What it is
The International Day for Tolerance is marked on 16 November. It is usually linked to UNESCO, whose member states adopted a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance in 1995, and to a United Nations decision to mark the day in the following year.
Today it is a day to talk about respect for differences: cultures, languages, beliefs and ways of life. Schools, language centres and training companies often use it for classroom discussions and community projects.
Symbols: Hands of different colours, an open door, a mosaic, a tree with many leaves, a shared table
Emoji: 🤝 🌍 🕊️ 💬 🧩 🌈
Colours: Warm orange, teal, soft white
Hashtags: #DayForTolerance #Tolerance #RespectForAll #Inclusion #UNESCO
What to aim for
- Show that your school, studio or company is open and respectful (trust)
- Invite followers to share their own experience of living and learning together (engagement)
- Present real inclusive practices that you already use, such as accessible materials or multilingual support (credibility)
Post ideas by format
Post
- A short respectful post about one real practice in your school or team that helps people of different backgrounds feel welcome
- A quote from a teacher or student about learning from people who think differently, shared with their permission
Carousel
- “Five ways to make a classroom more welcoming”: one practical idea per slide, last slide asks teachers to add theirs
- “Hello in many languages”: one slide per greeting from your students or team, only with their consent
Reel / short video
- Hook: “How do you say hello at home?” Short clips of students or team members, each in their own language, with permission
- A 15-second video of a shared table or classroom with a calm closing line about respect
Stories
- A question box: “What is one thing you learned from someone very different from you?”
- A calm poll: “Have you tried a new food, language or tradition recently?”
Ready-made post examples
Layouts we wrote as examples. Replace the details with your own business before you publish.
Our classes bring together people from different countries, and every lesson is also a conversation about different ways to live. On the Day for Tolerance, students share how they greet each other at home. Read them in the carousel, try them out loud, and tell us in the comments how you say hello in your family.
Our teaching team believes that good education starts with listening to people whose experience is different from our own. This year we have added discussion formats to our courses and kept our materials accessible. On the International Day for Tolerance, we invite educators to share one practice that helped their group work better together. What would you suggest?
On the International Day for Tolerance, each class at our school will discuss a simple question: what does it mean to treat people with respect? Parents can continue the conversation at home. Here are three questions to ask at dinner: who is different from me, what can I learn from them and how can I be a good friend? Share your family’s answers if you wish.
What to avoid
- Do not use jokes or memes about cultures, religions, nationalities or any group of people, and avoid stereotypes in pictures
- Do not use diverse stock photos to look inclusive; if you show people, show real members of your community who have agreed
- Do not claim practices or certifications that you do not have, and do not turn the day into a hard sale or a political argument
When to post
- Prepare materials a week ahead and ask the people who appear in them to approve their parts
- Publish in the morning of 16 November; a calm, discussion-based format works better than an announcement
- The day after, reply to comments with care and share a few thoughtful answers, with permission
What to check afterwards
- Quality of comments: whether people share experiences rather than only reacting
- Saves and shares of practical posts for teachers and parents
- Questions about your courses or programmes from people who saw the post
Add one line about your business: the free generator gives three captions with hashtags for the network you choose. No sign-up.
Around the same days
- International Accounting Day
- Police Day (Russia)
- Armistice Day
- Singles’ Day (11.11)
- Veterans Day (US)
- Titmouse Day (Sinichkin Den)
- World Kindness Day
- World Diabetes Day
- International Students’ Day
- International Men’s Day
- World Philosophy Day
- World Children’s Day
- Accountant’s Day (Russia)
- World Hello Day
- World Television Day
- Psychologist’s Day (Russia)