Take it Global

International Day for Tolerance

"No Muslim, no Jew, no Christian, no Hindu, no Buddhist -- no one who is true to the principles of any of the world's faiths, no one who claims a cultural, national or religious identity based on values such as truth, decency and justice -- can be neutral in the fight against intolerance." -former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The International Day for Tolerance, celebrated annually on November 16, reminds people to reflect and act on the idea that all cultures, civilizations and religions contribute to the enrichment of humankind and should be respected. Tolerance is an essential condition for peace, democracy and sustainable development.

In honor of this day, consider exploring some of the following with your troop or family, or create your own ideas!

1. Be an ally. Speak out against jokes and slurs that target people or groups; it's not enough to refuse to laugh.
2. Go to a different religious service than you'd normally attend, or call a different faith community to see if you can be given an informational tour of their facilities.
3. Create bookmarks or small collages of things you can do to be tolerant of all people and give them as presents to friends and family.
4. Start a regular movie night and pick movies, documentaries or shows that are about diverse cultures and issues that you can discuss afterward.
5. Enjoy a meal at an ethnic restaurant and ask your server questions about the culture.
6. Check out foreign language CDs from the library or buy and download songs in another language and learn to sing along!
7. Create and sign your own Resolution of Respect. List the ways you plan to combat prejudice, hate and ignorance, while making a positive impact in your community.