The Diversity Train to Helsinki 

(A personal reflection on the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development)

Karl Balloch

Every year on May 21, UNESCO celebrates  World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. In Finland, where people from different cultures and various backgrounds  increasingly live side by side, diversity is no longer just an idea, it is part of everyday life. Although this day is a pleasant reminder.But this time, I am not going to give you a traditional lecture from a textbook. Let’s understand diversity and dialogue from real life interactions.

Some time ago, I was sitting in a train with a friend, travelling to Helsinki. It was a quiet train. Not rush, just a few people.

At the next stop, a Finnish lady entered the compartment with a small child in a trolley.She sat on the seat behind us. 

My friend was speaking a bit loud. I softly told him, ‘Please lower your voice. A child is sleeping, no need to disturb’.

To our surprise, the young lady stood up and said in broken Hindi:

“Shukria. Tum bat karo. Bacha jag raha hai.”

(Thank you. You talk. The child is waking up.)

Those broken Hindi words touched our hearts. We were so happy, and excited. We dared to talk to her.

We learned that she had lived in India with her parents when she was small.

That moment was not just a pleasant surprise. That moment stays in my mind for the rest of my life . A thought immediately popped up in my mind: If I speak broken Finnish, do Finns feel the same excitement? Yes, I was sure of this that they do.

These small incidents, these real, messy, unpredictable moments are sufficient to give a living experience of diversity. Obviously this is what true multicultural life looks like. It opens the door for building relationships.

 Being human and behaving human begins with thinking above cultural and racial differences. It’s not just a big UN thing. It happens on a train.

The Hidden Side of Fitting In

Everyone says, “Learn the language and get a job. Then you are integrated.” I fully agree with this  and I truly believe that speaking Finnish works like a master key for building relationships and making friends.

But it is only a half-truth, and the other half is harder.

Integration starts with learning the Finnish “silence” and “ distance”. It is knowing when to take off your shoes. It is knowing how to calmly and patiently stand in a queue. (South Asians, you know we struggle with the straight line!).

Living in Finland taught me that belonging is not getting a Permanent Residence permit. Belonging is a feeling, and sharing national sentiments. It grows when you actually try to pronounce your friend’s name correctly, or start eating Finnish food without making a face. You will try to experience the heat of the sauna. You live here and now.

How Do We Live Together?

Living together means loving your neighbor as yourself and thinking about the interests of the host society and the country. I am not perfect, no one is. Sometimes we feel lonely. Sometimes we miss our old friends and our native community so much that our chest hurts. It is not only we,immigrants, who feel this; even Finns feel so. It is not about exclusion. It is about being awake, aware, having memories and having a sense of belonging. 

Let’s face our fears and hold fast on to one truth: Living together does not mean leaving your identity behind. It means carrying it with confidence while understanding others and growing through new connections.

If we want social harmony, prosperity, and peace, we should not just sit at home and wait for them to be served on a plate. We have to make an effort to get them for ourselves and our children. 

Small Moments are the Big Moments

Today, maybe try something. Talk to the person at the grocery store. Smile at the neighbour who looks different. Culture is not the wall between us. It is the brick we use to build a bridge and share knowledge and experieces.

We don’t need to be the same to live together. We just need to talk. Even if your Finnish is bad. Still it helps you to build relationships and make friends.

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

This international day is not just about celebration. It is a reminder.

Peaceful societies don’t appear automatically. People build them little by little.
If we want inclusion and acceptance, we must practice it in real life.
If we want to understand others and be understood, we must actively seek it.

Cultural diversity is not something we try to fix or cut down. It is something we develop through dialogue, interaction, something to value, contribute to, and learn from.

Diversity is the presence of different cultures, languages, and beliefs within one society.It means it is about people who are living together with mutual respect and understanding. In a multicultural society everyone should feel free to keep their own culture, traditions, and identity, but at the same time, in public and shared social life, All should also respect the manners and social values of the host society because it is the vase that holds together the bouquet of diverse flowers.

Wishing you a thoughtful World Cultural Diversity Day