Tuesday 13 August 2013

Demystifying Intolerance and Promoting Peace



- A guest post by Mrs. Bindu Sharma


Intolerance and anger pose many problems rather than giving solutions. At times, there is a possibility of unethically stigmatizing people whom we think as our rivals due to the apparent customs, caste, race, language, religion, the way they dress, etc., which may take the form of intolerance. The diversity across the globe in terms of traditions, religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities should be a treasure that enriches us all rather than be a ground for struggle or conflict. 
In order to fight intolerance, individuals should become aware of the link between their behaviour and the vicious cycle of mistrust and violence in society. As these ideas are rooted in the child at a premature age or early childhood, the main areas of concern should be to teach children about open-mindedness, curiosity, tolerance, justice, rights and ways to lead a life of high morals in their early years.
In this modern age, there is a need to understand that problems are global, but they can be solved at the grass root level itself. It is us who need to take the initiative to act alone. Parents and the teaching fraternity need to be equipped with tools to counter the presence of abusive behaviour towards any students, which may further contribute to an enhancement of violence and intolerance in schools. Hence, the necessity to be a part of the solution and not the problem.