Multiculturalism: A Necessity

 

As the world marks 100 years since the end of World War I, there are fears of the rising demand for monoculturalism in the US and Europe. People must remember that monoculturalism was a principal cause of the rampant wars raving Europe in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Most importantly, people have forgotten that monoculturalism was a primary cause of the first and second world wars.

Even today, the primary force behind the many global conflicts is monoculturalism, the inability to tolerate and respect other people and their different cultures. Fortunately, today, 11th November 2018, serves as a reminder that monoculturalism and a high-spirited nationalism are the critical ingredients for international wars, as they did over 100 years ago. Over 20 million people died in the first world war, virtually wiping out the young generations of that time.

Proposition for monoculturalism

 Proponents of monoculturalism argue that it is the only way to create peaceful coexistence in the world. They claim that people who share the same culture and heritage are more likely to live peacefully than people of different cultures.

This argument may be right. Observing the high crime levels in the metropolitan urban areas than the less diverse rural areas, one may believe this argument is valid.

However, the push for monoculturalism and limitation of diversity is a vanity venture. Humans are interdependent. Their communities and societies are interdependent. Nations are also interdependent.

Interdependence makes multiculturalism a necessity

 The interdependent nature of humans as individuals, communities, or societies makes creating and maintaining monocultural nations and societies impossible. The presence of international trade; the need to produce goods on a large scale; and the need to maximize profits make humans interdependent, which advances multiculturalism.

International trade and multiculturalism

International trade is the exchange of goods and services across national boundaries. Comparative advantage makes international trade a necessity. Since different nations have different resources, they must rely on one another to meet their needs. For example, much of the world relies on the Middle East to meet its energy needs. Similarly, the Middle East relies on the US and Europe for expatriates to work in their energy industry.

Now, during these exchanges of goods and services across national boundaries, merchants and experts must travel and live in different countries to make trade successful. Local economies need them to promote local businesses. These merchants also need to be treated well and feel welcome. Thus, local people need to accept and respect these foreign merchants and experts to enjoy the benefits of international trade that improves their living standards.

Production and multiculturalism

As mentioned earlier, countries need industry experts to produce quality goods and services to make them profitable. Many foreign expatriates work in the energy, building, and construction industries in the Middle East. These expatriates have helped the Middle East tap into their energy resources efficiently, which has made them rich.

The US carries out an immigration program every year. It recognizes the benefits of immigrants in improving the creativity and innovation of a country, which results in increased economic growth and development through the production of various quality goods and services. Many US fortune 500 companies have foreigners as their CEOs. These companies perform well. Thus, they indicate that countries need foreigners to get talents and skills they cannot tap locally.

Africa is a continent rich in resources. However, it needs more capital to tap into these resources. Thus, Africa relies heavily on foreign investors to help it establish industries and use its resources. Investors come mainly from Asia, Europe, and North America. They help create industries that produce goods and services and offer employment to people. Thus, African countries must create conducive social climates for these foreigners to reap the benefits of direct foreign investments in their countries. They must encourage immigration.

Profit Maximization

The recent past has witnessed a rise in corporations whose primary objective is maximizing profits. One of the critical strategies in maximizing profits is reducing the cost of labour. Companies strive to reduce this cost by outsourcing cheap labour. Companies have taken out their production facilities to countries where labour is cheap. Others have opted to import cheap foreign labour. Thus, so long as profit maximization is the primary objective of corporations, outsourcing is necessary, and it promotes multiculturalism.

Conclusion

Multiculturalism is inevitable. Societies need different people to create robust economies that offer good jobs, produce goods and services, and develop. People depend on one another due to their differences. Thus, they must be close to one another to get the necessary help.