- This day is a reminder of the importance of promoting openness, empathy, diversity and inclusion
- DESTINE Project’s main objective is the support of tolerance in virtual education areas
Today, 16 November 2023, International Day for Tolerance is celebrated. Since 1996, this day is proclaimed by the United Nations as a reminder of the importance of promoting opennes, empathy, diversity and inclusion, all of them factors that foster tolerance and its defense. These objectives are promoted by the Destine project, which proposes the digitisation of inclusive and accessible distance vocational training.
The celebration of this day is a consequence of the adoption of a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by UNESCO’s Member States on 16 November 1995. Among other things, the Declaration affirms that tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.
Inclusion is a key tool in order to address discrimination and inequalities. This is the cornerstone of UNESCO’s normative and operational work which advances respect, protection and fulfilment of the rights in areas where UNESCO has a clear comparative advantage and expertise.
Education is also a field where inclusion must be a role master, and UNESCO advocates for the inclusion in education a tool to transform lives and is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission. It is a human right for all throughout life. The Organization is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to cover all aspects of education. It has been entrusted to lead the Global Education 2030 Agenda through Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Tolerance: the main goal of DESTINE Project
Tolerance is one of the principles of the DESTINE Project, an initiative that promotes an online education that supports tolerance, diversity and inclusion. DESTINE Project and its partners are aware of the value of inclusion in the classrooms, and have been working during the last 2 years in order to launch a tool that will help reaching this task. DESTINE MOOC is an open online platform for teachers, students and teaching staff with seven modules, that enhances diversity, inclusion, and for sure, tolerance.
About ERASMUS +
Erasmus+ 2021-2027 is the European Union’s renewed programme in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, offering opportunities for all people and in all education sectors (School Education, Professional Training, Higher Education and Adult Education). This new Erasmus+ is more international, more inclusive, more digital and greener, supporting digital transformation, inclusion and diversity, as well as the environment and the fight against climate change. With a budget of more than €28 billion, it will fund learning-related mobility and cross-border cooperation projects for 10 million people of all ages and from all backgrounds. “This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”
About DESTINE
The Erasmus + DESTINE (DivErSity and Tolerance IN E-Environment) project was born with the aim of promoting online professional training that ensures support for diversity, inclusion and tolerance, providing the necessary tools for all professionals and students to adapt to the e-learning methodology. DESTINE focuses especially on those vocational training students who need a learning environment adapted to their needs.
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