September is observed as Heritage Month in South Africa, where we celebrate the country’s diverse cultural and ethnic groups. 

South Africa observes September as Heritage Month, where the country celebrates its melting pot of cultures and ethnic groups. And with good reason. Imagine if nature was grey. Wouldn’t it be a boring and dull place to live in? So too, if people were all the same. It would be an uninteresting and dreary world. 

Celebrating different cultures on Heritage Day (24 September) enables us to learn from each other about the subtle and overt ways in which our way of doing things differ. This is not about whose culture and beliefs are better. It is about nation-building and learning from each other to increase our understanding of the diverse individuals that make up our society and incorporating these insights in creating inclusive workplaces and communities.

For the most part, people are in their comfort zones. Our fear of the unknown does not allow us to be open to new experiences, because for example, we tend to be weary of socialising with people from different cultural groups. We live in silos and our lives revolve around our families and communities - people we are comfortable and familiar with. 

We focus on our own cultures and know little about the cultural orientation of our neighbours and colleagues. This needs to change. Why not ask a colleague or your neighbour to teach you how to cook a traditional dish that is popular in their culture?  This way, you are opening yourself to new experiences and learning. It is important to open up our hearts and minds to the kaleidoscope of cultures that surround us. 

We need to develop an understanding of different people and their cultures. This is especially important for the workplace. We live in a global village where we have business engagements and partnerships with people from across the globe. In many instances business deals fail because we did not make the effort to learn about the cultural ways of individuals we are doing business with. It’s always advisable to learn about what is acceptable and what is offensive in a particular culture.

The only way that we can learn about this is by asking questions. The next time a Muslim, Jewish or Hindu colleague requests a special meal, ask them what is the significance of that diet. In most instances, when we are ignorant about diverse cultures we may take decisions in the workplace that may offend employees. This could lead to ill-feelings, discrimination and individuals experiencing a sense of not belonging in the environment and experiencing the workplace culture as hostile. We need to start today by making a concerted effort to learn about the cultures of our diverse colleagues in our workplaces and across the globe.

We should also be gentle in approaching and questioning people from diverse cultural groups about their heritage. While some beliefs and ways may be difficult to comprehend, we need to respect the individual and their ways. We need to remember that our perceptions are clouded by our own experiences and our upbringing. Thus, we cannot be judgemental about people from cultural backgrounds that differ from our set of beliefs. We need to realise that culture forms part of the core identity of individuals. It impacts their values, hopes, fears, loyalties and views.  Not until we have walked in their shoes will we truly understand the subtle nuances inherent within a particular culture.

Learning about diverse cultures and beliefs should not be celebrated for one day in the year. It should be done throughout the year.

May our differences present us an opportunity to learn from each other and our similarities be a bond that keeps us together in our nation-building endeavours. Let’s make everyday a Heritage Day.