Diversity Is Worth the While

Janis Hernandez

HAVANA TIMES — “Vale la Pena” (Worth the While) is the name of a nighttime television program that has been broadcast here in Cuba for several years. In it, the well-known professor Manuel Calvino always deals with interesting topics related to psychology and human behavior, but also their impact on society.

His latest program, which aired this past Wednesday, was one of the best.

Its topic? – diversity.

Calvino, with the wisdom to which we’re accustomed, addressed a key issue of Cuban society: Respect for diversity in all its variations.

According to the professor, over the last fifty years global society has experienced changes in all aspects, and our society could not stay aloof to the social revolution that is occurring where top-down control, intransigence and absolutism are being replaced by tolerance, acceptance, inclusion and dialogue as features of the greatest importance.

He also briefly touched on technological progress and how its application is essential.

In my trying to sum up some of the many ideas expressed by the professor, I should note that he emphasized the sense of truth as being entirely relative. He said that truth always depends on the window through which one looks, which is why people have the right to access a variety of information sources concerning the same event, not only a single point of view.

The teacher was wise, saying a lot without saying too much. His words had neither the tone of those who advocate censuring stubborn positions, nor were they ones demanding the implementation of plurality. The message itself was implicit.

I think this program was right on the mark, I only hope that it was seen by those who need it most, those who are averse to change and seek to condemn us to social immobility.

Likewise, I fear that at a time that demands changes (that require greater flexibility of those who are being the most rigid); they’ll react against the professor for his program – or even worse, they’ll take him off the screen.

Of course these are times of confrontation and acceptance. It’s not enough to proclaim a campaign for tolerance and inclusion with respect to sexual diversity.

It’s necessary to implement a campaign of tolerance and inclusion with regard to diversity in all aspects – gender, race, beliefs, religions, ideologies and policies (especially those last two.) Like the professor says: It’s worth the while.