International Day for Tolerance

According to the Oxford Dictionary, intolerance means “unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one’s own.” Intolerance is what International Day of Tolerance wants to combat.

International Day of Tolerance, which is celebrated annually on November 16, was established in 1995 by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The purpose of UNESCO is to help achieve international peace.

UNESCO established the International Day of Tolerance with the goal of drawing attention to intolerance and its negative effects. This day holds significance, because it educates the public about what tolerance is and why there is a need for it. Throughout history, humans have waged wars over differences in culture, which is pointless and ignorant. International Day of Tolerance recognizes this and works to put an end to it.

The human race is diverse and people need to embrace that. Tolerance is the basis of this and it “recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others,” according to the United Nations.

Every two years, on the International Day of Tolerance, UNESCO awards a prize to an organization, a person, or an institution for their contributions to spreading the practice of tolerance. This prize is called The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-violence. The winner of this prize is awarded $100,000 at a ceremony held by UNESCO. The next award will be given in 2020.