Women's Views on News |
| 16 November: day for tolerance Posted: 16 Nov 2015 09:19 AM PST
On 16 November 1995, the day of UNESCO's fiftieth anniversary, UNESCO’s member states adopted a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. Among other things, the declaration affirmed that tolerance is not indulgence or indifference. Tolerance is respect for and appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. And in 1996 the UN General Assembly (via Resolution 51/95) invited UN member states to observe an International Day for Tolerance on 16 November each year with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public. This action followed on from the United Nations' Year for Tolerance, 1995, which had been proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 on the initiative of UNESCO. The 2005 World Summit Outcome document (A/RES/60/1) then furthered 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, civilisations and peoples. So 16 November is the International Day for Tolerance. Tolerance recognises the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe. The Declaration qualified tolerance not only as a moral duty, but also as a political and legal requirement for individuals, groups and states. It situated tolerance in relation to the international human rights instruments drawn up over the past fifty years and emphasised that States should draft new legislation when necessary to ensure equality of treatment and of opportunity for all groups and individuals in society. Along with outright injustice and violence, discrimination and marginalisation are common forms of intolerance. Education for tolerance should aim at countering influences that lead to fear and exclusion of others, and should help young people develop capacities for independent judgement, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. The diversity of our world’s many religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities is not a pretext for conflict, but is a treasure that enriches us all. How can intolerance be countered? 1. Fighting intolerance requires law: Each government is responsible for enforcing human rights laws, and for banning and punishing hate crimes and discrimination against minorities, whether these are committed by state officials, private organisations or individuals. The state must also ensure equal access to courts, human rights commissioners or ombudsmen, so that people do not take justice into their own hands and resort to violence to settle their disputes. 2. Fighting intolerance requires education: Laws are necessary but not sufficient for countering intolerance in individual attitudes. Intolerance is very often rooted in ignorance and fear: fear of the unknown, of the other, of other cultures, of nations, of religions. Intolerance is also closely linked to an exaggerated sense of self-worth and pride, whether personal, national or religious. These notions are taught and learned at an early age. Therefore, greater emphasis needs to be placed on – more and better – education. Greater efforts need to be made to teach children about tolerance and human rights, about other ways of life. Children should, for example, be encouraged at home and in school to be open-minded and curious. Education is a life-long experience and does not begin or end in school. Endeavours to build tolerance through education will not succeed unless they reach all age groups, and take place everywhere: at home, in schools, in the workplace, in law-enforcement and legal training, and not least in entertainment and on the information highways. 3. Fighting intolerance requires access to information: Intolerance is most dangerous when it is exploited to fulfil the political and territorial ambitions of an individual or groups of individuals. Hatemongers often begin by identifying the public’s tolerance threshold. They then develop fallacious arguments, lie with statistics, and manipulate public opinion with misinformation and prejudice. The most efficient way to limit the influence of hatemongers is to develop policies that generate and promote press freedom and press pluralism, in order to allow the public to differentiate between facts and opinions. 4. Fighting intolerance requires individual awareness: Intolerance in a society is the sum-total of the intolerance of its individual members. Bigotry, stereotyping, stigmatising, insults and racial jokes are examples of individual expressions of intolerance to which some people are subjected daily. Intolerance breeds intolerance. It leaves its victims in pursuit of revenge. In order to fight intolerance individuals should become aware of the link between their behaviour and the vicious cycle of mistrust and violence in society. Each one of us should begin by asking: am I a tolerant person? Do I stereotype people? Do I reject those who are different from me? Do I blame my problems on ‘them’? 5. Fighting intolerance requires local solutions: Many people know that tomorrow’s problems will be increasingly global but few realise that solutions to global problems are mainly local, even individual. When confronted with an escalation of intolerance around us, we must not wait for governments and institutions to act alone. We are all part of the solution. We should not feel powerless for we actually possess an enormous capacity to wield power. Nonviolent action is a way of using that power – the power of people. The tools of nonviolent action-putting a group together to confront a problem, to organise a grassroots network, to demonstrate solidarity with victims of intolerance, to discredit hateful propaganda-are available to all those who want to put an end to intolerance, violence and hatred. The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in his message commenmorating this year’s Day for Tolerance, said, ‘The call "to practice tolerance" was written into the identity of the United Nations 70 years ago. ‘Today, in a world buffeted by turbulence and change, the Charter's summons remains a vital touchstone for our work. ‘People are more connected – but this does not mean there is more understanding. Societies are ever more diverse – but intolerance is growing in many places. Sectarian tensions can be found at the heart of many conflicts, with the rise of violent extremism, massive human rights violations, and cultural cleansing. ‘And the biggest crisis of forced displacement since the Second World War has spawned hatred and xenophobia against refugees and others. ‘Tolerance is much more than passively accepting the "other". It brings obligations to act, and must be taught, nurtured and defended. ‘Tolerance requires investment by states in people, and in the fulfilment of their full potential through education, inclusion and opportunities. ‘This means building societies founded on respect for human rights, where fear, distrust and marginalisation are supplanted by pluralism, participation and respect for differences. ‘This is the message of the International Day of Tolerance – reflected in the UNESCO Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, adopted in 1995. This same idea animates the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), which is being led forward by UNESCO across the world. ‘On the International Day of Tolerance,’ he continued, ‘let us recognise the mounting threat posed by those who strive to divide, and let us pledge to forge a path defined by dialogue, social cohesion and mutual understanding.’  |
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