Today is "International Day for Tolerance"

International Day for Tolerance, observed on November 16 each year, provides an opportunity for people to share thoughts, explore and discuss new ideas, and inspire public debate or discussion on various challenges faced by society.

Living in any social environment requires that we exercise a certain amount of tolerance for differences that exist among us. Tolerance is necessary to guard against the politics of division, at a time when stereotypes, ignorance, and hatred threaten to split the foundations of increasingly diverse societies.

The world may be tied closely together by trade and information technology, but divisions between and within communities and states are broadened and deepened by religion, poverty, ignorance, and conflict.

History records conflicts that have raged since time began. Many innocent victims have been caught in the middle of these conflicts, unable to defend themselves, especially children, women, and the elderly. If more people could come together in spite of differences in beliefs, many could be saved.

Tolerance in all situations, be they religious, political, or simple disagreements on any issue, is necessary if we want to live together in peace. Tolerance is the way for connecting the forces of globalization in the direction of a prosperous, peaceful, and united world. In an age that is more interconnected than ever, where the difference between the local and the global world is just a click away, tolerance must remain at the forefront of our thinking and action.