Unity in diversity is a concept of “unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation” that shifts focus from unity based on a mere tolerance of physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political, ideological and/or psychological differences towards a more complex unity based on an understanding that difference enriches human interactions. The concept of unity in diversity was used “in non-Western cultures such as indigenous peoples in North America and Taoist societies in 400-500 B.C.E. In premodern Western culture it has been implicit in the organic conceptions of the universe that have been manifest since the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations through medieval Europe and into the Romantic era.”
Unity in Diversity: Interdisciplinary Research Seminar (1977)
The term was used by a group of academics who formed the Interdisciplinary Research Seminar at Wilfred Laurier University with a sense of community in mind (p. xvi) working to develop practical wisdom through interdisciplinary activity as opposed to the trend towards fragmentation and ever narrowing specializations in academia. Ervin Laszlo presented his paper entitled “Framework for a General Systems Theory of World Order” (1974) as one the first seminar Papers that led to the establishment of the IRS in 1975.
European Union (2000
Main article: Motto of the European Union
In 2000, the European Union adopted ‘United in Diversity’ (Latin: In varietate concordia) as official Motto, a reference to the many and diverse member states of the Union in terms of culture. Apart from its English form, the European Union’s motto is also official in 22 other languages. “Unity in diversity” was selected in through a competition process involving students from member nations. According to the European Commission: “The motto means that, via the EU, Europeans are united in working together for peace and prosperity, and that the many different cultures, traditions and languages in Europe are a positive asset for the.
