International Day for
Tolerance
Quick Facts
The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for Tolerance is observed on
November 16 each year to help people understand the importance of tolerance
worldwide.
International Day for Tolerance 2015
Monday, November 16, 2014
The United
Nations’ (UN) International Day for Tolerance is annually observed on November
16 to educate people about the need for tolerance in society and to help them
understand the negative effects of intolerance.
What do people do?
The
International Day for Tolerance is a time for people to learn about respecting
and recognizing the rights and beliefs of others. It is also a time of
reflection and debate on the negative effects of intolerance. Live discussions
and debates take place across the world on this day, focusing on how various
forms of injustice, oppression, racism and unfair discrimination have a
negative impact on society.
Many
educators use the theme of this day to help students in classrooms or in
lecture theatres understand issues centered on tolerance, human rights and
non-violence. These issues are also found in text books, lesson material and
other educational resources used for this event. The UN Chronicle Online
Education also features articles about tolerance. Information on the day
is disseminated through flyers, posters, news articles and broadcasts, and
other promotional material to raise people’s awareness about the importance of
tolerance. Other activities include essays, dialogues and story-telling of
people’s personal accounts of intolerance and how it affects their lives.
Human rights
activists also use this day as an opportunity to speak out on human rights
laws, especially with regard to banning and punishing hate crimes and
discrimination against minorities. In the workplace, special training programs,
talks, or messages from workplace leaders about the importance of tolerance are
utilized on this day.
Public life
The UN’s
International Day for Tolerance is a global observance and not a public
holiday.
Background
In 1996 the
UN General Assembly invited member states to observe the International Day for Tolerance on November 16, with
activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider
public (resolution 51/95 of 12 December). This action came in the wake of the
United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the assembly in 1993
(resolution 48/126). The year was declared on the General Conference of
UNESCO’s initiative. On November 16, 1995, the UNESCO member states adopted the
Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the
year.
The 2005
World Summit Outcome document outlines the commitment of Heads of State and
Government to advance human welfare, freedom and progress everywhere, as well
as to encourage tolerance, respect, dialogue and cooperation among different
cultures, civilizations and peoples.
Symbols
UNESCO’s
logo, which features a temple including the UNESCO acronym (for United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) within itself and the words
“United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization” underneath
the temple, is used for online or print promotional material associated with
the International Day for Tolerance. The use of the complete name in English,
in association with one or several other languages provides an explanation of
the acronym of the organization. The six official languages of UNESCO are
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Images of
people of all backgrounds, cultures and ages, which are assembled into a
collage, are also used for the International Day for Tolerance to get the
message across to people about understanding tolerance regardless of
differences.
By. Jeanine
Duron
By. Jeanine
Duron
No comments:
Post a Comment