INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR TOLERANCE

According to the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) statement, 'tolerance is the respect, acceptance, and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human.'

The world is undergoing globalization which is transforming every society and exposing even the most indigenous of the cultures to other different ways of life. As this new interaction brings fourth constructive dialogues and intercultural exchanges, it also brings with it a wave of inequality, poverty, movements of people and unending civil conflicts. People are rejecting diversity as a weakness and opting for superiority classes and exclusive politics. Religions are waging wars on other religions in the name of spreading their beliefs.

In order to salvage the situation and to reduce the intolerance around the globe, UNESCO established the International Day of Tolerance to be marked globally on every 16th of November.

History of International Day of Tolerance

As the century drew to an end UNESCO hoped that the 21st century would unify all people in the world. The organization aimed at eradicating inequalities, prevent civil wars and achieve global tolerance across all cultures and religions.

As a way of achieving this great goal, the International Day of Tolerance was set aside. UNESCO would use this special day annually to check the progress of achieving peace, equality, and togetherness around the world. UNESCO works closely with all governments of its member countries in achieving global tolerance.

In 2005 annual UNESCO summit, the heads of States were tasked with the duty of improving human welfare in their States, grant their civilians constitutional freedoms and rights and work together with the international community to ensure uniform eradication of intolerance.

Each government should urge its citizens to practice tolerance as an act of liberation from the chains of ethnicity. That they should view the differences of others as their own and the Human Rights Charter provides for a diverse community. They should encourage the building of bridges through dialogue and not conquest and segregation. They should respect the beliefs of other people the way they expect other people to respect their own beliefs. This is because discrimination on one person is more like discrimination against all.

With these in mind, the governments have made commendable efforts and big strides in reducing intolerance in their individual countries.

How to Celebrate the International Day of Tolerance

The International Day for Tolerance is a time for you to learn the importance of tolerance, respect and recognizing other people’s rights and beliefs. Reflect on the negative effects of different forms of injustice such as racism, oppression, unfair discrimination, and religious conflicts and how they can be eradicated.

Educators and mentors take the opportunity of the day to teach their students the importance of tolerance at home, school or anywhere they are. The governments have ensured that the issues are included in the curriculum and the students have complete access to them.

The UN Chronicle Online Education produces articles on the importance of tolerance in the society. They use posters, flyers, articles, and broadcasts to pass information on that day. These activities are aimed at raising people’s awareness.

Other important activities organized in the community level include essays, dialogues, and confessions from victims of intolerance and how it changed their lives. Furthermore, the world recognizes all the victims of intolerance and their efforts to recuperate from the injustices done to most of them.

The day is also seized by human rights activists who take this chance to speak against intolerance and rebuke all the negative effects it comes with. They speak against discrimination of minorities and denial of human rights to activists.