My sky is falling

International Day for Tolerance

As a kid we were taught that no two people are the same. No two fingerprints are alike, our Science teacher would tell us. There are almost 7 billion people in the world, each of them with different ideals, values, beliefs.

Now, imagine all those people who are so fundamentally different, trying to force their own views onto each other. Imagine the clashes, the misunderstandings, the conflicts.

Of course we don’t really have to do a lot of imagining, we see it happening - armed struggles, civil wars. One word. Mindanao

When you think about it, the only way we can get along with each other is to be tolerant and accepting of other people’s beliefs. We should all just learn live with, and even enjoy, our differences.

Respect. It’s a big word that we can all use. And maybe we can start today.

Today is International Day for Tolerance. It is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to declare public awareness of the dangers of intolerance, and to launch a world-wide campaign for tolerance and non-violence. The International Day for Tolerance also serves as an occasion for tolerance education as well as for wider social and political reflection and debate on local and global problems of intolerance.

And in honor of today, I’m posting one of my favorite Sesame Street videos. :)

You really wanna know what love is?

You are my sweetest downfall. I loved you first.