Roundtable "Speak up together for Tolerance"

For World Philosophy Day 2016, a series of debates will be organized during a roundtable on tolerance. The event will take place between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on 17 November 2016, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, in Room II.

The purpose of the roundtable is to discuss philosophical issues related to tolerance and toleration, two concepts at the heart of intercultural dialogue in the context of social transformations.

The International Day for Tolerance, celebrated each year on the 16 of November (a day prior to World Philosophy Day), recognizes tolerance as both a philosophical political concept and an individual virtue which enjoys a plurality of meanings according to language, geography and cultural heritage.

However, tolerance is experiencing a deep crisis in the context of a resurgence of racism, extreme forms of nationalism, religious fanaticism, and growing social exclusion and discrimination. It is therefore a timely moment to host a philosophical discussion on the contribution to intercultural dialogue and managing complex social transformations.

Addressing the following question – What does philosophy have to say about the concept of tolerance around the world and its meaning across different languages? – the discussions will benefit from the geographic and intellectual diversity of the speakers.

Moderator: John Crowley, UNESCO Division of Social Transformations and Intercultural Dialogue

Introductory remarks:
Nada Al-Nashif, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences

Speakers:
Catherine Audrain, Chaire UNESCO d’étude des fondements philosophiques de la justice et de la société démocratique, Université du Québec à Montréal
Tom Rockmore, Distinguished Professor, University of Beijing
Dandan Jiang, Associate Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Lionel Veer, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to UNESCO