John P. Terry, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief
Spring 1999, v15-2
	From the Editor Diversity, according to the Oxford Dictionary (1998), "is being diverse, unlike in nature or qualities." Sociologists employ the term to account for, among other things, the degree and nature of differences among socio-economic, racial, ethnic, and religious groups within given populations. Those who administer projects and schools often speak with pride of their diverse populations. Ecologists are quick to point to bio-diversity as source of wonder and balance within natural systems. Stripped of emotive connotations, however, the term accounts for little more than a description of how societies, groups, or bio-spheres are "diverse, unlike in nature or qualities." In the natural world diversity does not result in harmony. Competition and exploitation is the natural law up and down the food chain. Biodiversity, for all its abstract beauty, is but a fragile set of mutually exploitative relationships. In the world of humans diversity is more interesting as a source of artifacts than as a description of differences. Another way to phrase this is to say that diversity is a neutral compound that can be sculpted to many forms. Diversity, by itself, leads us nowhere. It is what we do with diversity that counts. It is how we perceive its importance and role in our organizations, communities, and culture that will determine what we will do with it. Diversity is an asset or liability, depending on how you view it. Racism and ethnic hatred can, and have become, the de facto natural law of diverse human systems. We need not look to faraway places such as Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Palestine, or Somalia; to that "peculiar institution" of slavery; to the forced confinement of Native Americans to reservations; or to the Nazi concentration camps to find organized acts of racial and ethnic hatred. Blatant attacks by racists and homophobes occur right now, every day, in our own backyards. Unlike natural systems, however, human systems can develop along intentional lines. A sense of justice, morality, and fairness are characteristics integral to human nature, and form the foundation stones of our political systems and culture. Ironically, and perhaps providentially, our founders chose e-pluribus unum as the motto to appear on the great seal of the United States of America. E- pluribus unum, from many one. As we prepare to enter the new millennium, our diversity can be sculpted to lead us to new levels of creativity and understanding-to a strengthening of our democracy and civic culture-and away from increased isolation and hate crimes. To embrace all this difference, we need to forge within our organizations, communites, and society a secular culture that both promotes a civic virtue common to all and allows for divergent religious and cultural views. We need to move beyond a society and programs that tackle diversity only through the corrective efforts of affirmative action and civil rights legislation, to one that attacks the fundamental root causes of the problems: a society built on a positive view of diversity. A society in which diversity is a source of pride, strength, and creativity: e-pluribus unum. One that fulfills the dream of Martin Luther King and the rainbow coalition. We need to sculpt that dream into reality. E-pluribus unum: a work in progress. Toward this end there is good and substantial work being done by youth and youth workers across this continent and in other lands. Some of it is included in these pages. Tell us what you think. Check out our home page at www.newdesigns.org for archives of past issues and our electronic supplement to this issue. The theme of our next issue is social justice: join us for the discussion. John P. Terry, Editor-in-Chief
	NEW DESIGNS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT © 1999