Diversity can be a rich asset, but it is not always easy to live with. Countries around the world have struggled with social and economic problems associated with a diverse population. The Civil Rights difficulties in the United States for example attests to the challenges America has faced in the past and continues to face today in this regard. Dealing successfully with diversity is a multifaceted effort. But the most important effort of all is adopting and implementing an attitude of tolerance - within our governmental institutions and within ourselves.
Democracy allows for diversity and it demands tolerance.
Not just accepting people's differences, but rather embracing and celebrating these differences. Immigrants often bring energy, creativity and entrepreneurship to the new societies that accept them. New perspectives and new ideas bring innovation - new ways to do business, or solve social issues. Immigrants are also often willing to do jobs that longer residents may reject. They are generally young, an increasingly prized commodity in today's world of falling birth rates.