Globalisation has taken its toll on the world. It continues to blend cultures together at an extraordinary rate, integrating customs, values and traditions. In many parts of the world, this process has had a profoundly positive effect and eradicated some of the worst practices of racism, xenophobia and other injustices that have plagued the human race throughout history. But with it, globalisation has also ushered in an era filled with lost culture and identity.
This last point is particularly true in new countries such as our own. The move towards becoming a “modern” country, by benchmarking our progress against other nations, has led to the formation of a rapidly changing culture.
The by-product of that shift is that many citizens struggle to hold on to the values passed on to them by their parents, families and community. They undertake this struggle, while sometimes contradictory foreign values are being adopted from the media, expatriate colleagues, friends and society as a whole.
For those of us who have spent time abroad, the process is that little bit more difficult. Living on the fence, understanding the logic and benefits of both sides, the struggle is ongoing to identify ways to combine inherited and adopted values and put them into one identity. So much so that many eventually end up lost or isolated.
Yet, those who are fortunate enough to possess the knowledge and understanding of both local and foreign principles and values are in truth some of the greatest assets the UAE possess today. These ambassadors of progress fully understand their potential and the vital importance of their role as representatives of change and development.
Not surprisingly, there are those who are resistant when it comes to the sensitive topic of change, and this is to be expected.
A son drinking water before offering it to his father, a younger brother laid back on the sofa while his older brother serves tea to their guests, or a mother receiving a smile as a welcome for her son rather than a kiss on her forehead. Inch by inch, traditions and customs slowly fade away to make room for globalisation and it is only natural for people to oppose this change.
Even more so in the UAE, where people like myself – and many from the generation before me – have witnessed the unprecedented transformation of their country in just a few decades. We have observed as the culture of our parents, who struggled so hard to preserve it, is being eaten away by the excesses of newly introduced foreign values.
This resistance leads some to insist on the preservation of culture by being conservative, but, in truth, the way forward requires more finesse and diplomacy.
The force of globalisation is unstoppable and to resist it would be to live in denial. But a balance must be struck between the old and the new. That balance should be one that keeps an open mind to change and development, but also ensures the culture of the UAE is at the heart of all plans mapped out for the country.
An investment must be made that recognises those who hold the invaluable keys of the past and uniqueness of the UAE culture in their hands, alongside citizens who have lived and fully understood and experienced foreign cultures.
Rather than stumble into the trap that so many other countries have fallen into before – one that results in a loss of their own identity to make way for progress – a more balanced approach should be adopted, one that supports being conservative and progress at the same time.
A partnership must be built between both groups, allowing them to work side by side to map out the future of the country together, with the goal of having the UAE stand as one of the world’s great countries. The preservation of our culture should be the foundation stone of this path, while it should also respect and value the diversity and advancement of other nations.
Taryam Al Subaihi is a political and social commentator who specialises in media and communications
On Twitter: @TaryamAlSubaihi
