Preamble
“Oh, Obi don’t tell me you are going to swallow that big thing”? “You better believe it; that’s just a tip of the African food treat I promised you guys; more so I didn’t complain when you hosted us”. “But, mine wasn’t as scary as these; what you are doing is akin to suicide which I believe neither I nor Nayasaki would attempt with you”. “John, I don’t think it is that serious, is it not a part of the knowledge we desire? In fact, wait until I introduce you guys to my native food; maybe then, you’ll prefer Obi’s offer”.

Exposition
Whatever we don’t understand towers high above us. It not only elicits distrust but earns our innate prejudice because it precludes and unsettles our conception of the way things ought to be. In fact, people don’t only hate what they don’t understand, they also suspect it and more likely to be prejudicial in their view of such things.

It could be easy to identify racism or sectarianism as the cause of exclusion, discrimination and lack of social integration of foreigners and immigrants within the general society; yet it is also true to state that there exist internal dissention and discrimination within homogenous races.

Racism reflects an acceptance of the deepest forms and degrees of divisiveness and carries the implication that differences among groups are so great that they cannot be transcended. It also elicits hatred and distrust and precludes any attempt to understand the racialized.

Just like racism, ethnocentrism is another factor that militates against tolerance of foreigners, immigrant or other sects perceived as being different. The belief that one’s culture or group is superior contributes to the feeling of dissention and rancor between people from different culture traits.

Although civilization has done so much to efface the popularity of racism, yet people’s private belief and practices remain racist. People of assumed lower status are often made a scape goat, discriminated against or worse still abused by those with superiority complex. Presently, it is deemed a mark of sophistication to be garbed liberal, but our basic individual or cultural practices would always be a clog in the wheel of a useful interaction between people. Unless this trend is backed up with an equitable interaction between people of different culture or sect to foster understanding, we may still be a long way from learning to live together.

The way forward.
The foregoing has been a concise evaluation of the factors militating against people of diverse origin living together in peace. At this point, the pertinent question is what is the way forward?
According to Audrey Smedley,”the mind cannot be changed by laws but beliefs about human difference can and do change as do all cultural elements.” The conflict between people of different culture and beliefs can be excised through understanding. It is only through a mindful and convincing understanding of the fact that every culture is unique and should be judged by their own standard can the perceived feelings of superiority and distrust people bear towards foreigners be effaced. Understanding is a product of interaction. When people interact, they tend to learn more of the other person and are apt to be more tolerant and unbiased.

Hence, for young people to contribute to creation of dynamic and harmonious multicultural societies there is need for the organization of a forum of interaction for people from diverse cultures. The essence of such forum cannot be overemphasized. Apart from the knowledge such a global gathering would generate, it would engender the much needed tolerance and acceptance of people different from us and thus aid in achieving world peace. It is my ardent belief and conviction that in spite of the diversity in global sentiments, people would learn to live together if they have a better understanding of others.