I respect everyone and appreciate all cultures. It hurts me to see that there is such a racial divide. Why can’t we all just get along?
I really believe that most people are culturally sensitive, which means that they have the basic and obvious respect for cultures different from their own. The problem comes when we have to share limited resources or make laws and policies that will benefit everyone. Our tendency to use our cultural group as the norm or standard then becomes active. We also have a natural tendency to believe that our culture is appropriate to all situations and relevant to all other individuals. Unfortunately, it is not that easy to just get along and requires learning diversity competencies to do so. Getting to We is about moving out of ethnocentric and culturally myopic thinking to create the kind of world with inclusive practices that benefit all.