BENEFITS AND POWER OF DIVERSITY

I went to Pridefest this weekend. My husband is the senior minister at Unity Spiritual Center Albuquerque, and as sponsors of Pridefest, we had a table. As I watched people go by and sometimes stop and  talk with us, I was struck with just how much we need diversity. Diversity is vital. It enriches our lives and even keeps us safe.

The beauty of the mountains (right) is because of diversity.

The intersection of the Rio Grande Rift, going mostly

north-south through New Mexico, and  the  Jemez Lineament that goes from Arizona across New Mexico to the northeast corner, has created an astounding amount of diversity—so much so that  I can’t look at the picture and tell you with any accuracy what the

formation is composed of. Sandstone? Tuff? Granite? All of those materials are in formations within 25 miles. That diversity of materials, and when they were laid down, creates the unique beauty of this particular formation—and every other formation.

Diversity is at the heart of beauty whether natural or human-made. Art is created by using a diversity of textures, shapes, materials and colors. From tapestries, with the threads themselves boasting different colors, creating a picture, to sculpture of a diversity of materials from wood to bronze, to multi-media creations, art depends on diversity. Art of all kinds embraces differences.

Music is a form of art. All 25 + of the musical genres (just in the United States) use the same 7 natural notes plus the 5 sharp/flat keys--- the black keys of a piano. (Music from India has 22 notes.) What key and octave the music is played in effects the sound. How long the note is held and how often the various notes are repeated help form the song. The instrument playing the song has a part; a song  sounds different played by a bassoon instead of a guitar. The music becomes richer when multiple instruments blend together, whether a song is played by a garage band or a symphony orchestra. The Native American flute has a reputation among enthusiasts that, once a flute is obtained in a particular key in one wood, eg Spanish cedar, one must get a flute in the same key but a different wood, eg walnut; the song played will sound different depending on the key and wood.

Diversity not only is responsible for beauty, it provides protection. In the 1800’s there were about 14,000 varieties of apples grown in the United States. Now about 100 varieties are grown. The benefit of having 13,900 more varieties is that, if some blight attacks a few varieties, the vast majority are untouched.

Likewise, the diversity in human genetics protects us. Some genetic mutations arise in order to protect people of a particular area from a specific stress, such as the Sickle Cell gene providing some protection against malaria, important in tropical and subtropical areas of the world where malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people yearly. Populations that lack genetic diversity are at greatest risk of extinction.

Documented in 1,500 species, diversity expressed as homosexual behavior not only reduces aggression but increases the survival rate of the young. Research indicates that same-sex sexual behavior has evolved as species have shifted from more solitary lives to more social lives, resulting  in  improved social relationships and better conflict resolution. So divergent behavior evolved to benefit the entire species.

Eco-system diversity is crucial to the health and stability of the planet. The diversity of eco-systems (forests, wetlands, grasslands) intersects with species diversity and genetic diversity, all vital for a healthy, resilient planet.

How Wolves Change Rivers is a great video that details how the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park was instrumental in restoring the habitats of hundred of plants and animals. The loss of just one animal (wolves) reduced the biodiversity and resiliency of the park – and their return created a cascade of changes that allowed the plants and animals of the park to thrive again.

Thriving is associated with diversity.

Diversity in the workplace is associated with greater innovation, creativity and better decision-making. People with different backgrounds and knowledge provide valuable diverse perspectives. This leads to greater productivity and even higher profits.

Diversity of ideas is the foundation of democracy. When an autocrat gets to make all the decisions, those decisions are less likely to be sound. Some autocrats have advisors who only parrot back the ideas of the autocrat, engaging in a type of groupthink. Instead, the more ideas that can be presented the more likely the decision will be sound. We know that the more people who guess how many marbles are in a jar, the more accurate the average guess is. There is wisdom in the diversity of opinion. This is why elections are so important.

Our diversity is our strength. We all benefit from embracing it and encouraging it.  With all the problems this world is facing, we need that innovation, creativity, protection—and beauty.