How things went

Home Stretch

So, it is only 3 days left till the project begins. A lot of work have been done: lesson plans and diplomas have been printed, tests have been held, volunteers have been found. The only thing that I can do now, is to hope that everything will be ok!

The importance of tolerance

The world is a much smaller place today. Globalization has blurred borders throughout the world. More people from different nations, cultures, religions and lifestyles are working together and living in the same neighborhoods than ever before. Tolerance of each others’ differences is a very important key to keeping peace among co-workers and neighbors.

The importance of tolerance in society can not be emphasized enough in a world where there is one place or another in a state of war. Tolerance’s importance is shown repeatedly in the news where historically taboo ways of life and belief systems are pushing the justice system and governments to recognize their right to exist publicly. 

Religious differences are another place where tolerance is very important. How people worship is a very personal thing and someone bashing a person’s religious can start a heated battle very quickly. Everyone has the right to believe the way they want about religion. If there were more tolerance among people there would be few battles over whose religion is right.

There are just a few examples of where tolerance is very important in society. Because people are travelling more and working in different countries, there is a strong need for information about the different cultures that exist. There need to be more schools, workplaces and governments that insist on and teach tolerance.

International Day for Tolerance

The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for Tolerance is annually observed on November 16, it 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.