How Different We Can Live Together - The Power of Multicultural Stories

Neighbors from diverse backgrounds

Today, we live alongside neighbors from diverse backgrounds. Our languages differ, our foods differ, and even our ways of thinking are completely different. We are in an era where people with these differences must coexist in the same space. In order for these differences not to become sources of discomfort or fear, it is essential to have an attitude of understanding and acceptance towards one another.

The Reality of Multicultural Society

A multicultural society is no longer just the story of a specific country or region. In our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and even online communities, diverse cultures are already coexisting. The problem is that this coexistence sometimes leads to conflicts or misunderstandings. Therefore, what we need now is 'stories' rather than 'information.' The strongest power in understanding people has always been in 'stories.'

Small experiences create great empathy

During my study abroad in a different country, I experienced various big and small trials and errors in an unfamiliar culture. At first, it was uncomfortable and confusing, but over time, I gained new perspectives and warm friendships from those differences. The experience of sharing thoughts with people from different backgrounds nurtures a wider and richer view of the world. These experiences can be meaningful even if they are not grand or dramatic. Some learn about 'otherness' from cultural clashes with their dorm roommates, while others discover it through conversations with friends of different religions. And those stories become important threads of empathy for someone else.

The beginning of empathy, from the heart

We often become accustomed to the slogan 'we must understand multiculturalism,' but what is even more important is to look at the 'people' within multiculturalism. Ultimately, listening attentively to one person's story is the most powerful form of education and the starting point of empathy. What is needed when sharing stories is not a perfect structure or eloquence. Honest emotions, small yet heartfelt episodes, and an open perspective towards others fill that space. Stories with emotions touch someone's heart. And that single moment of 'touch' makes a multicultural society softer and warmer.

Efforts for Sustainable Understanding

An attitude that respects and embraces multiculturalism is not achieved through a one-time event. It requires continuous dialogue, repeated meetings, and a process of accepting each other's cultures as part of life. The important thing is to let go of the thought that 'I am the only one who is right' and to have the space to think 'that could be the case too.' Misunderstandings and conflicts that arise during that process are sometimes unavoidable. However, those conflicts can also be a stepping stone towards deeper understanding. Coexistence without conflict does not exist. We have conflicts because we are different, and we can learn because we are different.

Multiculturalism, Our Story

The term multicultural may sound special. However, if you look inside, it is simply a story of 'people meeting people and getting to know each other.' The culture of others that you encounter today might one day become a mirror reflecting yourself. A small story, a brief greeting, a single act of interest in another's culture can make our society warmer and more inclusive. We are already 'one society' living in the same space. The effort to get to know and understand you, who is different from me, is perhaps the beginning of the empathy most needed in this era.