International Day of Tolerance 2021; November 16th

For the observance of the International Day for Tolerance 2021, UNESCO calls upon everybody to celebrate diversity and the inalienable right to difference, which gives depth to our societies and establishes peace in the minds of men and women.

 Message from

Statement by Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of International Day for Tolerance 2021; November 16th.

 In his Open Letter to the Youth, Amadou Hampâté Bâ called on humanity to work towards mutual understanding by every means possible, so that "our differences, rather than separating us, become complementary and a source of mutual enrichment".For 75 years now, our Organization has been pursuing this ambition by harnessing the common goods of humanity that are education, science, culture and information to build peace in the minds of men and women. And this International Day is an opportunity to stress the topicality of our shared commitment to defending and promoting tolerance and mutual understanding. Almost two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fault lines that divide and disfigure our societies are still pushing us apart and exacerbating distrust. It is therefore necessary to reaffirm the basic values of humankind, which we uphold in both theory and practice.This is particularly true of the work that we are doing to make education a place where students, as citizens of tomorrow's world, learn empathy, the nature of dialogue and respect for others and oppose hatred and intolerance in both form and substance.This work must reach far beyond the classroom to encompass all spheres of society. Our Organization thus works day to day to defend and promote cultural and linguistic diversity and diversity of knowledge, especially indigenous knowledge, so that all these outlooks and ways of seeing the world can open up new vistas for humankind through dialogue and exchange.As we can read in the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance signed on 16 November 1995 by the Member States of UNESCO, "Tolerance is harmony in difference."On this International Day for Tolerance, UNESCO calls upon everybody to celebrate diversity and the inalienable right to difference, which gives depth to our societies and establishes peace in the minds of men and women.

Message from the Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of International Jazz Day, 30 April 2012

International Jazz Day 2012 - Irina Bokova, Director General  
 International Jazz Day, 30 April 2012

Martin Luther King Jr. once said that “jazz speaks for life.” This is the spirit of the first International Jazz Day. Jazz has defied almost every attempt at definition. The music critic John Fordham may have captured it best when he described the music of Miles Davis as “the sound of the skipped heart-beat, the caught breath, the sudden smile.” Jazz is music of boundless creativity. Mixing composition and improvisation, the formal and informal, it renews itself every time it is played. Born in the United States, jazz is owned by the world. Rooted in African traditions and drawing on European musical forms, it has taken on new shapes in cultures across the globe. Jazz makes the most of the world’s diversity, effortlessly crossing borders and bringing people together. Jazz has been a force for positive social transformation throughout its history, and it remains so today. This is why UNESCO created International Jazz Day. From its roots in slavery, this music has raised a passionate voice against all forms of oppression. It speaks a language of freedom that is meaningful to all cultures. The same goals guide UNESCO in its efforts to build bridges of dialogue and understanding between all cultures and societies. We work with governments and societies and also with artists, including Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Making the most of cultural diversity is a task we all share. This is why this first International Jazz Day will be celebrated with concerts across the world, from Muscat to Moscow, Yerevan to Havana, Paris and New York to New Orleans. Each of these concerts will display the power of jazz to enhance human dignity, respect and peace. Each is a moment to share the wonders that come from the sound of the skipped heart-beat, the caught breath, the sudden smile. Jazz connects people, cultures and the world. This is our message. 
Irina Bokova