The United Nations (UN)’s International Day for Tolerance is celebrated annually across the globe on 16 November to raise awareness about the value of tolerance and promote understanding, respect, and appreciation across different cultures and communities.
- The day also emphasizes the harmful impact of intolerance and promotes policies that promote equality and opportunity for all.
Background:
i.In 1993, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/48/126 and proclaimed the year 1995 as the United Nations Year for Tolerance.
ii.In 1996, the UNGA adopted resolution A/RES/51/95 and declared November 16 each year as the International Day for Tolerance.
iii.The first International Day for Tolerance was observed on 16 November 1996.
Why November 16?
The day marks the adoption of the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) member states on 16th November 1995.
Tolerance:
i.Tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference, it is respect acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, forms of expression and ways of being human.
ii.UNESCO promotes a culture of peace and non-violence; democracy and global citizenship; fostering rights, inclusion and non-discrimination; education transforms lives; freedom of expression, rules of law plays a major role in promoting tolerance.
UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize:
i.The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence rewards significant activities in the scientific, art, cultural, and communication aiming to promote the spirit of tolerance and non-violence.
ii.The Prize was established in 1995 on the occasion of the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
iii.Awarded every two years, on the International Day for Tolerance (16 November), the winner is presented with a cash prize of USD 100,000
iv.In 1998, M. Narayan Desai, an Indian anti-nuclear activist, and promoter of religious and ethnic understanding and tolerance was honored with this award.
v.In 2022, it has been honored to Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong from Cameroon.
About Madanjeet Singh:
i.He was born on 16 April 1924 in Lahore (now Pakistan), British India, and is an internationally known author of several books on art and other subjects.
ii.In 1995, to honor his lifelong commitment to promoting communal harmony and peace, the UNESCO Executive Board unanimously created the biennial “UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence”.
