“Unity in diversity” was the theme of the recent UCBC cultural exhibition hosted by communications students. During the exhibition, students wore traditional attire and demonstrated dances from their respective tribes, a powerful tool used to express values and customs. Students also showed how their tribes communicate and mark milestones, including greetings, marriage ceremonies, and celebratory and mourning practices. The purpose of this exhibition was to celebrate the many cultural heritages of students, and to showcase the ways in which shared values transcend cultural traditions.
There are over 40 tribes represented at UCBC and approximately 250 in the DRC.
“As we all know, there’s so much despair about what’s going on in our society… But there is also progress. There’s increased empathy and respect for others, we’re fighting the tide, even if it sometimes feels like a tug of war.” Barnabé Kazambua Bin Bendela, UCBC’s Director of Communications, said. He noted the importance of understanding other cultures at UCBC. “Respect for the culture of others is among the eight values [UCBC] promotes in pursuit of its mission to train and equip agents of change.”
Barnabé Kazambua Bin Bendela, UCBC’s Director of Communications
“We’re fighting the tide, even if it sometimes feels like a tug of war.”
At the end of the program celebrating unity in diversity, the UCBC community stood as one to denounce the international community’s silence in the face of the atrocities, massacres, and insecurity in Eastern DR Congo. The “Free Congo” gesture – one hand over the mouth and the other forming a gun at the temple – has spread widely across social media and has been promoted by many Congolese people, including the DR Congo soccer team before their semi-final match in the Africa Cup of Nations. This gesture is a way to raise awareness of the plight of the Congolese people, and remind the world that Congo continues to face ceaseless and unnecessary violence. This sign of solidarity from the UCBC community is a reminder that, in spite of our differences, we must be united with our Congolese brothers and sisters as we work towards peace.
Knowing and affirming each other’s cultural heritage helps bridge the gap of “otherness” and allows us to see our shared values. While we all have different ways of communicating and celebrating that may feel normal to us but are foreign to others, it’s the meaning behind these things that can draw us together. And, as God’s image-bearers, it’s our unique differences that help us learn, understand, and more fully know our Creator.
May we be drawn together by the things we share, appreciate our varying cultural backgrounds, and not allow our differences to drive us apart. May we allow our diversity to unite us.
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