Racial harmony – are we there yet?

Posted: November 27th, 2013

Racial Harmony – are we there yet?

Racial harmony is one of the hardest things to attain in the modern society. If racial harmony were to be achieved, then terrorism cases like that of Osama bin Laden, wars in the Middle Eastern countries and Pakistan would not have been rampant. An example of racial disharmony includes the genocide that was committed by the Turkish militia against the Armenians in 1914. During this period, most of the Armenians were killed and few survived. Another example of racial disharmony is the current case whereby terrorists flew planes into important American buildings. This forced countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and America into armed conflict with these terrorists.

Governments have tried to solve conflicts both locally and internationally but the situation seems fruitless. For instance, the recent killing of Osama bin Laden by the international government aimed to reduce racial disharmony. However, people do encounter problems of terrorism everyday in their lives. Some countries suffer from terrorism showing that the government has not yet succeeded in maintaining racial harmony globally. There is no way social harmony can be achieved if individuals segregate others. Rampant corruption in government and non-governmental offices indicates that we have not yet achieved social harmony.

Cases of racial conflicts and bullying still exist even in the learning environments. For instance, my cousin was recently mocked and harassed because of his English background and certain qualities he possessed. However, schools have tried to work on racial harmony among students. They provide multicultural foods and hold events that encourage a multicultural recognition. In addition, almost all students in NSW states come from a different religion or culture. For instance, I have many friends at school, who come from different countries such as India, China, Greek, Korea, England and Italy. This is essential because it portrays a good image of racial harmony in Australia since everybody is welcome and accepted.

The best way to promote multiculturalism is not only to educate older people but also younger children on the importance of racial harmony. This is crucial because young children are the future hence should be educated on racial harmony. Schools should introduce curriculums on social harmony in order to mould the behaviors of young children. This will help them in their future when they grow up hence becoming better citizens.

Lastly, the final example of racial disharmony can be reflected back to the case of refuge seeker issues. Many people in Australia do not appreciate the admission of refuge seekers into the country from other parts of the world. This is therefore racially prejudiced and it is unfair for those who may genuinely need help. The case of asylum is extremely a controversial issue because it has been tabled constantly on the agenda of parliament debates. The recent federal elections due to policies that were linked on this asylum issue again had to tackle on the refugee case. This indicates that we have not yet achieved racial harmony in the country because people are not ready to help those in need like the refugees.

In conclusion, racial harmony cannot be easily achieved globally. However, we still have a long way in achieving racial harmony. Based on terrorism cases especially that of Osama and his members, the world will not live in peace unless his followers accept harmony and stop their mission of terrorism. Wars in most countries such as Pakistan and the Middle East are a clear evidence of racial disharmony. In addition, the ignorance of refugees and bullying in schools still shows that we have not yet achieved racial harmony. Lastly, racial harmony can only be achieved if multiculturalism can be promoted globally and this can be done through educating both the young and older people.