One of the most important responsibilities of political leaders in diverse societies is to bring people together, not to set them apart. As the world is knit closer together by transportation and technology, more and more people are on the move, swelling the population of urban centers around the world, and increasing ethnic, racial, and religious diversity in both developed and developing countries. As the 2015 IOM report on migration and urbanization (see abstract and link below) points out, cities stand to gain from this infusion of new blood and new diversity but only if our leaders treat all communities with respect and provide opportunities for newer residents to participate fully in city life. It is the kind of leadership shown by Republican Senator
Jeffrey Flake of Arizona, who repudiated the demagoguery of Donald Trump and visited with members of the Islamic Center of the Northeast Valley in Scottsdale, and by Speaker of the House
Paul Ryan, who used the "bully pulpit" of his office to condemn Trump's campaign of fear and suspicion. If there's anything that history and sound governance tell us, it's that words matter and that real leaders choose their words with caution, not to be "politically correct," but to avoid stoking the embers of hate and mistrust that often lurk in the human heart. It is this kind of leadership that is on display in cities across the country where, according to a
new report prepared by the USC Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, a "quiet revolution" is underway. "Rather than playing to fears or rejecting newcomers, municipal leaders are coming up with new data-driven strategies to welcome and better integrate new Americans." Let's hope that these nascent efforts will set an example for the entire country.