What is Tolerance?
Hobbes: "How are you doing on your New Year's resolutions?"
Calvin: "I didn't make any. See, in order to improve oneself, one must have some idea of what's 'good.' That implies certain values. But as we all know, values are relative. Every system of belief is equally valid and we need to tolerate diversity. Virtue isn't 'better' than vice. It's just different."
Hobbes: "I don't know if I can tolerate that much tolerance."
Calvin: "I refuse to be victimized by notions of virtuous behavior."
-- A Bill Watterson cartoon shows Calvin and Hobbes walking through the snow.
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Tolerance is the appreciation of diversity and the ability to live and let others live. It is the ability to exercise a fair and objective attitude towards those whose opinions, practices, religion, nationality and so on differ from one's own.[1] As William Ury notes, "tolerance is not just agreeing with one another or remaining indifferent in the face of injustice, but rather showing respect for the essential humanity in every person."[2]
Intolerance is the failure to appreciate and respect the practices, opinions and beliefs of another group. For instance, there is a high degree of intolerance between Israeli Jews and Palestinians who are at odds over issues of identity, security, self-determination, statehood, the right of return for refugees, the status of Jerusalem and many other issues. The result is continuing inter-group violence.
Why Does Tolerance Matter?
At a recent post-9/11 conference on multiculturalism in the United States, participants asked, "How can we be tolerant of those who are intolerant of us?"[3] For many, tolerating intolerance is neither acceptable nor possible.
Though tolerance may seem an impossible exercise in certain situations -- as illustrated by Hobbes in the introductory caption to this essay -- being tolerant nonetheless remains key to easing hostile tensions between groups and to helping communities move past intractable conflict. That is because tolerance is integral to different groups relating to one another in a respectful and understanding way. In cases where communities have been deeply entrenched in violent conflict, being tolerant helps the affected groups endure the pain of the past and resolve their differences. In Rwanda, the Hutus and the Tutsis have tolerated a reconciliation process, which has helped them to work through their anger and resentment towards one another.
Angela Khaminwa emphasizes the flexibility of meanings of the concept "coexistence."
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The Origins of Intolerance
In situations where conditions are economically depressed and politically charged, groups and individuals may find it hard to tolerate those that are different from them or have caused them harm. In such cases, discrimination, dehumanization, repression, and violence may occur. This can be seen in the context of Kosovo, where Kosovar Alabanians, grappling with poverty and unemployment, needed a scapegoat, and supported an aggressive Serbian attack against neighboring Bosnian Muslim and Croatian neighbors.
The Consequences of Intolerance
Intolerance will drive groups apart, creating a sense of permanent separation between them. For example, though the laws of apartheid in South Africa were abolished nine years ago, there still exists a noticeable level of personal separation between black and white South Africans, as evidenced in studies on the levels of perceived social distance between the two groups.[4] This continued racial division perpetuates the problems of inter-group resentment and hostility.
How is Intolerance Perpetuated?
Between Individuals: In the absence of their own experiences, individuals base their impressions and opinions of one another on assumptions. These assumptions can be influenced by the positive or negative beliefs of those who are either closest or most influential in their lives, including parents or other family members, colleagues, educators, and/or role models.
In the Media: Individual attitudes are influenced by the images of other groups in the media and the press. For instance, many Serbian communities believed that the western media portrayed a negative image of the Serbian people during the NATO bombing in Kosovo and Serbia.[5] This de-humanization may have contributed to the West's willingness to bomb Serbia. However, there are studies that suggest media images may not influence individuals in all cases. For example, a study conducted on stereotypes discovered people of specific towns in southeastern Australia did not agree with the negative stereotypes of Muslims presented in the media.[6]
In Education: There exists school curriculum and educational literature that provide biased and/or negative historical accounts of world cultures. Education or schooling based on myths can demonize and dehumanize other cultures rather than promote cultural understanding and a tolerance for diversity and differences.
What Can Be Done to Deal with Intolerance?
To encourage tolerance, parties to a conflict and third parties must remind themselves and others that tolerating tolerance is preferable to tolerating intolerance. Following are some useful strategies that may be used as tools to promote tolerance.
Inter-Group Contact: There is evidence that casual inter-group contact does not necessarily reduce inter-group tensions, and may in fact exacerbate existing animosities. However, through intimate inter-group contact, groups will base their opinions of one another on personal experiences, which can reduce prejudices. Intimate inter-group contact should be sustained over a week or longer in order for it to be effective.[7]
In Dialogue: To enhance communication between both sides, dialogue mechanisms such as dialogue groups or problem solving workshops provide opportunities for both sides to express their needs and interests. In such cases, actors engaged in the workshops or similar forums feel their concerns have been heard and recognized. Restorative justice programs such as victim-offender mediation provide this kind of opportunity. For instance, through victim-offender mediation, victims can ask for an apology from the offender.[8]
What Individuals Can Do
Individuals should continually focus on being tolerant of others in their daily lives. This involves consciously challenging the stereotypes and assumptions that they typically encounter in making decisions about others and/or working with others either in a social or a professional environment.
What the Media Can Do
The media should use positive images to promote understanding and cultural sensitivity. The more groups and individuals are exposed to positive media messages about other cultures, the less they are likely to find faults with one another -- particularly those communities who have little access to the outside world and are susceptible to what the media tells them. See the section on stereotypes in this volume to learn more about how the media perpetuate negative images of different groups.
What the Educational System Can Do
Educators are instrumental in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence. For instance, schools that create a tolerant environment help young people respect and understand different cultures. In Israel, an Arab and Israeli community called Neve Shalom or Wahat Al-Salam ("Oasis of Peace") created a school designed to support inter-cultural understanding by providing children between the first and sixth grades the opportunity to learn and grow together in a tolerant environment.[9]
What Other Third Parties Can Do
Conflict transformation NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and other actors in the field of peacebuilding can offer mechanisms such as trainings to help parties to a conflict communicate with one another. For instance, several organizations have launched a series of projects in Macedonia that aim to reduce tensions between the country's Albanian, Romani and Macedonian populations, including activities that promote democracy, ethnic tolerance, and respect for human rights.[10]
International organizations need to find ways to enshrine the principles of tolerance in policy. For instance, the United Nations has already created The Declaration of Moral Principles on Tolerance, adopted and signed in Paris by UNESCO's 185 member states on Nov. 16, 1995, which qualifies tolerance as a moral, political, and legal requirement for individuals, groups, and states.[11]
Governments also should aim to institutionalize policies of tolerance. For example, in South Africa, the Education Ministry has advocated the integration of a public school tolerance curriculum into the classroom; the curriculum promotes a holistic approach to learning. The United States government has recognized one week a year as international education week, encouraging schools, organizations, institutions, and individuals to engage in projects and exchanges to heighten global awareness of cultural differences.
The Diaspora community can also play an important role in promoting and sustaining tolerance. They can provide resources to ease tensions and affect institutional policies in a positive way. For example, Jewish, Irish, and Islamic communities have contributed to the peacebuilding effort within their places of origin from their places of residence in the United States .[12]
[1] The American Heritage Dictionary (New York: Dell Publishing, 1994).
[2] William Ury, Getting To Peace (New York: The Penguin Group, 1999), 127.
[3] As identified by Serge Schmemann, a New York Times columnist noted in his piece of Dec. 29, 2002, in The New York Times entitled "The Burden of Tolerance in a World of Division" that tolerance is a burden rather than a blessing in today's society.
[4] Jannie Malan, "From Exclusive Aversion to Inclusive Coexistence," Short Paper, African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), Conference on Coexistence Community Consultations, Durban, South Africa, January 2003, 6.
[5] As noted by Susan Sachs, a New York Times columnist in her piece of Dec. 16, 2001, in The New York Times entitled "In One Muslim Land, an Effort to Enforce Lessons of Tolerance."
[6] Amber Hague, "Attitudes of high school students and teachers towards Muslims and Islam in a southeaster Australian community," Intercultural Education 2 (2001): 185-196.
[7] Yehuda Amir, "Contact Hypothesis in Ethnic Relations," in Weiner, Eugene, eds. The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence (New York: The Continuing Publishing Company, 2000), 162-181.
[8] The Ukrainian Centre for Common Ground has launched a successful restorative justice project. Information available on-line at www.sfcg.org.
[9] Neve Shalom homepage [on-line]; available at www.nswas.com; Internet.
[10] Lessons in Tolerance after Conflict. http://www.soros.org/osn/winter2000/lessons_in_tolerance.html; Internet.
[11] "A Global Quest for Tolerance" [article on-line] (UNESCO, 1995, accessed 11 February 2003); available at www.unesco.org/tolerance/global.htm; Internet.
[12] Louis Kriesberg, "Coexistence and the Reconciliation of Communal Conflicts." In Weiner, Eugene, eds. The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence (New York: The Continuing Publishing Company, 2000), 182-198.
Use the following to cite this article:
Peterson, Sarah. "Tolerance." Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: July 2003 <http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/tolerance/>.
Sources of Additional, In-depth Information on this Topic
Additional Explanations of the Underlying Concepts:
Online (Web) Sources
Brandeis University International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life: Alan B. Slifka Program in Intercommunal Coexistence.
Available at: http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/Slifka/.
The Slifka Program in Intercommunal Coexistence aims to generate and disseminate knowledge useful to practitioners of coexistence and related fields, and to engage students and other members of the larger Brandeis community in the theory and practice of coexistence. The Program focuses in particular on the ethical dimension of coexistence work and the role of the arts and humanities in strengthening relationships among the people of historically divided communities.
The Coexistence Initiative.
Available at: Click here for more info.
The Coexistence Initiative seeks to provide information on the topic of coexistence and to facilitate communication between those engaged in coexistence-related work. The organization's website provides a variety of resources, as well as news about projects on which the Initiative and its partners are currently working.
Offline (Print) Sources
Kriesberg, Louis. "Coexistence and the Reconciliation of Communal Conflicts." In The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence. Edited by Weiner, Eugene, ed. New York, NY: Continuum Publishing, 2000.
This chapter discusses the meanings of the terms coexistence and reconciliation and examines the obstacles to achieving these societal states in the wake of violent protracted conflicts. The article goes on to consider ways to foster equitable coexistence and reconciliation, looking at forms of reconciliation work and strategies for carrying out such work. Click here for more info.
Amir, Yehuda. "Contact Hypothesis in Ethnic Relations." In The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence. Edited by Weiner, Eugene, ed. New York: Continuum Publishing, 1998.
This book discusses the conditions under which intergroup contact leads to improved intergroup relations and the reduction of prejudice. The author concentrates on three main variables: the character of the contact situation, the character of the contact participants, and the attitudinal and behavioral results. Click here for more info.
Kriesberg, Louis. Constructive Conflicts: From Escalation to Resolution, 2nd Edition. New York: Rowman and Littlefield, November 2002.
This volume discusses the catalysts and phases of conflict as well as the processes of conflict resolution. It identifies the complexities of constructive conflicts and outlines case studies of intractable conflict moving towards resolution.
Sen, Amartya. Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor, 1999.
In this book, the author argues that tolernace is a key to and should be understood within the context of human happiness.
"In One Muslim Land, An Effort to Enforce Lessons of Tolerance." New York Times , December 16, 2001.
This article talks about tolerance.
Schmemann, Serge. "The Burden of Tolerance in a World of Division." New York Times , December 29, 2002.
Serge Schmemann, a New York Times columnist noted in his piece of December 29, 2002 in The New York Times entitled "The Burden of Tolerance in a World of Division" that tolerance is a burden rather than a blessing in today's society.
Sagar, Lawrence. "The Free Exercise of Culture: Some Doubts and Distinctions." Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 4, January 1, 2000.
One essay in a volume of essays focused on putting an end to intolerance and encouraging communities to actively embrace diversity.
The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence. New York: Continuum Press, 1998.
Identifies the importance of intimate inter-group contact in reducing prejudice and promoting tolerance as well as peaceful coexistence and reconciliation.
Ury, William L. The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop. New York: Penguin Books, September 2000.
In this book, William Ury explains that it takes two sides to fight and a third to stop it. Based on years of experience as a conflict resolution practitioner, Ury describes ten practical roles that people can play to prevent destructive conflict. He argues that fighting is not inevitable human behavior and that we can transform battles into constructive conflict and cooperation by turning to what he calls, "the third side".
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Examples Illustrating this Topic:
Online (Web) Sources
Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam.
Available at: http://www.nswas.com/.
A summary of the successes of Neve Shalom and Wahat-al-Salam in developing an educational program focused on integrated schooling.
The Search for Common Ground.
Available at: http://www.sfcg.org/.
The Search for Common Ground is an NGO which designs and implements innovative ways to reframe issues and solve problems. They believe that for conflict prevention to be successful -- no matter how timely and effective the outside assistance -- the political will needs to exist within the country to prevent violence. The methodology of prevention is simply not powerful enough to deter people intent on killing. They believe that prevention works best in a pre-violence state such as Macedonia, where ethnic tensions are high but where violence is not widespread, or in a post-violence state like Angola, where the impulse toward bloodshed has diminished.
Offline (Print) Sources
Hague, Amber. "Attitudes of High School Students and Teachers Towards Muslims and Islam in a Southeastern Australian Community." Intercultural Education 2, 2001.
This study investigates attitudes of Australian high school students and teachers towards Muslims and Islam in two suburban high schools in specific areas of southeastern Australia. Respondents generally disagreed with the negative stereotypes of Muslims, as the media tends to present them.
Malan, Jannie. "From Exclusive Aversion to Inclusive Coexistence." Conference on Coexistence Community Consultations, Durban, South Africa , January 1, 2003.
This paper looks at differing levels of tolerance and coexistence in South Africa.
Kosovo. January 1, 1900.
This is a documentary film that demonstrates the extent to which Serbs and Kosovars are divided in their lives, particularly since the war.
European Centre for Conflict Prevention. "Tuzla, City of Hope in War-Torn Bosnia." In People Building Peace: 35 Inspiring Stories From Around the World. Edited by van Tongeren, Paul, ed. Utrecht: European Centre for Conflict Prevention, 1999.
Argues that the relative peace in Tuzla was a result of a history of tolerance there.
Lantieri, Linda and Janet Pattie. Waging Peace in Our Schools. Beacon Press, July 1, 1998.
Identifies case studies of peace and conflict resolution curriculum successfully integrated into classroom settings in conflict and non-conflict arenas.
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Teaching Materials on this Topic:
Online (Web) Sources
Museum of Tolerance: A Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum.
Available at: http://www.museumoftolerance.com/.
The Museum of Tolerance provides opportunities for people to engage in themes of tolerance through participating in courses or getting involved with the Tolerance Center, which provides participants with an intense educational and experiential daylong training program. Through interactive workshops, exhibits, and videos, individuals explore issues of prejudice, diversity, tolerance, and cooperation in the workplace and in the community.
Tolerance.org.
Available at: http://www.tolerance.org/.
This site offers information about human rights to multiple interest groups, including citizen activists, parents and teachers. The mission of Tolerance.org is to create a national community committed to human rights. Its goal is to awaken people of all ages to the problem of hate and intolerance, to equip them with the best tolerance ideas and to prompt them to act in their homes, schools, businesses and communities.
Tolerance.org.
Available at: http://www.tolerance.org/.
A website that deals with the complexities of tolerance and provides a section for educators on teaching tolerance.
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