環(huán)球英語 — 64：International Day of Tolerance

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Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.

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And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.

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War

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Fighting

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Hate

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Prejudice

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Peace

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Understanding

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Respect

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Tolerance

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November 16 is the International Day for Tolerance. But what exactly does the word “tolerance” mean? The group international group UNESCO describes tolerance like this: tolerance is respect. Tolerance is acceptance of others. Tolerance is enjoying people’s differences - the diversity of people in a community. Today’s Spotlight is on International day for Tolerance.

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In our world today, there are many problems. Many of these problems come from hate and prejudice. People learn to hate each other’s differences. Conflict begins. And the groups do not know how to stop fighting. Sometimes, this means accepting each other, even if the groups cannot agree about everything. To stop fighting, we must first learn how to live with our differences. We must work for tolerance.

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Let’s go back to April of 2007, in Cairo Egypt. The water of the Nile River slowly moves by. The spring wind gently blows. And one hundred and thirty eight [138] large animals stand quietly by the river. The animals are bears. Many people would be afraid of these large, hairy animals. But the bears are not living. They are part of an international art event.

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The bear sculptures are made from fibreglass, a hard material. They stand in a circle. The bears are almost 2 metres tall! Each bear represents one country from the United Nations. An artist from each country painted a bear for this event. The bears are very colourful. Some are covered with shapes and lines. Other bears have images on them. Together, these painted sculptures are the United Buddy Bears.

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The United Buddy Bears is a travelling art show. The bears have been travelling since 2002. They started in Berlin Germany. Since then, they have travelled to many other cities, including Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tokyo, Vienna, and Jerusalem. Soon, the bears will travel to Buenos Aires, Addis Ababa, and Beijing.

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The bears exist to communicate this idea: We must know more about each other. They are signals of love, peace, tolerance, friendship and international understanding. And each bear communicates the ideas of an artist and culture. When you look at one bear, you learn about a culture. Furut al Jamil painted the bear from Iraq. This is what he said about his bear:

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“The bear is part of dreams and stories for most children in this world. That is the reason for the dream-like and storytelling images I have used on the Buddy Bear. The images are from history and folk-tales of my country. They represent the imagination of Iraqi children. These children escape into their dreams to avoid the hurtful reality of their lives. If you can still dream, there is love in your heart.”

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The Buddy Bears have also collected money for needy children all over the world. Over one million euros have been given to help children, already. And when the bears are finished travelling, they will be sold. The money will be given to UNICEF, to help more children.

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As the bears travel, they celebrate diversity. They celebrate the differences in many cultures. Each bear is different, but together they form an amazing work of art.

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But tolerance does not happen by itself. It does not happen by just looking at art. People must work to encourage tolerance. Tolerance starts with us. You and me and the people we know must encourage tolerance. Here are some ways that you can observe International Day for Tolerance in your community. These ten ideas come from UNESCO.

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First, we must recognize diversity in our communities. Who lives in your community? What are they like? You may be surprised at the many different people. You could organize a gathering or music event to celebrate your community’s differences.

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Secondly, we must observe how people are treated in our communities. Are the rights of people being respected? What about people of different religions? What about people who speak a different language? How are these people being treated in our communities? What can you do to improve behaviour toward people who are different than you?

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Third, you could encourage tolerance in books and films. Do you see prejudice or hate in the newspaper? Do books in schools encourage tolerance? Do television programs and films celebrate people’s differences? Talk with your friends about these ideas.

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Fourth, say no to violence. Is there violence in your community? Why does it happen? You can ask these questions by having a debate. Take a side of the discussion. Speak your opinions. Then switch sides. Speak from the opposite position. How can these two sides exist together without violence?

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Fifth, observe environmental diversity. Nature would not work well if all plants were the same. People would also not survive if everyone was the same. How can tolerance and peace encourage protection of diversity in the environment?

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Sixth, encourage religious tolerance. You can organize an event. Gather different religious groups together to speak about tolerance. How does each group teach tolerance? How can these groups work together to teach love and justice?

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Seventh, observe current events. What is happening in your country today? What is happening in your community? Is there conflict? How can these conflicts be avoided? Are people’s human rights being respected? Speak with other people about these issues.

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Eighth, use sports to encourage tolerance. Sports can divide people, but it can also bring them together. Discuss violence and intolerance in sports with your friends. Organise a sports event in your community. Encourage tolerance in the game.

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Ninth, use art to encourage tolerance. Learn about art form different cultures. What does the art communicate? What do the artists paint or write about? You can create your own images, songs, poems, or stories to encourage tolerance.

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To learn more about the United Buddy Bears, or how you can work for tolerance, visit our website. Links to more information can be found on the script page of this program. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

To learn more about the United Buddy Bears, please visit: united-buddy-bears.com

To learn more about building tolerance in your community, please visit: tolerance.org

Spotlight is not responsible for the content of exterior websites.