In the Raw

IN THE RAW

Photography by ALKAN EMIN

I have never been able to describe myself in one word. I am all the words and that's what diversity is to me: people that will always defy description, people that belong everywhere.

Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.

Diversity shouldn't even be something that we have to think about. It's the key to life.

Diversity is life: cultivate and embrace it.

When I look at the various ways we as humans express ourselves it becomes clear we are all many, yet we are one.

Without a difference of diversity humanity has no soul. Even dressed the same, our souls will shine

We should celebrate diversity because it makes the world colorful, exciting and unique.

New order of world peace.

Diversity isn't something you strive for, or achieve, or create. It's already there. If you can't find it, if you can't see it, you suck.

If only everyone in the world could travel far and wide, it would go a long way in helping people lose their fear of anyone who looks, thinks, worships, lives differently from themselves.

Diversity makes life interesting; Appreciating and celebrating each others differences.

Diversity is good, but alone it isn't enough to create a harmonious, compassionate society. Alone, it is tokenism. That's why we must build inclusive communities - racially, culturally, sexually, economically

- where every individual truly has the opportunity to thrive.

Diversity involves getting rid of the “boxes” we use to categorize, judge and use to place a value on others based on cultural (gender or personality traits based on sexist beliefs) and religious dogmas. Equality requires diversity and cannot be achieved without it. We all still have a task in front of us.

Diversity is beauty and strength. It embraces colors, smells, tastes, ideas and ideology. It's unique while unifying.

Diversity, to me, is about recognizing the inherent strength and dazzling beauty that comes from the myriad colors and stories that fill the world.

Diversity is the spice of life and life is better in colour.

Being black and different brings blessings and happiness and challenges.

Everyone is beautiful no matter the color of our skin, the shape of our nose, the texture of our hair… we are all beautiful, we are all unique; all special and all children of god.

When you strip away everything and expose vulnerability, on the deepest level, we are all the same.

A land or country, much like our ideal way of Canadian life... not just a melting pot, but a mosaic of culture living in harmony, embracing differences.

We each weave a piece of a large tapestry, contributing to a diversity that propels our culture. It lends life mystery and fills us with a sense of curiosity.

Growing up in Scarborough and having been exposed to many different cultures and then working in the fashion world where diversity is embraced, I've always been aware of how special it was to be exposed to such a beautiful melting pot of color and culture.

Diversity is at the heart of life’s greatest lessons. We are all reminded how similar we all are and that our differences are opportunities to listen and learn.

Diversity, when embraced, gives us strength and clarity that can only come from bringing our differences together.

Listening, engaging, recognizing, and creating space in our day to day lives for people who are unique and different from us. Diversity is educating.

As an artist, all concepts are visual to me and this includes diversity. I see patterns in facial features, skin tone, hair texture etc…and no matter how diverse we may all be, these patterns repeat themselves time and time again in different arrangements in different people, the human species. We are all the same.

“Every Woman” - when I hear these words, I think of the great diversity of women in our world. I am honored to represent one part of this diversity..

We have to understand the negative human intellectual construction around the body sizes and shapes we inhabit, and celebrate the truth that at our cores we are all spiritual beings having a human experience.

At 70 years old if I could give myself one piece of advice, it would be to use the words “fuck off” much more frequently. - Helen Mirren

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.

Diversity is not the objective, but rather the beginning of what we as a society can truly be together.

Diversity. Without it, there's no balance.

What I loved about participating in this series highlighting Canada's diversity is a simple reminder: we all definitely look different on the outside but on the inside we are the same.