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Good morning. We’re in the midst of awards season once again, and as ever, they’ve been accompanied by controversy. At the BAFTAs on Sunday night, the Duke of Cambridge spoke out about “the need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector”. It was a rallying call picked up by the actor Joaquin Phoenix, who didn’t pull any punches when he attacked the film industry for “systemic racism” and acknowledged that he, along with many others, were part of the problem as they’d benefited from that system. This issue isn’t new, and the BAFTAs are hardly the only awards to be affected. In the last few weeks alone, the nominations for the Brit Awards, the Grammys and the Oscars have all been called out for failing to accurately reflect their industries. One of the big winners of Sunday night was 1917, a powerful film set on the front line of the Great War. It’s also been embroiled in controversy, with the actor Lawrence Fox claiming that the casting of a Sikh soldier in the movie was itself “forcing diversity on people”. Although he’s since apologised for making that claim, the irony is that his comments actually resulted in millions of people around the globe becoming aware of the pivotal role played by Sikh soldiers in the First World War. Debates over whether the media industry is truly representative of society aren’t new. Where arguments were once about working class voices and indecency on the screen, the focus is now on recognition for women and people of colour. Even within a faith community, acknowledging diversity can be equally challenging. On the one hand, the more representation there is on screen, the better the awareness about that faith. However, if that representation comes across as focussing on negative aspects, then there is a worry that the faith will become tarred by the same brush. For years, some from my own faith opposed the idea of a Sikh family on Eastenders because they were afraid that the entire community would be seen through the prism of their actions. That they could give all Sikhs a bad name. Diversity is about enriching our lives through different perspectives and seeing the world from the views of others. It’s ultimately about valuing difference and plurality rather than protecting a monoculture. If we’re to be mature about it, then we have to accept that diversity of opinions exist within faiths and minority groups themselves. Not all Sikhs have to wear turbans to be religious, for example. It starts with a self-awareness of our own role in putting up barriers to such discussions. If we disagree with someone’s views, we shouldn’t just dismiss them as ignorant. After all, as Guru Nanak himself said, “I’m not good and no-one is bad.” Whatever our background or identity, we should listen, engage and respond with compassion and understanding.