Rejection notions of linguistic universality, French-speaking Canadians wish to have all of the signs in Quebec only in French, rather than in French and English. Within the United States, extending equal education to all individuals becomes difficult, as linguistic proficiency in English may inhibit some student's ability to understand what is being taught in the classroom. These students may require additional support or accommodation to fully benefit from the educational system in the same manner as their fluent peers ("The challenge of cultural diversity," 2007, Cultural diversity and early education).

The equality of all human beings, presumed to be a universal human right by individuals who embrace the Western, individualistic cultural ethos, may conflict with religious groups who see men and women as intrinsically different and deserving of different rights -- and who reject secular values as an essential condition for developing their own national status and joining the international...

Saudi Arabia desire to be a world economic player and remain an Islamic monarchy.
Ultimately, when analyzing these four challenges posed to the concept of cultural diversity, it becomes clear that cultural diversity and pluralism are moral values and cultural artifacts of a very specific cultural context and moment in historical time -- Western, democratic society. To ensure that a society honors the rights of all of its citizens, regardless of their race, creed, gender, or sexual preference, and allows all cultures to flourish regardless of their linguistic or historical background in the area, would require challenging the cultural values of many nations of the current global configuration, including Islamic societies, and societies based in indigenous, traditional values. It even poses a challenge to our own society, as the public education system demands English proficiency, which may contradict the culture of many recent immigrants.

Background Readings

The challenge of cultural diversity." (2004). Barcelona Forum 2004. Retrieved 30 Aug 2007 at http://www.barcelona2004.org/eng/banco_del_conocimiento/documentos/ficha.cfm?IdDoc=2111

"The challenge of cultural diversity." (2007). Cultural diversity and early education:

Chapter 1. Retrieved 30 Aug 2007 at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/earlyed/chapter1.html#sub11