Kunda, Estonia - On the occasion of the UN International Day for Tolerance UPF Estonia organized a lecture on Nov. 20 for 10th through 12th grade pupils in the high school of Kunda, a small city in northeastern Estonia.
The presentation was part of the “Culture and Language Week” in the school during the week of Nov. 17–21, 2014.
The UPF presenter, Johann Hinterleitner, emphasized four points during the PowerPoint presentation, namely
- The importance of practicing tolerance and affirmative acceptance of people from other countries, cultures, religions and races.
- The need to distinguish necessary from false tolerance but applying certain guidelines, such as the Golden Rule
- Ask whether a specific behaviour, if practiced by the majority of people, will be for the benefit of the general population. If a specific behaviour is harmful to the general public or a group, it should not be tolerated.
- The need to speak out (civil courage) when one sees behaviour and practices that are wrong.
In all, 35 pupils attended the presentation. Although they were quiet and did not ask question (also due to a lack of time), the teacher reported that they liked the topic and discussed it later on in their regular English language classes.