Speaker of the National Assembly, Rt. Hon Justice Dr Patrick Matibini, SC, MP says the promotion of cultural pluralism is important to the achievement of nation-building of every country.  Dr. Matibini says cultural pluralism is an effort that should seek to develop and maintain each linguistic and cultural heritage within the nation state as an integral part of nationalism and nation building.

The Speaker said this when he addressed the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly debate on promoting cultural pluralism and peace through inter-faith-ethnic dialogues in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation.  Dr. Matibini informed the Assembly that cultural pluralism calls for linguistic diversity, multilingualism and the pluralism of cultures.  He stated that mutual understanding and cooperation between peoples with different ethnicities, political ideologies and economic status was cardinal in cultural pluralism.

The Speaker added that pluralism underscores the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) position in favor of linguistic diversity and cultural pluralism; a position which has been endorsed by the Africa Union’s Charter of Cultural Renaissance.  He noted that tolerance of ethnicity multilingualism is important in nation-building and peace making at national level.

Dr. Matibini further noted that an increase in the levels of inclusion and tolerance within nation-states and among countries should help in attaining harmony in diversity.

He said inter-faith dialogue should also be seen as an important element in the preservation of peaceful co-existence which refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions or faiths.

The Speaker explained that inter-faith dialogue should always strive towards the promotion of understanding between different religions and beliefs and towards increasing acceptance of others.  He noted that countries need this level of human interaction for it to build mutual understanding and acceptance of each members of the human family.

Dr. Matibini said human interaction also corrects stereotypes and builds relations towards addressing common problems.

The IPU Assembly is the principal international statutory body of Parliamentarians that provides a unique platform for global political trends and a testing ground for new ideas and initiatives.  It brings together Parliamentarians to study international problems and make recommendations for action.  The 137th IPU Assembly in St. Petersburg runs from the 14th to 18th of October 2017.