What do we mean when we say “our museum is diverse”? What is diversity and how many levels of diversity exist in a museum? Diversity is not only concerning people (visitors or staff), but also includes the languages, collections, materiality, programs, advertisement etc. Diversity is also a challenge. Diversity is not about finding differences, but how to work with multiple perspectives and accomplish something together. Although we know that diversity is not always seen as an opportunity, but often as an obstacle or a matter of conflict, we strive for inclusivity in museums and want to bridge this gap to incorporate genuine diversity in a museum context.
Omar Idtnaine, 2023
As I journey through the enchanting corridors of Moroccan museums, I confront a poignant challenge – the absence of my native Amazigh (Berber) language in the narratives accompanying the rich artifacts. Despite the cultural vibrancy of Morocco, the descriptions are limited to Arabic and French, leaving my linguistic identity unacknowledged. I passionately argue for museums to champion linguistic diversity, stressing that true inclusion extends beyond artifacts to the very words that breathe life into them. As a proud Amazigh (Berber) speaker, I implore museums to bridge this gap, recognizing that embracing linguistic diversity is crucial for a genuinely inclusive portrayal of global history.
Cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature.
Moutaz Alshaieb, 2022
During my fieldwork excavating and restoring mosaics for many years, my understanding of diversity developed. But participating in SAWA - اوس 2022 helped to expand and develop it. Nine months of discussions and exchange of experiences in the field of museum studies in Sharjah and Berlin provided me with a foundation to understand the concept of diversity and inclusiveness. We can apply these concepts not only inside the museum walls but also in our daily lives. Diversity is a vital term rich in its meanings and the tools it possesses can be employed to serve our societies to satisfy their various cultural, religious, intellectual, and other backgrounds.
A museum’s identity is shaped by the diversity, of its collections, staff,
visitors, and narratives of the varied human work through time, whether
since ancient times or even modern history. Regardless of its location, the
museum remains a fertile space to explore the topic and meaning of
diversity.
Jalina Tschernig and Khawla Al Midfa, 2021
We chose the term “Diversity” and agreed to write in our respective first language (Arabic and German) investigating how different aspects in our own languages determine how we attribute the term.
Conversing the concept of diversity in our mother tongues with each other highlights the complexity that context and connotation brings to the words we use. For the application of the word diversity we looked at the different fields within the museum. The basis of this article is based on our own opinion, experience, and research on this topic, which has been expanded and influenced by the trilingual exchange. We used Google Translate to understand what the other partner was writing.
Im Deutschen können verschiedene Worte für die Übersetzung von diversity gebraucht werden, darunter Diversität, Vielfalt, Mannigfaltigkeit sowie Heterogenität, Unterschiedlichkeit, Verschiedenheit und Differenz.
تكمن أهمية المتاحف في خلق تجارب ذات معنى ومغزى للشعوب من جميع الأصول والخلفيات لتعزيز قيمتها الاجتماعية.
...achieving diversity in museums in its various aspects from employees, collections, events, exhibitions, and advertisement methods, is pivotal. Showcasing and living diversity in museums is a great tool to implement knowledge, awareness, tolerance, and understanding.