Ms. Golda El Khoury -Chief, Section for Public Policies at UNESCO, Secretary,International Coalition of Cities Against Racism ICCAR gave an exclusive interview on the International Day for Tolerance to Eurasia Diary
Eurasia Diary: How do you see the importance of International Day for Tolerance?
Golda El Khoury: The International Day for Tolerance, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996, and celebrated annually on 16 November, calls on the international community to continue efforts aimed at reinforcing the struggle against the rise of intolerance. The challenges linked to migratory flows, the plight of refugees and the proliferation of armed conflicts around the world today exacerbate exclusion, discriminations and even hatred. The message of the International Day for Tolerance reminds us of the commitment made by Member States to establish policies and undertake programs aimed at the realization of more tolerant societies. The commemoration of the Day also seeks to mobilize all sectors in society, including civil society, as well as communities and individuals, to advocate for a culture of tolerance through the organization of events and activities that foster the defense of fundamental rights and freedoms. In UNESCO, we celebrate the International Day every year. And every two years, 16 November marks the award ceremony of the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. The Prize rewards significant activities in the scientific, artistic, cultural or communication fields aimed at the promotion of a spirit of tolerance and non-violence. Prizewinners have been living testimonies themselves as champions of peace and mutual understanding.
Eurasia Diary: In your opinion, does your tolerance depend on the environment you live, on the mentality you live or it is something individual and depend on your personality? Can the environment you live develop tolerance in you?
Golda El Khoury: Tolerance is built on our everyday experiences as citizens of societies where diversity enhances more unity. It is in our own differences and diversities that we find complementarity with each other. Tolerance is nurtured through education, by way of learning about the “other”, through appreciating each one’s uniqueness, and at the same time by understanding the common thread that binds humanity. We should also remember history and how peoples have been treated with disrespect, fear and hatred, and learn from these stories in order to avoid dividing our societies. Of course, tolerance can be enhanced if we build societies that celebrate unity in diversity, by establishing institutions that embrace interculturality, and by developing policies and programs, even at the level of cities and municipalities, that exemplify concrete actions towards building tolerance societies.
What needs to be highlighted is that tolerance cannot be simply a declaration of one’s own values. Tolerance has to be lived every day in our societies: by institutions, communities and by individual persons. It is in the spirit of everyday tolerance that we can genuinely attain peace. In the message from Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of this year’s International Day for Tolerance, she “calls upon all UNESCO’s Member States and all the citizens of the world to take up this message, to build together societies that are more inclusive, more peaceful and more prosperous, because they are more tolerant”.
Eurasia Diary: How you see the impact of technologies on the overall tolerance of the societies, do you think it changes their attitudes to tolerance?
Golda El Khoury: Technology can both be constructive and destructive, especially with the rise of social media in many societies. Messages of fostering tolerant attitudes and seeking solidarity amongst peoples could be easily disseminated by any individual and be made powerful through technological means. On the other hand, racist, discriminatory and intolerance speeches could also be effortlessly circulated through various media. The role of journalists, therefore, is very critical. UNESCO is promoting adherence to high professional standards of journalism to counter the spread of ignorance, intolerance and hatred. UNESCO is also working on how media narratives affect societies, and how they sometimes divide populations in these societies facing migration-related challenges. UNESCO believes that the social integration and inclusion of these excluded groups can best be addressed through education and dialogue.
Interview by Fakhri Vakilov
