Finding unity in diversity.

Who am I? What are my beliefs and values? Am I spiritual? Do I believe in God? I looked deep into my soul and tried to find out the answers- not an easy feat in a room full of about 100 people that came from different continents, different countries, different culture, speaking different languages and mostly whom I have met just few weeks back. We were having a workshop about diversity and the cast in up with people is as diverse as you can get with representation from 19 countries aging from 17 to 29. We have been brought up differently that has defined our ways of thinking, speaking, our manners, and our behaviors… We come from different societies- some are conservative, some liberal, but all different. I was looking at those differences until now. I was looking at the values, behaviors, and thinking pattern of other cultures that were so different from mine. However, everything changed when people started sharing their stories. At one point, I realized that we are actually not that different… I began to see the similarities in the differences we had. Was my faith and belief in my God any different from the beliefs and faith the person standing beside me had for her God? Was speaking about the feelings and life events less difficult to share just because the person is from Mexico or Japan? Would we not have reacted the same way people in Denver did after the shooting in Aurora Theater if it had taken place in Nepal? Yes, we are different in many ways- that will always keep us fascinated and curious while we are together at UWP; but at the same time we are similar in just as many ways, that will bring us to the common grounds where we can form a strong bond amongst each other- that will help us to create a unity in diversity.