Mattie Stepanek once said, “Unity is strength . . . when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”

I believe unity cultivates ideas of teamwork and participation that can help entire communities thrive. Individuals have the ability to come together through a simple love and passion for something that urges large sums of people to connect for a cause. People can also be united through parts of their identity and groups they choose to associate with.

Through these connections, people start to form a collective identity that binds them to many others similar to them. For instance, in my local Pakistani community, individuals are all willing to volunteer and help out within the mosque for different events. The celebrations that happen within the mosque bring many people together due to a common love for Pakistani culture.

However, individuals are not always just united by their similarities; they can also be united by their differences. Our current society is driven by the brining together of diverse groups of people despite their opposing views. A variety of different identities and interests can help further strengthen a community and also educate individuals about particular cultures and lifestyles. A common historical example is the Crusades in the 12th century, when Christian and Muslim groups fought to secure control of holy sites they both considered to be sacred. During this time, Christian soldiers gained more exposure to Middle Eastern cultures and new technologies. Despite the differences between the two groups, they were able to learn from each other’s cultures. This was the beginning of the Renaissance in Europe and was the start of humanitarian thinking.

In our society, communities can learn from one another and often reach out through methods of globalisation. This has the ability to change people’s worldviews to be more accommodating and understanding towards different cultures. Communities have now been able to become more widespread and unite across the globe!