A critical look at International Year of Tolerance

By Lisa Macdonald SYDNEY — On October 28, a conference titled "International Year of Tolerance: Just words or action?" will be held here. The conference is organised by students from the Department of Welfare at the Sydney Institute of Technology (Ultimo campus). Lesley Townsley, one of the students involved, told Green Left Weekly that the conference was organised to examine the concept of tolerance from a perspective different from that promoted by the UN. "We think that naming 1995 the International Year of Tolerance (IYT) is patronising and pacifying", she said. "To use the example of racism, it implies that it is OK to be a racist so long as you don't act on it. I certainly don't want to be 'tolerated' in this way. "We are also questioning the ideology behind the international year themes. The mission statement from the UN on the IYT, for example, which basically says, 'Take this magic pill and you'll all tolerate each other and the world will be a happy place', is totally superficial. The UN has been 'tolerating' mass murder in Bosnia. That is hypocrisy." Debbie Young, another of the organisers, said that the conference aims to "encourage people to think more deeply and speak out about tolerance from a range of different perspectives. "We want people to challenge, not just passively accept, the values implied in this word", she said. The conference will be attended by TAFE students and staff from around NSW, as well as community welfare workers and activists. Tolerance will be discussed in feature talks and workshops as it relates to Aboriginal people, AIDS sufferers, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, women, lesbians and gay men, mental health patients and other social groups. The role of religion, the media, community action and campaigns and the welfare sector in creating social change will also be addressed. The organisers want the day to be more than a talk-fest, however. "Participants will be able to make contact with people who can assist them to take action around particular issues", said Young. "There is power in obtaining information, thinking critically and meeting people that you can join with in taking action." The conference will be held at the Enmore Design Centre, 110 Edgeware Rd, Enmore. For more information or to register phone (02) 217 3434.