November 16 International Day of Tolerance history of the holiday. Partners

Tourism and rest 26.06.2019
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International Day for Tolerance

November 16 is the International Day of Tolerance (Tolerance). It was declared by UNESCO in 1995 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of this organization.

In 1996 General Assembly The UN has invited member states to celebrate November 16 each year as the International Day dedicated to tolerance, timed to coincide with the relevant activities focused on both educational establishments as well as to the general public.

Symbol of tolerance - rainbow flag

Tolerance Calendar

Celebrated by international organizations of the UN system:

November 16, 1995 - The UNESCO General Conference approved the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance

1995 - International Year of Tolerance

1999 - "Manifesto 2000 for a culture of peace and non-violence"

2000 - International Year for a Culture of Peace

2001-2010 - International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World

2004 - International Year of Remembrance for the Fight against Slavery and its Abolition

International Day for Tolerance

In 1996, the General Assembly invited Member States to celebrate the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November every year with appropriate activities aimed at both educational institutions and the general public (resolution 51/95 of 12 December).

This decision was taken in connection with the observance in 1995 of the United Nations Year for Tolerance, which was proclaimed by the Assembly in 1993 (resolution 48/126). This Year was announced at the initiative of the General Conference of UNESCO. On November 16, 1995, the Member States of UNESCO adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and the Program of Action to continue the activities of the Year.

The 2005 World Summit Outcome Document (A/RES/60/1) highlights the desire of Heads of State and Government to improve human well-being, freedom and progress anywhere, and to promote tolerance, respect, dialogue and interaction between different cultures, civilizations and peoples.

TOLERANCE, or tolerance, the desire and ability to establish and maintain community with people who differ in some respect from the prevailing type or who do not adhere to generally accepted opinions. Tolerance is a difficult and rare achievement for the simple reason that the foundation of the community is the tribal consciousness. We unite in the same community with those who share our beliefs, or with those who speak the same language or culture as we do, or with those who belong to the same ethnic group. In essence, a common language and a sense of ethnic affinity throughout human history act as the foundations of community. At the same time, we tend to be hostile or fearful of "others"—those who are different from us. The difference can take place at any level of biological, cultural or political reality.

International Day for Tolerance (on other official languages UN: eng. International Day for Tolerance, Spanish Dia Internacional para la Tolerancia is celebrated annually on November 16th. This International Day was solemnly proclaimed in the UNESCO Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. The Declaration was approved in 1995 at the 28th General Conference of UNESCO (Resolution No. 5.61).

Tolerance (tolerance) in the Declaration is understood as "respect, acceptance and correct understanding of the rich diversity of cultures of our world, our forms of self-expression and ways of manifestation of human individuality." The Declaration proclaims "the recognition that human beings are inherently different in appearance, position, speech, behavior and values ​​and have the right to live in peace and preserve their individuality."

The Declaration examines the threats to humanity posed by intolerance and proposes methods and programs to combat intolerance.

In 1997, the UN General Assembly (resolution No. A / RES / 51/95) also invited the UN member states to celebrate this International Day. The General Assembly in this resolution refers to its decisions to celebrate the United Nations Year for Tolerance; refers to the UN Charter, which establishes that the principle of tolerance must be applied in the prevention of wars; Takes note of UNESCO's decision to adopt the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.

In his message in 2005 on the occasion of international day dedicated to tolerance, the UN Secretary-General says that the fight against intolerance is one of the main activities of the UN. In the context of population growth and increasing migration, xenophobia and extremism are on the rise all over the world. Tolerance, the message says, means knowing more about each other, bringing out the best in each other's traditions and beliefs. We need to respect each other as individuals who independently determine their identity, religious and cultural affiliation, as individuals who understand that we can appreciate our own characteristics without hating the characteristics of others.

Vladislav Lentorsky offers 4 possible ways understanding of tolerance:

1) tolerance as indifference (the existence of opinions, the truth of which can never be proven) - religious views, values ​​of various cultures, ethical beliefs, beliefs, etc.

2) tolerance as the impossibility of mutual understanding (limits the manifestation of tolerance to respect for another, which at the same time is impossible to understand and with whom it is impossible to interact).

3) tolerance as indulgence (privileged in the mind of a person, the position of one's own culture, therefore all others are assessed as weaker: they can be tolerated, but at the same time despised).

4) tolerance as an extension of one's own experience and critical dialogue - allows not only to respect someone else's position, but also to change one's own as a critical dialogue. This approach is the most desirable in the current situation.

Basic principles of tolerance.

These principles include, first of all, the following:

Rejection of violence as an unacceptable means of introducing a person to any idea. Voluntary choice, "freedom of conscience", emphasis on the sincerity of beliefs.

The ability to force oneself without forcing others. Fear and coercion from the outside do not contribute to the formation of tolerance, although as an educational factor at a certain moment they discipline people, while forming certain mores;

· tolerance, in the European sense, sets an example of "law-abiding", obedience to laws, traditions and customs. Obedience to laws, and not to the will of the majority or one person, seems to be an important factor in social development;

Acceptance of the OTHER, which may differ on various grounds - national, racial, cultural, religious, etc.

Forming relationships according to the "golden" rule: "Do to others the way you would like them to do to you."

Social holidays are events whose task is not just to become an occasion for entertainment, but to draw public attention to certain problems. Among the most pressing issues is tolerance. It is to this phenomenon that the International Day for Tolerance is dedicated. How the holiday appeared, why is it so relevant today, is Tolerance Day celebrated in Russia in 2018 - there are many questions regarding the new holiday.

According to Wikipedia, in Russian this holiday is named after the International Day for Tolerance. However, in colloquial speech, we often call it the Day of Tolerance. In many ways, this was facilitated by its English name - International Day for Tolerance.

Today this holiday is celebrated in more than a hundred countries around the world. But what date is Tolerance Day in 2018 in Russia?

The United Nations proposed to celebrate the Day dedicated to tolerance on November 16 - it was on this day that UNESCO adopted the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance, after which the holiday was named.

How did the holiday

Questions devoted to the recognition and acceptance of foreign culture and individuality have been brewing for a long time. At the end of the last century - more precisely, in 1995 - UNESCO as a division of the United Nations at the regular annual General Conference adopted a resolution called the "Declaration of the Principles of Tolerance".

The lengthy resolution described the basic concepts of tolerance, gave explanations of the term itself, the phenomena that fall under the specified definition. Consideration in the Declaration of the threats posed by the rejection of a foreign culture and characteristics has become important. In addition to the problems that arise in the state and people who do not accept tolerance as a life principle, programs were also given to combat manifestations of intolerance, methods that allow introducing tolerance into the minds of citizens.

Two years later, in 1997, the UN at the General Assembly put forward a proposal for the member countries of the Organization to add the Day of Tolerance or the International Day dedicated to tolerance to the list of international holidays. Date new holiday It was decided to choose the date for the adoption of the "Declaration of Principles of Tolerance" by UNESCO - 16 November.

Since the end of the 20th century and until today, the UN has devoted much great attention issues of tolerance and acceptance of foreign cultures. In November 2005, the UN Secretary General read out a message on the principles of tolerance. In it, Kofi Annan (namely, he served as Secretary General from 1997 to 2006) put emphasis on the fight against xenophobia and extremism, called for respect for each person as an individual with their own way of life, culture, religion, identity. It was Kofi Annan who gave the final definition of tolerance - the ability to appreciate the peculiarities of oneself as an individual and one's people, without humiliating or oppressing the peculiarities of other people.

Tolerance Day in Russia

In Russia public events, dedicated to the Day of Tolerance, have been held since 2006, although our country joined the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance in 1997. St. Petersburg became the ancestor of the tradition of involving people in the events in honor of the International Day: a large-scale city program “Tolerance” was adopted there, whose main task was to introduce the principles of tolerance among the younger generation. School teams of the city participated in quizzes and competitions held in honor of the holiday, and the events themselves were covered in the regional press.

In 2014, 16 Russian cities participated in the Tolerance program. The motto of the action was the appeal “We are for the friendship of nations!”, and the main event was the Hour of Running. The protesters held a mass run in support of the International Day of Tolerance, and the movement was initiated by the "Federation for World Peace", which gathered more than two dozen sports and youth associations of the country to support the program.

The twenty-first century has allowed modern man make many important discoveries, and the development of new technologies has greatly simplified our life, made it more comfortable. But for some reason, this did not allow homo sapiens to become kinder and more tolerant of each other. The eternal struggle between good and evil is still going on in our progressive time.

As a result, news channels are full of alarming reports about the facts of terrorism, aggression, and criminal incidents. Therefore, today the problem of finding optimal methods for eradicating intolerance reaches colossal proportions and is extremely relevant. An important step towards its solution can be considered the Day of Tolerance, which is celebrated annually on November 16th.

International Day with a Focus on Tolerance

Two decades ago, in 1995, the 28th General Conference of UNESCO took place, at which they adopted the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance and solemnly announced their intention to celebrate World Tolerance Day every year. In this document, the concept of "tolerance" (or "tolerance") is considered as an understanding and acceptance of the versatility, diversity, originality of cultures that exist on our planet. to other people, despite their chosen forms of self-expression and ways of manifesting their own individuality.

The Declaration states that such is human nature: we are all different, and at the same time equal, regardless of appearance, nationality, social status, values ​​or behavior. Tolerance Day aims to highlight this commonality.

The future of mankind is in unity

Unfortunately, intolerance exists, continuing to pose a threat to peace and harmony on Earth. Therefore, humanity, having tasted the bitterness of exhausting wars, has chosen tolerance as the fundamental principle of morality.

Increasingly, we are coming to the understanding that irreconcilability and uncompromisingness must disappear, and efforts to prevent emerging conflicts and overcome existing conflicts must come to the fore. And a wonderful reminder of this need is, in fact, tolerance. The activities it provides the best way teach us unity, justice and respect.

The path to harmony with the environment

The origin of the term "tolerance" is directly related to the name of an influential figure in French government circles at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries - Talleyrand-Périgord.

Prince Talleyrand was once one of Napoleon's close aides. This man managed to hold on to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs during the repeated change of power - revolutionary, Napoleonic and royal. He really was talented in many areas, but he was especially good at taking into account the opinions of outsiders, taking into account their temper and personal qualities, treating them with respect and at the same time not changing his own principles, making amends contentious issues without prejudice to all parties involved. He himself controlled the situation, and did not blindly submit to circumstances and opponents.

Using the behavioral line of this politician as an example to follow, influential people of the developed countries of our time urge the population of the whole world not to ignore Tolerance Day, but, on the contrary, to learn to be wise, loyal, merciful, compassionate and forgiving. After all, it is these qualities that help a person to be in constant harmony with the world around him and achieve success in all his endeavors, regardless of external factors.

Features of a tolerant and intolerant personality

Tolerant should be considered a person endowed with a special moral quality, which reflects an active social position and the absence of a psychological barrier for constructive communication with representatives of another nationality, social group, other views, beliefs, worldviews, behavior.


An intolerant person shows such qualities as nihilism, selfishness, ignoring the opinions of others, intolerance and misunderstanding towards them, irritability, cynicism, neglect, the desire to transfer responsibility to other people, a constant feeling of an impending threat and unreasonable aggression.

Family and school: a course towards tolerance

Trends recent years testify to the catastrophic growth in the teenage and youth environment of various forms. Note that the manifestation of rudeness, violence, and cruelty on the part of the younger generation is already familiar in our everyday life.

And this serious problem does not leave indifferent the most conscious members of the public, in particular teachers and parents. Today, even a new one is being developed, unique direction- pedagogy of tolerance.

Emphasis on proper education

The leading task of modern educational policy is the education of tolerance in children, youth and youth. We propose to briefly consider the most effective pedagogical ways of developing this quality in schoolchildren during the educational process.

Unambiguously favorable for the education of tolerance is considered joint creative activity, especially if it has a socially significant meaning. An excellent result can be demonstrated by the use of collective discussion of problems. This approach will enable each student to enter into a conversation, express their own opinion, propose a solution to a specific problem, listen to others and reach a compromise. At the same time, the teacher should not show excessive guardianship, openly manage the discussion process, which will hinder the development of relations between children. Naturally, it is appropriate to plan such events for the Day of Tolerance, which once again emphasizes the importance of the overall activity of the class team.

Rules for constructive communication

The accumulation of experience of tolerant interaction is also successfully promoted by special training of children in the basics of constructive communication. The achievement of this goal will be best facilitated by communicative trainings that develop the competence of schoolchildren in the field of establishing contacts with different people and shaping their ways of overcoming communication difficulties. With the help of such classes, the conduct will not cause big problems from its organizers. The main thing is that children should remember the following rules: learn to respect your neighbor; listen to what he says; defend your opinion tactfully; look for suitable arguments; be fair; strive to take into account the interests of others.

We celebrate Tolerance Day in the school community

In order to form and strengthen in the minds of representatives of the values ​​of socio-cultural interaction in general educational institutions, it is customary to organize not one, but a small cycle of thematic classes throughout the year.

But the most important - Tolerance Day at school, the activities within its framework are especially instructive and interesting. Its program can be greatly enriched by holiday concerts, round tables, trainings, lectures, film screenings, excursions and even creative festivals. It is better that it is children who are active participants in this meaningful diversity.

(tolerance). What does this strange holiday mean? Does this mean that anyone who celebrates this date supports homosexuality and other "deviations"? Does an Orthodox believer who respects traditions have the right to participate in events dedicated to the Day tolerance? This is what we will look at in this article. First of all, we will deal with the meaning of the term "tolerance". It comes from the Latin word "tolerantia" - patience. But how far should this restraint of ours extend? Doesn't tolerance mean condescension to every lawlessness?

History of International Day for Tolerance

The initiative to establish this holiday belongs to UNESCO. It was on this first day of the second decade of November 1995 that the organization adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. It speaks of the equality of all people, regardless of the color of their skin, religion or origin. And a year later, the Member States decided to celebrate this event annually. But the same principles mentioned in the act of 1995 are spelled out in the Universal (or, as it is also called, universal) - the famous document that was approved in 1948. Why was this legal dubbing necessary? Why, besides December 10 (the day the UDHR was adopted), should we also celebrate November 16? was accepted as a significant date in order to draw the attention of mankind to a terrible picture. In the twenty-first century, despite the progress and technological rise of civilization, here and there on our planet people are persecuted, humiliated and insulted for being “different”. And it becomes the cause of violence and extremism. To educate people in respect for "others" and prevent these manifestations, and is celebrated on November 16.

International Day for Tolerance: events

By ratifying the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, the UN member states pledged not only to create fair legislation, but also to adhere to the norms in the judiciary and administrative system which would take into account the provisions of this act. And besides, they should do everything to make the citizens of these countries more tolerant of those who are different from them in some way. And this is not so easy to do. The adoption of laws, the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration, are only a "material" condition for the formation of a tolerant society. But without proper education in the spirit of respect for someone else's identity, all this will turn into an empty declamation. November 16, International Day of Tolerance, is a test of society on how people are ready to perceive views that are alien to them, a way of life, faith and traditions that are far from them in spirit. Events can be completely different: from round tables discussing the observance of the rights of people with disabilities to the broadcast on television of the film "Dandies", which tells about the USSR in the fifties of the last century.

What is tolerance

The very word "patience" has a negative connotation. It means "to suffer." We subconsciously experience unpleasant emotions in cases when people behave differently from us, dress strangely, lead a lifestyle alien to us, and profess views that are unacceptable to us. And some of us even ignite with “righteous anger.” But maybe we ourselves in the eyes of these other people look like the same strange "renegades"? Let's think about it November 16th. The International Day for Tolerance is intended to once again emphasize a simple fact of life: we are all different, and we are all equal. You should not demand from others to be “like everyone else” and, moreover, resort to violence. Living in a harmonious, multicultural society will also be easier for you when you are in the minority with your views or self-identity.

How far should tolerance extend?

When the holiday of November 16, the International Day for Tolerance, was established, the states deliberately established the limits of tolerance. A person is free to live as he sees fit, as long as his freedom to express himself does not affect the rights of other people. Thus, a hooligan who behaves ill-mannered (behaves, litters and insults others) cannot be an object of tolerance. Also, any social and political groups that profess racial, religious and other hatred cannot be tolerated by society. Tolerance and pluralism are the hallmarks of a civilized society. They bring up the rule of law. So do not be afraid to celebrate November 16 - International Day for Tolerance. The pictures commonly shown to children in schools to commemorate this date highlight both difference and equality between people.

International Day of Tolerance (Tolerance) is celebrated annually on November 16. On this day in 1995, the Member States of UNESCO adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and the Program of Action. In 1996, the General Assembly invited UN member states to celebrate the International Day for Tolerance on November 16 every year and to coincide with it with appropriate events aimed at both educational institutions and the general public.

The Declaration of Principles on Tolerance proclaims that all human beings are inherently different, but equal in dignity and rights.

According to the document, tolerance means respect, acceptance and a correct understanding of the rich diversity of the world's cultures, forms of self-expression and ways of manifesting human individuality. At the state level, tolerance requires fair and impartial legislation, respect for the rule of law, and judicial and administrative procedures. Tolerance also requires giving every person opportunities for economic and social development without any discrimination.

Most effective tool prevention of intolerance is, according to the declaration, education, which begins with teaching people what their common rights and freedoms are, in order to ensure the exercise of these rights, and with encouraging the desire to protect the rights of others.

The principles of tolerance as fundamental rights and freedoms are enshrined in legal acts and proclaimed in international declarations. The basic documents are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms operates within the Council of Europe (CE). Prevention of racism and racial discrimination are enshrined in international convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and other documents.

AT Russian Federation for a broad definition of tolerance - the Constitution. In the field of racism and racial discrimination, Article 136 of the Criminal Code (Violation of the equality of human and civil rights and freedoms) and Article 282 (Inciting hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity) are recognized as the main ones.

The European Council for Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR) was established in Paris. The main activity of the ECTP is devoted to monitoring the situation in the field of tolerance in Europe, developing proposals and recommendations to national governments and international organizations to improve interreligious and interethnic relations on the continent. Council is international organization focused on combating xenophobia, anti-Semitism and racial discrimination in the modern world.

The European Commission decided to create a draft law that would protect the principles of respect and prohibit any form of discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism. The Commission obliged the EU countries to adopt the legislative model prepared in this regard into their legal systems.

In October 2012, the ECTP proposed European Parliament a draft model framework national law on the development of tolerance, which defines the basic principles and concepts of tolerance, the principles of the relationship between different social groups, including between migrants and indigenous peoples, guarantees a number of democratic freedoms, enumerates the responsibilities that governments must fulfill European countries, including duties in the field of education, regulates relations with the media.

For his contribution to the development of ideas of tolerance in Europe and the fight against various forms intolerance The European Medal of Tolerance was established by the ECTP. The first gold medal of tolerance was awarded in 2010 to King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

In October 2012, in the European Parliament, the Gold Medals of Tolerance were awarded to Croatian President Ivo Josipović and former Serbian President Boris Tadic for their exceptional personal role in the reconciliation process in the Western Balkans.

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