EDITORIAL

2010: YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity is not only genetic diversity but also cultural; it can be expressed in various ways, through the diversity of language, culture, etc. It represents a remarkable tool for adaptation to changing and difficult environments. In complex cases, confrontations, debates and disputes must be an integral part of analysis and design processes. As in the case of conservation of genetic strands of plant species, cultural biodiversity must be preserved. Natural biodiversity has its own logic and its balance in nature. Only apparently do the seasons repeat themselves and plant or animal growth seem monotonous. In fact, there is a dynamism that constantly changes and improves even a simple piece of land. Suffice it to say that in just one gram of soil there may be hundreds of millions of bacteria of at least 20,000 different species.Nature moves on tiptoe, it does not destroy but renews and enriches itself. Nature is continuous innovation.On the contrary, man has a heavy tread, he does not respect himself or even his peers, because respecting one's peers means accepting cultural, social, intellectual and physical diversity. To combat monoculturalism, it is monoculture itself that must strive for a balance between stifling uniformity and creative originality.