The International Day for Tolerance was started by the UN General Assembly, with the goal of getting educational institutions and the general public to see tolerance as a staple of society. In the year 1995, on the 16th of November, UNESCO created the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance as a way to define and provide awareness of tolerance for any and all governing and participating bodies.
The 16th of November of every year has then been set aside to celebrate the International Day of Tolerance after the Year of Tolerance in 1995.
Tolerance can sound so easy, but it is a major underlying factor for the economic stance of a state.
We talk about diversity and inclusion and a green economy, all these are achievable when we begin to look at our world starting from our home, community and its people with tolerance.
The trouble some countries face, as well Ghana now, is with respect to a less or at least, insufficient tolerance when it comes to dealing with government contracts and projects. The new government succeeding an existed one becomes very intolerant or have little tolerance towards the unfinished good projects of the previous instead of building upon it or better still bringing on board more innovative ideas to finish up the unfinished. We cannot come to terms even as citizens to push ahead of our difference to a better tomorrow.
Our actions rather hit up the state with judgement debts and many other unexpected economic atrocities because of the absence of tolerance in our dealings and the ability to understand well the existing contracts before cancelling them.
Our country is troubled with people of different cultures and tribes who cannot live accepting one another yet, we still talk about racism with confidence, proclaiming how good and hospitable we are when relating to external people outside our borders.
We have a lot of little unresolved issues which tend to pile up to break our necks and end up as major issues.
We can only now, come back to the table to figure out how well tolerance can solve our problems.
Tolerance does not mean weak, it neither does not mean rage but it only allows us to respect each other’s opinions and not calling it wrong if it is workable. Let us continue to appreciate our differences of varying party colours, sense of tribe and house codes, yet still, let us accommodate one another and appreciate diversity from one community to the other. Also, with one and a common heartbeat, we must have the passion to attain a better Ghana today and the days to come.
We only discriminately choose wrong strategies over good ones if we believe one group has it all even when some other groups are well paid to support the same goal the “has it all group” supports. We will lose a half of us or even more and bury the right ideas that may have solved our unending issues.
As we celebrate the International Day of Tolerance today, 16th November 2022, it is time for us to begin to tap into the diversified minds and cultures we have as a people to get ahead of our problems. Let us not spend much to solve our problems with aspects the do not give us the right solutions to the problems we face.
Let us begin to adore tolerance in every area of our lives and works. Be tolerant not because you are weak, be tolerant the right way and not by closing the right eye on wrongdoings and be tolerant not only because you have an interest in an unfair transaction or dealings that will cost us so much as an individual or a state and offer us many years to recover.
Author: Dorothy Afi Ayivor Amelor