Andrew Rublev, 24 year-old Russian tennis star: “In these moments you realize that my match is not important… how it affects me…You realize how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what and to be united…. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing.”

As said in the New York Times today by David Brooks “….authoritarians tell a simple story about how to restore order — it comes from cultural homogeneity [emphasis mine] and the iron fist of the strongman.” This is one of the reasons why diversity matters.

A war waged at the will of a “strongman” is facilitated by those countrymen who choose national identity over diversity and humanism. The unbearable suffering of families and children caused by war is facilitated when empathy is not present, and cultural identity is valued above the well-being of others.       

On this regressive, sad day for the world, one hope going forward is to cultivate diversity, among people and species and all the wondrous life Earth has to offer.  

Biodiversity for a Livable Climate https://bio4climate.org offers a stunning array of new programs and events to revive living systems on Earth.