The hilarious and socially conscious, Lisa Alcalay Klug, is launching a publicity campaign with the goal of promoting tolerance and cross-cultural dialogue. In honor of the celebration of multiculturalism and in conjunction with the campaign, a copy of Lisa's book "Cool Jew" [my review here] is up for grabs!!To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling me why multiculturalism is important!
- Giveaway ends on January 28th at 11:59 pm
- Open to U.S. and Canadian residents
- Winners will be chosen by random.org
The following is an excerpt from the campaign's press release:
GOT TOLERANCE?
No matter what your political views are, the upcoming presidential inauguration on January 20th of the first African-American president of the United States, Barack Obama, marks a turning point in American history. To mark the occasion, journalist and author Lisa Alcalay Klug is leading a coalition of artists, blogs, artists and organizations to promote cross-cultural dialogue and celebrate multiculturalism in this country. Klug is the author of a new book, Cool Jew:The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe (Andrews McMeel), a loving, irreverent and inclusive celebration of Jewish culture. With good humor and fun, Cool Jew honors Jewish diversity and Jewish commonalities with other ethnic groups, including Japanese, Native Americans and Rastafarians, to name a few.
Klug herself is a multicultural American and like the many artists she includes in her book and members of the "Tolerance Coalition," she cares passionately about both her culture and promoting cross-cultural understanding and tolerance. Her family survived the most extreme attempts to wipe out the Jewish people, the Holocaust and the Spanish Inquisition. Her father is a German Jew born in Poland liberated from Buchenwald by General Patton's troops in 1945. And her mother was born in Central America to Israelis whose ancestors spoke the now-rarely heard Judeo-Spanish language known as Ladino.
[...]
"This is a historic moment to promote tolerance and multiculturalism in America," Klug says, "and to shine a light on creative expression dedicated to the human spirit, artistic innovation, and cross-cultural dialogue."
For more information, contact Lisa Alcalay Klug here
Check out the Cool Jew website and the Cool Jew blog !!
14 comments:
Multiculturalism, tolerance is very important. I believe all cultures have value and it is important to respects everyone's belief. Mutual respect, non violent tolerance we need reasons to get along, not reasons to hate each other.
waldman@excite.com
I live in Canada where we have been described as a multicultural mosaic where everyone can keep their diverse culture and not be expected to conform. I think its important because if we were all the same, how boring would that be?
I'll bite!
To me -- living in extremely multicultural Toronto, Ontario -- multiculturalism is important because it means we're getting along, despite coming from different backgrounds and belief systems. There's an element of respect that grows.
Plus -- the FOOD IS GREAT. And the festivals. Multiculturalism, as well as promoting world peace, is simply FUN.
I'm an American if you can't handle multiculturalism might as well leave the country. Plus the food is great we got it all here. Honestly it would be pretty pooring if we all looked and thought a like.
Theresa N
weceno(at0yahoo(dot)com
Multiculturalism is vital, you have to understand where people are coming from to know why they act the way they do. And without understanding their motives, you'll just write them off, never get any deeper, never learn anything, and end up a dried up, bitter, hate-filled person with no good outlook on the way the world really is. Besides, learning about other cultures is awesome. :)
stephaniedekeyser (at) gmail.com
Why important? So that maybe, maybe one day we all stop bashing each other's heads in. Maybe.
it is important because we are not a society of one but a society of many. being tolerant and understanding of others opens many doors and channels and makes for a less ignorant society thereby reducing friction
Multicul;turalism is important because as Obama says "We are One", and that means to me that our " One ness" derives its power from our diversity and various subcultures.
Make sense?
madamerkf at aol dot com
Multiculturalism is loving people for who they are not the color of there skin.... I want to adopt and race does not matter to me.....
I've posted this on Win A Book. No need to enter the contest.
Multiculturism is literally, having to do with two or more cultures. As to its importance in the world today, it is really quite simple, most of us are of more than one culture or interact with someone from another culture. Understanding and being receptive of other cultures allows us to successfully survive and strive at home, at church, in school, in the workplace, and at play.
For example, on one side of the family I am Irish-American-Catholic, on the other side I am Native American and Protestant-European-American. My husband is Catholic-Polish-American and Lutheran-Norwegian-American. In a group of friends I hang out with, there are Wicca’s, Catholics, Atheists, and Buddhists. The homes in my development are owned by Caucasians, African-Americans, and Asians and East Indians. My sister in law is South African, my husband’s sister in law is Jewish And yet, all of these people are able to communicate and work together when needed because they respect each other’s cultures.
On a global scale, understanding of multiple cultures is even more important. The troubles in the Middle East are largely due to cultural/Religious disputes and grievances that go back centuries. Only by understanding the problems, can they eventually be solved.
Tolerance is my least favorite word, simply because the word implies that people, ideas, and cultures different from one's own are something that needs to be tolerated, not embraced or celebrated. Multiculturalism is the natural state of things, despite what centuries of xenophobic philosophy that's been shoved down our collective throat might have one believe.
Awesome book! I would love to win this book! I think multiculturalism is important because we live in a world with alot of intolerance. It is important to recognize that everyone has a right to their own beliefs and values. A key to bringing the world together is to accept each other for who we are!
Jennifer
primitive.zoey@yahoo.com
http://crookedneedleprimitives.blogspot.com/
Multiculturalism is important because we are all in this together. Ignorance or lack of knowledge and the accompanying fear is the cause of much of the trouble in the world. Learning about other cultures is interesting and enlightening. The more we learn, the less we fear a culture that is different from our own. We begin to appreciate and enjoy another culture's uniqueness as we find how it is also alike our own. In the end, we learn that we are all more alike (in our own special ways) than we are different!
Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
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