We need to reach that happy stage of our development when

Josefa Iloilo, statesman of Fiji, spoke words that ring with the wisdom of ages: “We need to reach that happy stage of our development when differences and diversity are not seen as sources of division and distrust, but of strength and inspiration.” These words shine like a beacon, guiding humanity toward unity. For too long have differences been treated as barriers, and too often has diversity been the spark of envy, conflict, and suspicion. Yet Iloilo, with the clarity of one who has lived through the storms of history, reminds us that what divides can also uplift, and what separates can also strengthen.

The meaning here is profound. In every field of human life, from the soil of the earth to the fabric of society, variety is the key to resilience. A field planted with only one crop is easily destroyed, but a field of many plants thrives in balance. So too with people: a nation of one kind of thought grows brittle, but a nation of many perspectives gains flexibility and endurance. To embrace diversity is not weakness but strength, for from different minds and hearts comes a richness of wisdom and creativity that no single voice could offer alone.

The ancients themselves understood this principle. The Roman Republic rose not by uniformity, but by weaving together tribes and peoples under one law, one citizenship. The legions were filled with men from every corner of the empire, yet in their unity they became invincible. And when Rome forgot this truth, when it began to sow division between peoples instead of harmony, its strength crumbled. Thus, history itself testifies: diversity as strength is not merely a dream, but a law of human survival.

Consider also the story of the United States during the Second World War. Soldiers of every background — the farmer, the factory worker, the immigrant, the scholar — stood together under one banner. Women filled the factories, men filled the ranks, and minorities, though still treated unjustly, gave their labor and blood for the cause. The result was a power the world could not deny. Their differences, rather than weakening them, became the wellspring of victory. From many, they were one — and in that unity, they were unstoppable.

The teaching is this: when we look upon another’s difference, we must not see a threat, but a gift. The color of one’s skin, the sound of one’s tongue, the shape of one’s thought — these are not walls, but windows. Through them, we glimpse new ways of being, new insights into life, new strengths to carry forward. To reject diversity is to choose poverty of spirit; to embrace it is to choose abundance. In difference lies the very inspiration that drives progress and ignites creativity.

Practical is this wisdom. In your daily life, seek out those who are unlike you. Listen to voices you do not understand. Break bread with those whose customs differ from yours. In the workplace, value the perspective of the one who thinks differently; in the community, cherish the neighbor whose ways are not your own. Instead of building walls of suspicion, build bridges of respect. Let your heart learn to delight in variety as the earth delights in springtime, when no two flowers are the same, yet all together form a garden of wonder.

Therefore, children of tomorrow, engrave Iloilo’s words upon your hearts: differences and diversity are not sources of division, but of strength and inspiration. When you see another, not as rival but as ally, not as stranger but as teacher, then you will stand in that “happy stage of development” where humanity is no longer fractured but whole. And in that day, we shall be like a great tapestry, woven of many threads, each unique, but together unbreakable and beautiful beyond measure.