By Hakeem Babalola (Budapest, Hungary) – Nov 21, 2010 – The quality of allowing other people to have their own attitudes or beliefs, or to behave in a particular way, even if you do not agree or approve is undoubtedly the justice that can lead to everlasting peace which unfortunately is gradually eluding the human race.
 
If individuals, organisations, nations are tolerant, our troubling world would obviously become a better place. With tolerance, there would be no need for world leaders debating the possibility of global annihilation.
 
If the world is becoming a global place as we are being made to believe, why has peace evaded us? Why the war in the east, north, south, west? Why do we have a world engulfed in hatred and intolerance?
 
Why is there no respite among human beings? Why the hatred so pervasive? It is perhaps due to the fact that those so-called superpowers, or world policy makers are not being sincere about their responsibilities.
 
Some people would argue that tolerance is an attack on freedom of speech. I passionately disagree with this notion in the sense that human beings can agree or disagree without coercion. Intolerance may even be regarded as an act of brutish.
 
Yes we can disagree without resulting to violence which unfortunately has become a way of dealing with issues. For instance, nations fight against nations; leaders against leaders; students against students; workers against workers and so on.
 
It is true that freedom of speech may be difficult to explain in the sense that one’s freedom of speech stops where another one’s begins, brutish expressions should not be a way of solving our differences.
 
Meanwhile it is saddening that little coverage has been given to the International Day for Tolerance since it was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in November 16, 1993.
 
I   find it distressing for people to be using social or religion or politics as a weapon to promote hatred and intolerance. The rules of tolerance state that a gay or lesbian for instance should be able to live without fear of being persecuted by others.
 
Consequently, human beings should have no fear of practicing whatever religion they fancy. They should not be afraid to air their opinions. Attacking or even killing fellow human being because of sexual or religion or social orientation is an act of brusqueness and must be discouraged.
 
In 2009, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published a survey which reveals that racism and racially motivated violence, discrimination and harassment against ethnic minorities and immigrant groups are far more widespread in the European Union than recorded in official statistics, according to European Coalition of Cities Against racism.
 
The survey shows that for millions of people across the continent, racism and discrimination are a daily experience
 
I urge the so-called big nations to always desist from imposing their values on other sovereign nations. If we are genuine in our call for a just society, then each one of us should endeavour to practice tolerance.
 
It is in view of this that I   salute those individuals or organisations, especially Far From Home Foundation, an NGO based in Budapest who often remembers the International Day for Tolerance. Let others emulate such gesture.