Artigenda
International Day for Tolerance
When: Annually, November 16.
Since 1995, the International Day for Tolerance has taken place on 16 November to raise awareness of the dangers of intolerance. The day is an initiative of UNESCO.
Resolution 51/95
Although the day was proposed by UNESCO, it is an official day accepted by the United Nations (UN). Before that, Resolution 51/95 was adopted on December 12, 1996 (incidentally, the document shows the date at the bottom. The date at the top of the document is the date the document was finally drafted).
With this day, both UNESCO and the UN want to show that tolerance cannot be taken for granted. That it is something that matters. The opposite leads to a gap between people, countries and cultures. This erodes freedoms and human rights. This can ultimately lead to conflicts and wars.
Madanjeet Singh
Every two years, the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize is awarded to those who have promoted tolerance and non-violence in their way. The prize was first awarded in 1996. The prize is named after Madanjeet Singh (April 16, 1924 – January 6, 2013). He was an Indian painter, photographer, writer, diplomat and philanthropist. During his lifetime, he worked in various social fields, focusing on tolerance and non-violence.
More information
More information about the day can be found via the UNESCO website on the subject. More about the award can be found on this dedicated page. An overview of all winners, by the way, can be found on this page with this overview.
UNESCO’s Declaration of Principles on Tolerance can be found on a separate website. Incidentally, this is not always available. Therefore, an archived version is offered from October 2021.
