Declaration of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace
on the International Day for Tolerance
Al Jarwan stresses the importance of tolerance to achieve international peace

The President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, His Excellency Ahmed bin Mohamed Al Jarwan, declared in his statement on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance, that November 16, the day proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Day for Tolerance, is a very important day where we stress the need for tolerance to achieve peace around the world.

Al Jarwan said that the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace renews its determination to what its members pledged in its founding charter, which stipulates that “ we shall do our utmost to make the world more secure and peaceful, in order to support humanitarian points of convergence among all human beings, regardless of the diversity of religions or the variety of cultures”.

The declaration stated “
the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace,
Emphasizing the need to abide by the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, which stipulates that “We the peoples of the united nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,….. and to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors”,
Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that education shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups,

Believing in what was stated in the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance issued in 1995, indicating “ Tolerance is a moral and political obligation as is the duty to uphold human rights and democracy”, and “ Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war with a culture of peace.”,

Recognizing that the implementation of the values of tolerance has become a necessity, now more than ever, in light of the openness afforded by the use of modern means of information technology,

Recognizing that the responsibility to adhere to the values of tolerance in our communications is a collective responsibility taken by all, whether individuals, groups or states,

Expressing deep concern over the persistence of armed conflicts and the escalation of international rhetoric including threats by force,

1. Calls on all parties involved in armed conflicts to stop using force and come back to the negotiating table to end disputes by peaceful means;
2. Calls upon educational, cultural and media institutions to keep up their efforts towards instilling the values of tolerance among our children and to spread its culture on a larger scale, whether at the national, regional or international levels;
3. Calls upon partners from non-governmental organizations and all sects and groups of civil society to intensify activities aimed at spreading the values of tolerance and spreading its culture among peoples in all countries;
4. Calls upon states to develop national strategies aimed at curbing the practices of violence, extremism, racism and hatred by using various legislative, judicial and administrative tools;
5. Appeals to the regional and specialized organizations to work on preparing programs dedicated to building capacities in the fields of spreading the values of tolerance and fighting hatred.”