RLL Diversity Statement

many colors of yarn.

English

Language has a distinct and irreplaceable role in creating and sustaining diversity. We hold that multilingualism enhances the experience of multiculturalism. We resist the suggestion that any one language is the de facto language of diversity and global citizenship and we assert that linguistic and cultural inclusiveness foster the recognition and respect of race, religion, level of literacy, gender, orientation, class, dialectal community, and cultural identities. Through awareness of our own relationship to language and the experience of cultural encounters, we identify and challenge bias, as well as cultivate inclusivity through the mindful negotiation of difference. We show how multiculturalism can offer alternatives to the logic of the market economy and strive to cultivate the non-instrumental value of language.