What does unity in diversity mean to me?

On the occasion of April 8, International Roma Day, and in the fight against discrimination, we are publishing this text, which is one of the winners of the literary competition organized by the NGO Human Rights Action (HRA) for students from grades 6 to 9, on the topic "What does unity in diversity mean to me?"

The first community that children find themselves in, that is not a family, happens in kindergarten. At that time, children do not notice any differences between each other. Somehow, they are all the same clumsy, stained, uncombed and with a nose that often runs. No one looks at anyone strangely or mockingly, not because of the color of their skin, not because of their knowledge. Some of the first divisions and pushing and shoving occur in elementary school.

In our large school, every class has someone who is on the outside in some way. Maybe because they want to be because they feel out of place, and sometimes the group rejects them for various reasons. In our class, it's a girl from the Roma population. Sometimes she wants to socialize, but she always does it in an unusual way that bothers the other children. She's rude when she chases, even boys run away from her. Because of her rudeness, no one wants to hang out with her. I often watch her. I feel guilty about why we don't play with her or have a nice conversation, but since most people won't, I choose to remain silent or ignore her. She often spends her holidays with her neighbors from the area, so I'm happy to see that she's not alone.

However, one day something specific happened. The class teacher told us that we should go on a three-day excursion to Cetinje. First, it was necessary to draw couples who would sit with whom on the bus. Since we are an odd number, of course her name remained unspoken for the couple. Then the class teacher said that we should see how we will do now and that we should also think about accommodation, and there are also three-bed rooms. My heart sank when I watched her standing on the side as if nothing was happening, as if all this was familiar and normal to her. That silence scarred us all. It would have been easier for us if she had protested and told her in anger to go with her friends from another class. But, no. That "dramatic silence", as the class teacher would say, hurt everyone more than any argument. I felt that her difference didn't hurt in itself, but only when it became a reason to avoid her. And what if we were different from her, we were just in the majority? That's when I said I would sit with her, and my best friend kept quiet. I felt that I had made everyone's unpleasant situation easier, and some even envied me for my decision. We sat too quietly for most of the way to Cetinje, and everyone was thinking in their heads about what had happened in front of the bus. I don't think anyone was worried about who would go to her room with her anymore, because everyone ignored her often unpleasant smell, as if everyone had already decided to teach her a little about proper hygiene and that during puberty, everyone sweats more or less uncomfortably, so we are bothered by that strong smell. She was silent too, looking out the window, and in her eyes you could see a happy glow that spoke louder than words.

Later on the way, she told me about her family. I couldn't quite figure out who was related to whom, her brothers and sisters from her father's second wife, her uncle and aunt, her grandmother who had died and who had been her mother. I understood that she lived in a huge family and that if I came to visit her, I would definitely be in the minority. That's how she learned to fight with her brothers and sisters to get attention for herself and for herself. She doesn't know any other way, so maybe she thinks that's how it should be. She just draws attention to herself, even if it's negative. It all changed the image of her. She talked about all sorts of things. I knew she was making things up, but don't we all do that? We always embellish our image of ourselves a little or avoid the truth a little. We laughed and threw popcorn at our classmates until the class teacher warned us. For the first time on that bus, she was a part of us. It was as if we were a closed circle that she had to earn. We all have to in some way. We always fit in somewhere, but it's much harder for her in any environment.

Going to Cetinje was not just a "History Lesson", but a life lesson. Diversity is not an obstacle to togetherness, but rather its test. For me, togetherness in diversity means that we are not looking for the same lives, but for the same dignity. Often, beauty lies in diversity. It needs to be found.

Petra Čepić, Elementary School "Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša", Budva