those who accept it, but little teach us to understand the true meaning of living in harmony with other cultures, of learning from them and from ourselves without anxiously seeking borders. From the moment we are born, we are assigned data such as ethnicity, surname and nationality, which are recorded on fire in our person and do everything possible to condition our future.
A society Pluricultural should not be a series of subsets related merely by geographical reasons; It is no use accepting that someone feels by our side just because the laws so impose it on us, but that openness to variety should be born spontaneously, naturally. When has a dog been seen discriminating against his human family for religious, ethnic or sexual issues? Never. How many examples do we have of people who really see themselves reflected in their neighbors without paying attention to these issues?
If we were never taught to draw boundaries, it would not be necessary to explain that we should not hate those who have a different skin color, or who believe in a different god, or many or none. Given the, as a species, we populate an entire planet It is natural that we have developed different cultures and, therefore, it should also be met with people of any origin and recognize them as peers.
It is important to highlight that, at present, all countries are multicultural due to the phenomenon of globalization . Several factors make nations form with the contributions of individuals from different backgrounds. The challenge for state is to take advantage of multiculturalism and ensure that minorities are not overwhelmed.
In the academic and professional field, it is known as pluricutural competition to the ability to be part of intercultural meetings, based on the experience and knowledge of various cultures and Languages . Precisely, one of its main components is the multilingual competence.
Far from being a series of isolated knowledge that is used separately when it becomes necessary, multicultural competence represents the fusion of experiences and languages in a whole that allows the individual to enrich themselves from their experiences, delving into the depths of each culture and learning more about their own and their own.
