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Tolerance forms basis of democracy, Annan says

Tolerance forms basis of democracy, Annan says

An active engagement with human diversity is crucial to democracy, United Nations Secretary-General said in his message on the International Day of Tolerance, marked today.

An active engagement with human diversity is crucial to democracy, United Nations Secretary-General said in his message on the International Day of Tolerance, marked today.

“Already in this young century, we have witnessed how intolerance can manifest itself in extreme violence, causing widespread death and suffering,” he noted. “Only by fighting intolerance and exclusion at the grass-roots level can we hope to overcome it in the global arena.”

The Secretary-General pointed out that often, intolerance is caused by fear, which itself is rooted in ignorance. “It is particularly vital that our children learn about tolerance so that they understand why human rights, human dignity and respect for human diversity are inseparable,” he said.

Open dialogue - both between individuals and among different cultures and civilizations - must be at the heart of all efforts to promote tolerance be. “Without dialogue, cultural diversity is threatened,” he said. “Without dialogue, we cannot have peace.”

The work for tolerance, he added, “begins with each and every one of us.”