Related to the UN International Day for Tolerance, Nov. 16, lessons about tolerance were taught at a school in Ryazan, and polls and role-playing experiences gave insights into tolerance in Novosibirsk.
Ryazan
Representatives of UPF, the Association “Teachers for Spirituality and Morality," School for Personnel in Advanced Pedagogy, and the management at the Metropolitan Academy of Small Businesses in Ryazan conducted lessons on tolerance on November 15 at School #71 for the students of form 1-B; the first graders watched videos about tolerant communication among animals, did eco-gymnastic exercises, composed a story based on the videos they viewed and made drawings about tolerance.
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The children each promised to make a gift on their birthday for their mother, the one who gave them life. The lesson helped children to think more about how their attitude towards others can help maintain good relationships.
Further cooperation is planned with this school, including new projects with a wider audience.
Siberia: Learning to live in peace with others
How to live in peace with others? This is a key issue for everyone, but a few people have been able to find the answer. There is a growing intolerance in society, and criminals find justification for their violence. There is a also an acute sense of insecurity and competence in cross-cultural communication. If its youth cannot build friendships with people of other cultures, Russia may end up in the same sad fate as the USSR or Yugoslavia.
Related to the International Day for Tolerance, several activities aimed at promoting a culture of peace took place in Novosibirsk. There was also broadcasting on the local radio about the role of tolerance.
Young Ambassadors for Peace measured "the degree" of tolerance by polling. For three weeks have interviewed 100 people: 64 through the Internet, and 36 in person. They determined a final tolerance rate of 88.7%. The relatively long period of the survey and the small number of respondents show that tolerance is not very popular in the city.
A role-playing game "How to live in peace with others" was conducted on Nov. 14 in one of the Siberian colleges. There were altogether about 100 participants. Students developed three principles of tolerance:
• Reject violence as a means of persuasion.
• Be rigorous about oneself without being demanding towards others.
• Respect everyone's individuality.
At a meeting of Young Ambassadors for Peace, participants listened to fascinating stories about traditions of hospitality in Africa, told by Collins, a Cameroonian student.