Unity In Diversity

Diversity Leads to Unity

Over the years through my understanding of Nature, Business, Philosophy and my own life's circumstances, I came to an interesting conclusion that Diversity in all areas is the essence of a harmonious living. A living being that not only sustains, but thrives. The term diversity means a varied surrounding with differences in each and every component that ultimately forms the unified model or picture. Let us visualize a grand orchestral recitation; a melodious composition can only be produced by the synchronization of diverse instruments very often originating from different countries coming together. Similarly when we pay close attention to the various life forms and how they all play a pivotal role in the functioning of the universe we will see how diversity ultimately leads to Unity.

From the study of the Macro cosmos to the Micro cosmos, diversity can be observed at all levels. When we take the human body as a single functioning Unit, we cannot forget that it comprises of not only different body parts which is the more obvious focus initially, but the internal organs, muscles, tissues, nerves, capillaries and even the cells with its own nucleus plasma and electrons have been designed intricately to form a single human being that is so diverse in its nature,habits, preferences and choices from any other human being inhabiting the planet. This diversity at the micro level can also be recognized at the macro cosmic level in Nature, in the stars above, and the grandeur of the universe. As above, so below.

When we tap into nature, we unknowingly form a connection with the biodiversity that exists in the flora fauna around. The needs of various organisms including man, have been met by this very nature for thousands of years and over the course of time the world has observed that those living organisms that use nature’s bounty sustain-ably have survived. Those who have over used it due to greed and excessive wants, perish with time.

As the article progresses we will understand how  organisations and Companies following the beaten track may soon spiral down and shut shop.  Not being able to think out of the box and accepting diversity in a multicultural organization can hamper growth of the business extensively whether in corporate, government, non profit, farming, agriculture or the education sector.

We as human beings have already tipped the scales of balance, we are slowly exhausting the Earth’s resources either through personal consumption or through our unsustainable business ventures and it is regrettably too late to stop, however we can begin to slow down the rapid pace at which its being disintegrated.

Diversity In The World Today

BIO Diversity in Nature

Biodiversity in nature is a fundamental aspect that exists at a macro cosmos level and through this article I believe if we understand the diversity that exists around us, we can try to ape this same diversity in our lives in our surroundings. No wonder it is said, Nature is truly the Best Teacher. So let me break this complex topic and help you understand what is biodiversity . It is nothing but the differences in genes amongst the individual organisms of a particular specie. This difference in genes amongst the same specie itself creates a variety and richness of all plant and animals at different scales in space, either locally, in a region, in a country, or in the world. So you cannot even fathom how it would work across different species.

When life started on the planet it naturally and organically began to diversify. Evolution as we know is related to the ability of living things being able to adapt to changes in the environment. These changes lead to newer species which filled gaps left by extinct species over time. Extinction however has rapidly increased over the years due to mans irresponsible activities.To give some order and count, Science has attempted to classify and categories these species over decades into communities of plants and animals. The information has helped in utilizing the earth's biological wealth for the benefit of humanity.

In the study of biodiversity variety of plants animals and other beings is observed at 3 levels:

Genetic Diversity, Each member of any animal or plant specie differs widely from other individuals in his genetic makeup. The Genetic variability is essential for healthy breeding population.

Species Diversity, The numbers of species of plants and animals that are present in a region is species diversity. This diversity is seen both in natural ecosystems and in agricultural Eco system. Many new species are being identified especially in the flowering plant and insects. Areas that are rich in this bio diversity are called 'hotspots' of diversity.

Ecosystem diversity, Diversity in a specific geographical region as a country or state or area. A natural ecosystem is referred to as natural when it is undisturbed by human activity or modified when it is changed to other types of uses such as farmland or urban areas.

Bio diversity is essential for preserving Ecological processes such as recycling of nutrients, soil formation, circulation, etc. Loss of biodiversity contributes heavily to global climatic changes along with industrialization causing the green house effect. 

Consumption wise, food, clothing, housing, energy, medicine are all resources that are linked to plant diversity.

And for us Humans who like to consume and focus on development, contrary to what is practiced, preservation of biodiversity is in our favor for Industrial growth and Economic Development. The search for potential genetic properties in plants or animals in bio rich areas can be used to develop better varieties of crops for their value in terms of food, medicinal or industrial potential.

Farming done keeping the values of Bio diversity in mind have eventually always yielded a rich crop. When you have land that is home to grains , trees, shrubs and various fauna to help the soil remain fertile and alive giving the crops the right nutrients for a healthy turn out. When we have mono cultural farming and decide to grow just one crop across the land without any diversity, the yield will be great for that year keeping in mind the nutrients it has received externally and internally for that first year, however for its long term sustenance, the soil that needs the diversity to remain rich in the subsequent years is not found due to lack of diversity . This will slowly affect the crops in the years to come giving fewer yields, low output and a hit on economical sustenance only because we didn’t understand the importance of having a bio-diverse land when we began farming.

And lastly Ethical values related to biodiversity conservation are based on the importance of protecting all forms of life. Plants and animals have equal right to live and exist in the planet.

Through out the world, the value of biologically rich natural areas is now being increasingly appreciated as being of unimaginable value.  However inspite of the mentioned reasons of biodiversity protection and how important diversity in general is to every living thing, man still fails to respect the differences and protect it. When it comes to Nature man has grossly overused or misused most of the natural ecosystems. This causes massive extinction of plant and animal species. This could be due to growth in human population, industrialization, etc. Loss of natural habitats also results from means of introducing different species from one area into another, disturbing the balance in existing communities, etc. Natural forests are being deforested for timber, introduction of exotic weeds, burning of crop residues, over harvesting of fishes, poaching, etc. All these have played a part in the extinction of species despite man being aware of it. Several plant and animal species in the country are now found only in a few protected areas.

Conservation of this biodiversity is imperative and can be best preserved by setting aside an adequate representation of wilderness called protected areas. Project tiger, crocodile conservation were taken on by India in recent years. However species cannot be protected individually as they are all interdependent on each other, thus the whole ecosystem needs to be protected.

Diversity in LIFE

Bio Diversity in Nature truly makes us understand why civilizations across the world through different ages of mankind were so diverse broad and full of unusual differences. We need to recognize that we are nature and just like the flora fauna sustains on diversity so do we man, there is no separation and yet today the world today is moving towards a mono-cultural lifestyle .

When it comes to Human Beings, monocultural lifestyles with an absence of diversity have flooded the world with the “Mine being better than Yours” syndrome. This makes people non accepting of the beautiful rich diversity that exists in different races, cultures and religions. This non acceptance leads to fault finding in others, being cooped up in ones own environment, judgmental attitudes, eventually disconnecting ourselves from the “others”. It is not a surprise that animosity has been on the rise leading to conflicts and wars and eventually a decline in the community. Religions communities and neighborhoods rich in culture and tradition for several hundred years are slowly diminishing. The numbers of Indigenious people, tribal folk, like the Warli inhabitants of Thane District are falling due to the rigidity of a tribe to remain mono culturist and live without any form of diversity .The Parsi community can be another such example that has failed to diversify and today we see a massive decline in the numbers across the world. The beautiful ancient section of people is almost at the verge of being extinct with only 60,000 Parsis remaining across the globe. This truly makes us think how little we think about diversity even though it has such a major impact on each one of us directly or indirectly.

Diversity in BUSINESS

When we speak about human beings, its imperitive to understand diversity in their source of livelihood. We cant leave organizations, business communities and entrepreneurial ventures far behind and so we zoom in a little closer and see young idealists coming up with business ideas to change the world.  But usually entrepreneurs who decide to set up a business bring their backgrounds, own conditioning, thoughts and ideas of how a business needs to function based on their ancestors and generations before. This spirals down and leads them to attract employees of the same mindset. People are hired based on certain degrees, communication abilities, vocational skills, and sometimes even on their religious and food habits, stereotyping their strengths and weaknesses and are eventually boxed into compartments with “specialist” tags. The diversity that a set of mix individuals from different cultures, thinking, backgrounds and skills that they can learn and adapt through their tenure, creates out of the box ideas , curious human beings and helps the business grow. Without any form of diversity in the organization, CREATIVITY which is the lifeline of every organization seizes. There are no different perspectives, no innovations ultimately causing People to become complacent in their attitudes . It is but natural that the employees start feeling stagnant in their respective roles. Eventually they leave for greener pastures and the business faces major setbacks causing the growth graph to first stop and then fall.

Attention To Diversity

Through this article I hope i have planted a small seed in your mind regarding the crucial junction of life we are at,. If we need Earth to survive and thrive we need to pay attention to diversity in all its forms whether in Nature or life and the advantages we have learnt of it. We are blessed to be part of a country like India that is already very vibrant when it comes to thousands of species and diverse human beings inhabiting the lands. Let us be more welcoming and celebrate the diversity to grow into more wholesome human beings that will be a benefit to the planet at large.