The Beauty of Diversity

This year, for example, at the Intercultural Waldorf School in Mannheim, Ramadan began with a small celebration focusing on fasting. Fasting is an element that connects all religions. A Christian teacher shared her experiences with fasting, Muslim students shared their intentions for the upcoming Lenten season, and there was also a discussion about fasting in Judaism. At the end of the fasting month, Ramadan Bayramı was celebrated with a shared celebration. At the beginning, an eleventh-grade student recited a call to prayer. Then, students proudly recounted how, even during their forestry internship, they got up at 4:00 am to have breakfast before sunrise and how this time of year, as well as the daily evening fasting, was a bonding experience for their families. Non-Muslim students listened with great interest the entire time. Before everyone ate together, «We want peace for all» was sung in Arabic, Hebrew, and German.

Two simple, heartfelt celebrations: for the Muslim students, an appreciation of their culture, for the non-Muslim students, an opportunity to get to know and experience other cultures.

The Interculturality and Diversity Project Group at the Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen (Association of Waldorf Schools in Germany) is addressing, among other things, the question of what schools can do to consciously acknowledge and respect the diversity of our students' cultural identities. Here are a few ideas: The pictures hanging in our schools could be supplemented with non-European artworks and motifs. Perhaps once a month, the communal breakfast in the lower and middle grades could be Turkish, Indian, or kosher. Practicing Arabic characters could be offered as part of a special interest group. Literature also offers an incredible selection of reading material, which should be available in at least every classroom or school library. Dolls with different skin tones could romp around on the nature table...

Do you have ideas? What has worked for you? Do you need suggestions? We'd be happy to engage in dialogue with interested schools and teachers. Please write me: piwecki@waldorfschule.de