UN Resident Coordinator Antonius Broek speaking the round table opening
On 15 November 2010, on the eve of the International Day for Tolerance, a roundtable dedicated to the topic “Tolerance of the Individual and Society. Ways of Nurturing It” was held at the Minsk Jewish Community Center.
That event was organized jointly by the UN office (UNO) in Belarus, Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities and the National Holocaust Foundation.
The round table was attended by the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus Antonius Broek, diplomatic corps, representatives of religious communities, national associations, and educational establishments.
The UN Resident Coordinator noted that during the last sixty five years since the adoption of the UN Charter in 1945 the international community has achieved much progress in the fight against racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, but still much remains to be done.
The UN Resident Coordinator urged all participants of the round table to use their professional skills for the sake of promoting tolerance and non-violence. “You possess great potential to offer future generations a credible alternative to the fear and exclusion, hatred and extremism”, said Mr. Broek, addressing to participants of the round table.
During the course of the roundtable, its participants discussed the issues of inter-faith and inter-ethnic dialogue, the social and pedagogical aspects of nurturing tolerance, as well as the importance of comprehending the lessons of the Holocaust for promoting tolerance among youth.