World Day of Tolerance: events and holiday history

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

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

International Day with a Focus on Tolerance

Two decades ago, in 1995, the 28th General Conference of UNESCO was held, at which the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance was adopted and solemnly announced the intention to celebrate World Tolerance Day every year. In this document, the term "tolerance" (or "tolerance") is seen as understanding and acceptance of the multifaceted, diverse, unique cultures that exist on our planet. This is respect for other people, despite the forms of self-expression they have chosen and ways of manifesting their own individuality.

The Declaration states that this is human nature: we are all different, and at the same time equal, regardless of appearance, nationality, social status, values or behavior. The Day of Tolerance is designed to emphasize 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, which tasted the bitterness of debilitating wars, chose tolerance as the fundamental principle of morality.

Increasingly, we come to the understanding that irreconcilability and uncompromisingness must disappear, the foreground need to put efforts to prevent the maturing and overcoming of existing conflicts. A wonderful reminder of this need is, in fact, the International Day of Tolerance. The activities that it provides are the best way to teach us unity, justice and respect.

The path to harmony with the outside world

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

Prince Talleyrand at one time was one of Napoleon's close associates. This man managed to hold on as the Minister of Foreign Affairs with a repeated change of power - revolutionary, Napoleonic and royal. He was really talented in many spheres, but he was especially good at reckoning with the opinion of outsiders, taking into account their nature and personal qualities, treating them with respect and at the same time not changing their own principles, smoothing out disputable issues without harm to all involved parties. He himself controlled the situation, and not blindly obeyed circumstances and opponents.

Using the behavioral line of this policy as an example for imitation, the influential persons of the developed states of the present call upon the world's population not to ignore the Day of Tolerance, 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 undertakings, 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.

The intolerant personality manifests 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 sense of imminent threat and unjustified aggression.

Family and school: a course of tolerance

Trends in recent years indicate a catastrophic growth in the adolescent and youth environment of various forms of antisocial behavior. Note that the routine, roughness, violence, cruelty on the part of the younger generation is already familiar in our daily routine.

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

Attention to correct upbringing

The leading task of modern educational policy is the education of tolerance in children, youth and youth. We offer shortly to consider the most effective pedagogical ways of developing this quality among 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 also 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 particular task, listen to others and reach a compromise. In this case, the teacher should not show excessive custody, openly manage the process of discussion, which will hinder the development of relations between children. Naturally, it is appropriate to plan similar events for the Day of Tolerance, which once again underscores the importance of the overall activity of the classroom.

Rules for constructive communication

The accumulation of experience in tolerant interaction is also successfully promoted by special education of children in the basics of constructive communication. Communicative trainings, developing the competence of schoolchildren in the sphere of establishing contacts with different people and forming ways for overcoming difficulties in communication, will best contribute to the achievement of this goal. With the help of such classes, holding the Day of Tolerance in the school will not cause big problems for its organizers. The main thing is that children should remember the following rules: learn to respect one's neighbor; Listen to what he says; Tactfully defend your opinion; Find suitable arguments; Be fair; Strive to take into account the interests of others.

We celebrate the Day of Tolerance in the School Team

With the aim of forming and strengthening in the minds of representatives of the younger generation of the values of socio-cultural interaction in general education institutions, it is customary to organize not one but a small cycle of thematic studies throughout the year.

But the most important is the Day of Tolerance in the school, the activities within its framework are especially instructive and interesting. His program can be greatly enhanced by interactive games, festive concerts, round tables, trainings, lectures, film shows, excursions and even creative festivals. It is better for children to be active participants in this meaningful diversity.