OUR STRENGTH IS OUR DIVERSITY

As then, the underlying character of the city has come out. And to begin, let me introduce someone I have never met but who understands London perfectly. Marie Fatayi-Williams is a Muslim who flew to London from Nigeria because her son Anthony was missing. Before receiving confirmation that he was killed in the explosion on a London bus, she held an impromptu street-side press conference. "Anthony is a Nigerian born in London, who worked in London. He is a world citizen. Here today we have Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs and Hindus, united in love for Anthony."

Among those killed or missing were Poles, Turks, Americans, French, Italians, Israelis, Iranians, Sri Lankans and British of many ethnic origins. Religions included Christians, Muslims, Jews and others I do not know. One commentator said London had become the world's first "postnational city"--an exaggeration but with an important element of truth. Another, in words I would never have chosen but with the brashness of the British tabloid press, wrote that the bombings would go down as an "equal-opportunity massacre." Or, as the city's slogan has it, "One city, one world." That's very much the sentiment that produced Live 8 and led to London's winning its bid for the Olympic Games--showcasing not only London's historic monuments, but also featuring South African, Chinese and Russian children developing into athletes. And it's the essence of London's response to the recent terrorist attack.

That essence might be summed up as the resilience of cosmopolitanism. For centuries, London was the world's greatest port. Throughout history, it has had more physical connections with the rest of the globe than any other place on the planet. Shakespeare may have been born in Stratford but he worked in London, and his paying audience made their living by trade. Three hundred years ago a quarter of those invited to the coronation of George II were foreigners living in London.

Around this nucleus developed the world's greatest international financial center. New York handles a greater volume of financial transactions, but that reflects above all the size of the U.S. domestic market. As a strictly international center, London exceeds even New York. More than a million Londoners work in the City. Its international place is demonstrated by the fact that economic trends in East Asia often have more effect on it than developments at home in the U.K.

Of course, with all this come people--of every ethnic stripe and nationality. London's exposure to innumerable cultures fuels its creative industries, from entertainment, architecture and media to music, design and advertising. A quarter of London's senior- and middle-level financial management comes from abroad. Nearly a million Londoners are of Asian origin. One third of Londoners are now from ethnic minorities. Perhaps only a fraction of London's citizens fully appreciate its position as a great world financial and business center. But polls show almost all enjoy the city's extraordinary multinational and multiethnic character.