International Day for Tolerance
16 November 2008
Secretary-General, United Nations
Tolerance provides
the basis for mutual understanding and respect. It is an approach to life that allows for the rich diversity
of the world’s cultures to flourish. It is also a cornerstone of our efforts to promote global harmony.
As stated in the 1995 UNESCO Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, tolerance is “the virtue that makes peace
possible [and] contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace.”
The promotion of tolerance is particularly important in today’s era of rapidly increasing globalization, mobility
and interdependence. While diversity is an invaluable asset, it can also be a source of tension. Tolerance
can diffuse potential conflicts. It can help prevent theories of racial or cultural superiority from emerging,
and help societies to gradually overcome long-held prejudices and negative stereotypes.
Tolerance should
not be mistaken for concession or condescension. Genuine tolerance is about openness, curiosity and communication.
It goes hand in hand with knowledge and understanding. Education is one of the best ways to prevent intolerance, by
revealing similarities between people and spreading a healthy respect for differences.
Nor should tolerance
be confused with indifference. Being tolerant does not mean being passive in the face of racism, xenophobia and exclusion,
or silent when minorities, refugees, migrant workers and other vulnerable groups face abuse. Tolerance
is an injunction to all of us to stand up and speak out in defense of all who are deprived of their fundamental rights and
freedoms.
On the International Day for Tolerance, and in this year in which we commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I call on all people to renew our commitment to tolerance.
And let us redouble our efforts to achieve, through tolerance, our long-sought goal of a global culture of harmony
and peace.
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