About International Day for Tolerance
The International Day for Tolerance is observed on 16 November every year, so in 2026 it falls on Monday, 16 November 2026. The date marks 16 November 1995, when UNESCO's member states adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. The UN General Assembly invited countries to observe the day through a resolution in 1996.
On 16 November 1995 the General Conference of UNESCO adopted a short document called the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. That year had been declared the United Nations Year for Tolerance, and it was also UNESCO's fiftieth anniversary and the year UNESCO tied to the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth. The following year the UN General Assembly, through resolution 51/95, invited member states to mark 16 November as the International Day for Tolerance.
What does the 1995 declaration actually say?
It says something firmer than the word usually suggests. Article 1.1 defines tolerance as respect, acceptance and appreciation of the many ways of being human. Article 1.2 rules out the soft reading.
Tolerance is not concession, condescension or indulgence.
Two more points in the declaration get quoted less and matter more. Tolerance is described as a legal and political requirement for states, not only a personal virtue, which means governments are expected to protect minorities through law. And Article 1.4 says plainly that practising tolerance does not mean tolerating social injustice, or giving up your own convictions. You can hold your position firmly and still not deny someone else theirs.
Is there an Indian connection to the International Day for Tolerance?
Two, in fact. The prize UNESCO awards on this date is named after an Indian. The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence was created in 1995, on the 125th anniversary of Gandhi's birth, and carries US$100,000. It is awarded every two years on 16 November at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Madanjeet Singh, who lived from 1924 to 2013, was an Indian diplomat, writer and artist, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and the founder of the South Asia Foundation.
The second is in the Constitution. Article 51A(e), one of the fundamental duties added in 1976, asks every citizen to promote harmony and a spirit of common brotherhood across religious, linguistic and regional differences. It is not enforceable in court, but it is the closest thing India has to an official statement of what this day is about.
16 November is also National Press Day in India, marking the day the Press Council of India began work in 1966. The two sit together well: a free press and a tolerant society tend to rise and fall at the same time.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1993 | The UN General Assembly proclaims 1995 as the Year for Tolerance |
| 16 November 1995 | UNESCO adopts the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance |
| 1995 | The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize is created, named after an Indian diplomat |
| 1996 | Resolution 51/95 invites countries to observe 16 November each year |
How is the International Day for Tolerance observed?
UNESCO holds the prize ceremony in Paris in the years it is awarded, and runs campaigns on hate speech, media literacy and education. Schools and universities in many countries hold interfaith meetings, exhibitions and classroom discussions. In India the day is mostly an institutional one, marked in colleges, law schools and by civil society groups, often alongside National Integration Day on 19 November.
What do you write on the International Day for Tolerance?
Thank a specific person for a specific thing. General appeals for harmony read as noise; a note naming one neighbour, one colleague or one act lands.
Happy International Day for Tolerance. Your family has looked after ours through two festivals and one hospital run this year. Thank you.
On the International Day for Tolerance, thanks for disagreeing with me in meetings without ever making it personal. That is the whole idea, really.
Happy International Day for Tolerance. A classroom where a child can say the wrong thing and be corrected kindly is rarer than it should be.
Marking the International Day for Tolerance by thinking of you, new language, new neighbours and all. Hope the city is being decent to you.
On the International Day for Tolerance, thank you for never letting anyone be turned away from the door over who they were.
Wishing everyone a good International Day for Tolerance. We speak six languages in this team and the work still gets done. Worth noticing.
Do
- Name the person and the thing you are grateful for. Specific beats noble.
- Use the day to ask a question rather than to state a position, especially in mixed company.
Avoid
- Don't send a message that implies the recipient is the intolerant one.
- Don't use the day to relitigate a political argument in a group chat.
- Don't treat tolerance as putting up with someone. The declaration behind the day explicitly rejects condescension.
Related days include International Day of Peace, Human Rights Day and National Integration Day. The rest of the year is in the calendar.
How to wish someone on International Day for Tolerance
Tolerance is a word people use loosely, so a message on this day should be concrete. Write to someone whose difference you actually value: a neighbour of another faith, a colleague who speaks a different language at home, a friend who changed their mind about something. Avoid lecturing, and avoid implying the reader needs to be more tolerant. The best notes on this day are thank-yous, not advice.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is International Day for Tolerance in 2026 and 2027?
International Day for Tolerance is on 16 Nov every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day for Tolerance in 2026?
International Day for Tolerance 2026 falls on Monday, 16 November 2026.
Why is the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November?
The date marks 16 November 1995, when UNESCO's member states adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance during the United Nations Year for Tolerance. The UN General Assembly then invited countries to observe the day annually through resolution 51/95 in 1996.
What is UNESCO's definition of tolerance?
UNESCO's 1995 declaration defines tolerance as respect, acceptance and appreciation of the diversity of the world's cultures and ways of being human. It states that tolerance is not concession, condescension or indulgence, but an active attitude based on recognising the human rights of others.
Does tolerance mean accepting injustice?
No. Article 1.4 of UNESCO's Declaration of Principles on Tolerance says that practising tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice, nor giving up or weakening your own convictions. It means holding your views while accepting that others may hold theirs.
What is the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize?
It is a prize of US$100,000 awarded every two years on 16 November at UNESCO headquarters in Paris for work promoting tolerance and non-violence. It was created in 1995 and named after Madanjeet Singh, an Indian diplomat, writer and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador who funded it.
Is the International Day for Tolerance a holiday in India?
No. It is an awareness day with no holiday attached. In India it is marked mainly in colleges and by civil society groups. The same date is also National Press Day, marking the day the Press Council of India began functioning in 1966.
What should you write on the International Day for Tolerance?
Write a short thank-you to one person, naming what you are grateful for: a neighbour of another faith, a colleague who argues fairly, a teacher who corrects without humiliating. Avoid general appeals for harmony and avoid suggesting the reader needs to be more tolerant.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .