Diversity is the way to economic growth

Cultural diversity is the appreciation of a society made up of people from different groups living together. It is about accepting and respecting the orientations of each individual member of the community.

Diversity includes, but is not limited to, aspects such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, language, gender, age and disability. In our communities today, we have learnt to co-exist and live together from the national level down to our villages.

In building our nation, diversity plays a crucial role in balancing the economic scales. From how we embrace it, to how we take advantage of it, to the negative consequences of not building a diverse community.

It can take us a long way forward or slow our growth. Diversity allows us to learn new languages, new ways of thinking, new knowledge and the opportunity to have different experiences curated according to the different cultures available.

In our country, tourism is one of the most important economic drivers.

People visit not only to see our beautiful landscapes, but also to experience different curated lifestyles. Organisations that have embraced diversity in tourism and hospitality are at the forefront. Employees with foreign language skills are an asset.

Diversity in businesses and organisations is essential for growth. The growth of a country’s production is what keeps the wheels of development turning for that nation. Diversity opens up organisations to wider talent pools. This leads to a broadening of their ideas, innovations, skills and capacity for growth. Workplaces with diverse players are vibrant because there is much to learn from each other’s culture. An organisation can also tap into foreign markets if its products are diversely acceptable. These industries are the key to globalisation.

In order to build a strong foundation for our economic growth, we as a nation must strive to firmly root a diverse community. Previously, we suffered a painful blow as a nation when we turned against each other along tribal lines in the post-election violence of the 2007 general elections.

Peace is a critical element in a country's economic development. If different cultures cannot co-exist, they undermine the peace of the nation.

A nation without peace is dangerous ground for investors. The resulting insecurity encourages or even destroys existing trade relationships — cutting off markets for locally produced goods and supplies. Cultivating a peaceful, diverse society is key to ensuring our nation's continued economic development and growth, attracting investors and fostering healthy trading relationships.

Embracing and nurturing the growth of our nation's diverse communities can unlock our economic development.

A nation without peace stalls its economic growth.

Charles Kyalo, Nairobi