Tolerance Is Not Enough: Why "Active" Tolerance Is Needed Now More Than Ever - Prince Feisal Al Hussein

Last year, war, violence and persecution left one in every 122 humans on the planet a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum. We are living at a time where the level of worldwide displacement is higher than ever before, fueled by ongoing violent conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, and too many other places.

Displacement itself can lead to further conflicts as communities' populations change, grow, and adapt to the new realities of their demographics. Conflicts are natural and unavoidable, as we human beings are naturally diverse, but we must support and embrace diversity, see it as a strength, and practice active tolerance to ensure these natural conflicts can be peacefully resolved.

Twenty years ago, the United Nations adopted this day -- the 16th of November -- as a time for renewing our commitment to tolerance. As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon rightly stated in 2011, "Our practice of tolerance must mean more than peaceful co-existence, crucial as that is. It must be an active understanding fostered through dialogue and positive engagement with others."

It is crucially important, now more than ever, that we practice not just tolerance, but this active tolerance Ban Ki-Moon describes. Passive tolerance is simply not enough given the struggles our world faces today, especially with highly engaged and active extremist groups seeking to spread messages of intolerance, hate, and violence.

What is "active" tolerance? It means bringing people together across conflict divides; closing communication gaps that breed ignorance, distrust and fear; breaking down stereotypes; and fostering new relationships founded on deeper understanding, acceptance, respect, and trust. It means more than simply just accepting the existence of other groups with different norms, language, religion or beliefs, and instead interacting with them, learning from them, and using those differences to create a strong, peaceful, and thriving society. - Read More at the Feisal Al Hussein

Tolerance Is Not Enough: Why "Active" Tolerance Is Needed Now More Than Ever

For the Youth, We Must Strive to Deliver a More Peaceful World