International Day for Tolerance

The United Nations reserved November 16th as the International Day for Tolerance nearly 20 years ago. This day is set aside for people to learn about the rights and beliefs of others. It’s a time to discuss how various forms of injustice, oppression, racism and discrimination have a negative impact on society. The goal is to promote respect and tolerance of differences between people.

In its proclamation of the International Day of Tolerance, the UN observed, “The world today is a multicultural, multi-ethnic reality, where tolerance of diversity is necessary for all members of society.”

If this was true in 1995, imagine what the signatories of the original proclamation would think of the world today! According to the Vancouver Economic Commission, Vancouver’s population is predicted to hit three million by 2030 – most of this growth is expected to be driven by immigration.

Today, 40% of the 2.3 million Vancouverites are immigrants. That’s 920,000 people! With such a large immigrant population, it’s not surprising Vancouver has such a vast array of languages and cultural backgrounds. Almost half of our population regularly speaks a language other than English or French at home.

Now, imagine how valuable you would be to your employer if you understood the cultural differences of gift-giving. If you don’t have the time and energy to complete the New Westminster School of Diplomacy program, Green & Green can help you select the perfect gift for your international clients!

We will be posting cultural giving tips regularly on this blog, but also through our Facebook and Twitter pages – make sure you follow all three so that you don’t miss out on our tips and tricks! We will be starting our tip series with ideas for Lunar New Year (Friday, January 31st) in December.

Hey, before you go, we want to know: What culture’s gifting customs are you interested in? What traditions does your culture use when giving gifts?