Instead they supported community leaders whom they had chosen in the same way they have practised for hundreds of years. They died defending their belief that we are not simply material beings, but social and spiritual beings intimately connected to our environment. This belief not only allows Manuel to go on living, but to maintain a gentleness, warmth and generosity that I have not seen wane in the two years I have known him. His strength is drawn from his belief in the spirit world and his continuing connection with his mother, wife and daughter through that world. The struggle for diversity is a struggle that concerns us all.
Cultural diversity is essential to the health, beauty and survival of humanity.
It is a world to which we should all aspire. Justin Coburn is a Melbourne-based overseas aid worker. The Age Company Ltd 2000. Any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited. View our Privacy Policy .