INTERNATIONAL
A CULTURAL CELEBRATION
Shamil Amirov (Year 13), the founder of Dulwich College’s International Day, explains why this annual celebration of diversity came about and introduces a speech by Michael Yu (Year 13), which opened this year’s event
P eace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, in comparison and conciliation of differences’. These are the words of the Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev and a perfect reflection, I believe, of our International Day. The College is a vast community that exists in harmony, from the local boys who grew up in the area to boarders like me who are yet to understand the concept of daylight-saving time. This diversity is always evident: one only has to walk through the cloisters at lunchtime to hear three different languages being spoken and see a plethora of posters advertising the Nordic, German, Spanish, French and – of course – Russian societies to realise how important multiculturalism is at Dulwich. Yet I think that we often forget the burgeoning mix of cultures and nations represented at the College. People become accustomed to their own small spheres, their own communities, where they feel comfortable and thus there is sometimes little desire or motivation to venture out and explore the amazing unknown. However, sometimes it is necessary to embark on a journey and discover the beauty of a nation of which you have never heard, to experience enticing delicacies with names you can’t pronounce and to see thriving cultures hidden in the far corners of the world. It was this vision that made me set up International Day: an opportunity to celebrate the multiculturalism and diversity that surrounds us. It is an opportunity to meet someone from Indonesia. It is an opportunity to discover a love for empanadas. It is an opportunity to learn of the reality of what living in a faraway country is really like. International Day was designed to give people a chance to share their pride in their culture and create a broader understanding among the students. Moreover, it gives students the opportunity to learn from others, to widen their horizons, to experience something new. In a world where businesses and companies are globalising at warp speed and we, on a personal level, are for most of the time trapped in our phones, it is vital that we communicate and celebrate our differences. I hope that International Day
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