World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

Today, 21 May, is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.  This has been our focus during today’s Form time, so that we can appreciate our diverse culture in Britain today. We have spoken with students about understanding and respecting other people's beliefs and ways of life (as we would expect others to respect ours).  We also discussed supporting people in keeping their cultural traditions alive and appreciating that different cultural traditions will enrich British life, both today and in the future.

The students read through the poem below, which I feel sums up the society we promote at Glyn School.

Mr Holloway, Assistant Headteacher

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A Poem by Benjamin Zephaniah - The British (serves 60 million)

Take some Picts, Celts and Silures

And let them settle,

Then overrun them with Roman conquerors.

Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years

Add lots of Norman French to some

Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously.

 

Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans,

Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese,

Vietnamese and Sudanese.

Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians

And Pakistanis,

Combine with some Guyanese

And turn up the heat.

Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians,

Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some

Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese

And Palestinians

Then add to the melting pot.

Leave the ingredients to simmer.

As they mix and blend, allow their languages to flourish

Binding them together with English.

Allow time to be cool.

Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future,

Serve with justice

And enjoy.  

Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste.

Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all.