United Nations Day

Teaching students about the United Nations is one way of teaching tolerance.

The value for this month in our school is tolerance to coincide with United Nations Day.

What is United Nations Day?

UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. In 1971, the United Nations.

This year we will celebrate an International Day in November focusing on English speaking countries as an alternative to United Nations Day.

So, how can you celebrate United Nations Day at home or in your community?

You could;

HOST AN INTERNATIONAL FAIR

In your neighbourhood or perhaps even in your child’s school, consider getting people of different cultures together to celebrate. Your fair can have an assortment of tables, each representing a member of the United Nations, with samples of food, art and music from that culture. In addition to learning about different cultures, your children will learn how to work together with others towards achieving a common goal.

ATTEND A CULTURAL PERFORMANCE

Whether it’s heading to a local ethnic restaurant where they have nightly performers or attending a concert, ballet or opera, exposing children to the arts of another culture is a surefire way to peak their curiosity and provide a segue into cultural conversation.

SERVING AN INTERNATIONAL DINNER

While you can certainly order take-out, consider getting the kids involved in making a traditional dinner from a selected country. If you’re really interested in this endeavor, you could even serve a four course meal and have each course represent a different country.

While the ways you can celebrate United Nations Day are endless, the important thing is that you do something to open the door to conversation about the importance of getting along with others who are different and also helping those in need.