As we approach Heritage Day, it is customary to reflect on the rich tapestry of cultures and histories that make up our nation and our world. This year, instead of dwelling on the challenges that often divide us, let us take a different path—one that celebrates the beauty of our shared humanity.
I would like to encourage everyone to take just three minutes on this Heritage Day in 2023, to ponder what we all have in common with every other person on this planet.
Whether they are friends, family, neighbours, business colleagues, or even just distant acquaintances on social media, we share a fundamental connection that transcends our differences.
Society tends to emphasise our distinctions—be it in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, or wealth.
These divisions are often seen as artificial constructs that create barriers between us. However, when we truly reflect on it, we realize that at the end of the day, regardless of who we are or where we come from, we all share one undeniable fate: we will all eventually pass away.
In this shared fate, we find a powerful reason to celebrate both our differences and our commonalities while we are still alive.
To truly appreciate the depth of our shared heritage, we need to look back to our origins. Scientifically, it is irrefutable that all modern human beings originated in Africa.
Our DNA tells the story of a common genetic code and a shared humanity. We may look different now, but this is a result of our ancestors' migration out of Africa approximately 80,000 years ago.
As our forebears ventured into new territories, they faced the challenge of adapting to different climates.
Those who settled in colder regions evolved physical traits like lighter skin to cope with the reduced sunlight, while those in sunnier areas developed features such as the folds in Asian eyes to protect against harsh sunlight.
These adaptations, however, do not change the fact that we all share the same genetic code and ultimately come from the same mother and paternal line on the African continent.
In my own family, I see this diversity first-hand. My heritage is a mixture of Indian, Greek, German, and Indian backgrounds. But what distinguishes our past from our present is the way we once celebrated this diversity, which my family did when I was growing up.
Unfortunately, during the era of Apartheid in South Africa and even today on social media, there is a tendency to create exclusive "tribes" based on superficial similarities. These tribes can isolate people and breed intolerance towards those deemed different.
The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to break free from these tribal constraints, to refuse to be conditioned or defined solely by the parameters of a particular group.
Instead, let us define ourselves as ordinary humans, no different from anyone else. Let us teach ourselves to live without prejudice and judgment, accepting each person as someone with the potential to be absolutely beautiful in their own unique way.
Embracing our shared humanity begins with a reset of our minds. It requires us to see beyond the divisions and categories society often imposes on us. By doing so, we become part of a larger tribe—the human tribe.
So, as we celebrate Heritage Day, let us be brave, let us be courageous, and, above all, let us be truly human.
In doing so, we honour the beauty of our diversity and the strength of our shared heritage.
IOL