Today, 16th of November, is International Day For Tolerance.
tol·er·ance (from dictionary.com)
a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose
opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry.
In the words of the United Nations, “The diversity of our world’s many religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities is not a pretext for conflict, but is a treasure that enriches us all.”
South Africa would not be as rich, or as troubled, if we didn’t have so much diversity, so on this day, let’s take a moment to think how we can incorporate tolerance into our lives.
Just try these 5 simple ways to show tolerance and your day, and those of the people around you, will be better:
- Smile at people and say “hello”. It’s World Hello Day on 21 November so get into practice.
- Let people go in front of you in the traffic.
- Find the person who frustrates you most at work and show them kindness.
- Learn something today about another religion and respect followers of all beliefs.
- Think about something you find hard to tolerate and find a way to accept it
The UN affirms that tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. Success in practicing tolerance has to counter the influences that lead to fear and exclusion. Not an easy call in South Africa, but like the drops of water that make an ocean, every drop of tolerance can make a difference to the whole.
See if you can make your tolerance last longer than a day!
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