The fact that societies are becoming increasingly multi-ethnic

The words of Antonio Guterres — “The fact that societies are becoming increasingly multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multi-religious is good. Diversity is a strength, not a weakness.” — sound like the declaration of a sage who has seen both the beauty and the wounds of humanity. They remind us that though differences may at first seem like dividing lines, in truth they are the threads that weave the most enduring fabrics. For a single note alone may be clear, but it is the harmony of many notes that makes a symphony. So too, in the gatherings of nations, it is not sameness that grants endurance, but the shared power of many voices, many traditions, many ways of life joined in one.

When Guterres praises the multi-ethnic, the multicultural, and the multi-religious, he affirms that true richness lies not in uniformity, but in variety. Societies that open themselves to many streams of thought and heritage grow like fertile gardens where many flowers bloom. Each tradition carries wisdom: one teaches patience, another courage, another reverence, another joy. To gather them together is to create a treasury of human experience, a well from which all may drink.

History bears witness to this truth. Consider the Golden Age of Cordoba in Spain, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived and studied together. In that city, scholars of different faiths preserved and expanded the knowledge of Greece, Rome, and the East. Philosophy, medicine, mathematics, and poetry flourished, not because the people were all alike, but because they were different — and their differences became shared strength. When that diversity was later crushed, much of the light was lost, and centuries of shadow followed. Thus history teaches that diversity is not only beauty but power.

And yet, Guterres speaks in defiance of a common fear. For there are those who believe diversity weakens, who imagine that only sameness can preserve stability. But sameness breeds fragility: like a field of one crop, vulnerable to a single disease. Diversity, by contrast, is resilience: like a forest of many trees, where one storm may fell a few, but the whole endures. The ancients knew this, for in their myths the gods themselves were many, each with different powers, and together they governed the world.

His words also carry a warning hidden in their optimism. For diversity can only be a strength if it is met with understanding and respect. If fear and hatred are allowed to rule, then differences become walls instead of bridges. The task of each generation, then, is to transform difference into dialogue, to seek the common humanity beneath the varied skin, creed, or tongue. Without this, the strength of diversity lies dormant, waiting to be awakened by wisdom and compassion.

The lesson for us is clear: do not shrink from those who are unlike you. Instead, seek them out, listen, learn. Let your own traditions be enriched by theirs, as iron sharpens iron. Teach your children the stories of many peoples, not just their own, so they may walk in a wider world unafraid. For a heart that embraces only sameness will grow narrow, but a heart that welcomes the many will grow vast as the earth itself.

Practical wisdom follows. In daily life, make room for diversity. Share a meal with someone of another culture. Read a text from a tradition not your own. Enter into dialogue, not to erase difference, but to celebrate it. And in communities, build systems where all voices are heard, for a society that silences its minorities silences its future. Let each person carry this truth within: diversity is not danger, but destiny.

Thus the words of Guterres endure as a guiding star: societies are strongest when they are diverse, for in difference lies resilience, in plurality lies creativity, and in shared humanity lies hope. Remember this, children of tomorrow: seek not to erase differences, but to unite them. For the tapestry of mankind is beautiful only when every thread is allowed to shine.