In The West We Cling To The

Only, In Haiti, I Realized, Is It Possible To Drink Rum And Haggle With A God.

The World In Which You Were Born Is Just One Model Of Reality. Other Cultures Are Not Failed Attempts At Being You; They Are Unique Manifestations Of The Human Spirit.

A Language Is Not Just A Body Of Vocabulary Or A Set Of Grammatical Rules. ... Every Language Is An Old-growth Forest Of The Mind.

If Diversity Is A Source Of Wonder, Its Opposite - The Ubiquitous Condensation To Some Blandly Amorphous And Singularly Generic Modern Culture That Takes For Granted An Impoverished Environment - Is A Source Of Dismay. There Is, Indeed, A Fire Burning Over The Earth, Taking With It Plants And Animals, Cultures, Languages, Ancient Skills And Visionary Wisdom. Quelling This Flame, And Re-inventing The Poetry Of Diversity Is Perhaps The Most Important Challenge Of Our Times.

All Cultures Through All Time Have Constantly Been Engaged In A Dance With New Possibilities For Life. Change Is The One Constant In Human History.