Diversity is good for innovation. This isn't a controversial statement, there is no shortage of economic literature to back this up.
Upholding each other's stories is the first step in sustaining diversity. By understanding each other's stories, putting them in context—putting in the sometimes hard work of empathy—we allow ourselves to make the connections necessary to see the world in new ways. Alternative perspectives for which we can interact with society.
This is not superficial when it comes to innovation: People have the capacity to be truly original, but we also take for granted how often we rely on our shared culture and predefined socially constructed realities to navigate this complex world and solve everyday problems. Practicing other perspectives opens our minds as well as our problem solving abilities and allows us to think outside the box.
Fostering environments where people are able to be exposed to different ways of thinking, different ways of being, and different approaches to problem solving is good for innovation.