The Full Force of Tolerance

November 17, 2023

International Day of ToleranceStatement byEducation Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite all ourprogress in many aspects of human life on earth,we still fall behind on universal ethics, empathy and moral courage three key components essential to create a world of tolerance. Today, we live in a world of grave injustices,stark inequities and a polarizationthat threatensour very survival.

More than ever, the notion of "tolerance"calls forserious reflection, constant remembrance and conscious action in our daily effort,orasMartin Luther King Jr.said: "Tolerance is not enough; we must have positive action for freedom."In thisspiritof positive action, "tolerance" is conditioned by our ethics, empathy and courage tonottolerate injustice and inequality. It expectsus to treat others as we want to be treated ourselves.

TheDeclaration of Principles on Tolerance, which was signed by the Member States of UNESCO on 16 November 1995, reads:"Toleranceis respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference. It is not only a moral duty, it is also a political and legal requirement. Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace."

Nearly three decades later,the fullmeaningof "tolerance"remains an elusive, almost abstract, imperative across the globe. The magnitude and depth of violence, armed conflicts, persecution, prejudices and closed minds have reached shockingproportions.Religious, ethnic and racially motivatedhatredandextremism engulf our globe and every continent.Clearly, it is not enough to be human. The human family at large also has to learn to becomehumane.

Tensionsin and between the Global North and the Global Southare hittinga fever pitch, causingbrutalarmedconflictsin the Middle East andAfrica,a protracted war in Ukraine, andongoingviolence inAsiaandLatin America.Forced displacement has reached record levels since WWII. At the root lies intolerance.

"Education is the most effective means of preventing intolerance. The first step in tolerance education is to teach people what their shared rights and freedoms are, so that they may be respected, and to promote the will to protect those of others,"readsTheDeclarationof Principles on Tolerance.

In the same vein, "The highest result of education is tolerance," Helen Keller eloquently put it.Indeed,tolerance comes with education. It starts during early childhood at home, on the playground and at preschool; hence,it successivelysolidifies throughout our education and continued learning in life.

Sprung from empathy for all of humanity, education in tolerance is a long road that makes the connection between the mind and the heart. Aristotle understood this well when he said: "Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."

This is thepower of education.The true meaning of "tolerance"must be taught, nurtured, acted upon and defended.Over the yearsofworking inplaces wherearmed conflicts and wars dominatethe lives of young childrenand adolescents, I have found that their experience ofconflict, violenceanddisplacementopensthem up to empathy thehighest form of tolerance. Their resiliencemakes them humane andopens the door totheir greatest potential provided they receive conducive qualitylearning. This is the transformative power of education.

Young children and adolescents who have suffered unspeakable horrors of dispossession and conflict areexceptionally capableto learn freedom as opposed to oppression, peace as opposed to war. With a quality education, this isthe potential ofthe 224million children and adolescents intoday'sarmed conflicts, climate-induced disasters and forced displacement.

I fully believe that patience is a virtue; however, it is definitely not a virtue in the face of human suffering.In the same way, tolerance, too, is a virtue; yet italsorequires us tobe intolerant of violations ofInternational Humanitarian Lawand universal human rights.Only then will we attain the full force of tolerance and model the empathy that lies at its core.

On theInternational Day of Tolerance,let us seriously reflect andmake the effortto consciously embody thefullmeaning of tolerance before the millions of school-aged children whosefuturesdependon usand upon whom we, too, depend.

In the final analysis, educating for tolerance requires role models for the young generation. As parents, teachers, leaders and people from all walks of life, we need to look afar and within. Because tolerance starts with ourselves and how we relate to universal values in practice and in action just as outlined in the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.

SOURCE Education Cannot Wait

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