Description

In ONE EARTH, 1001 WORLDS, Roy Dupuis pursues his social engagement by drawing our attention to the importance of cultural diversity. Co-hosting with Kalpana Das, he introduces us to the Intercultural Institute of Montreal, whose visionary legacy spanned over almost half a century in the name for a better understanding of pluralism.

Following its closure in 2012, local and international collaborators were invited to share their personal experiences and to shed light on their outstanding accomplishments. The highly innovative reflections and approaches that emerged from this group of thinkers since the 60s is more than relevant today. In sync with its time, the Intercultural Institute of Montreal (IIM) organized a variety of activities in order to favor the intercultural dialogue between government and cultural groups through seminars, conferences, training workshops and cultural performances.

In nature, biodiversity is considered an inherent characteristic of life on earth then, why would it be otherwise with cultural diversity for human kind? Cultivating this mindset, the organization concentrated its actions in Quebec, a society facing several challenges regarding the relationships between peoples; beginning with the relations with First Nations, the relations between English and French speakers, the secularism of the state and reasonable accommodation; the list goes on.

Both on local and global scales, modern societies navigate inexorably towards pluralism. Today, more than ever, it is mandatory to embrace the richness of cultural differences.