November 16 — International Day for Tolerance
In 1996, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 51/95, proclaiming November 16 as International Day for Tolerance. This action followed the adoption of a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by UNESCO’s Member States on November 16, 1995. Among other things, the Declaration affirms that tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally different from one another; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.
November 20 — World Children’s Day
On November 20th, we celebrate World Children’s Day. The first day was commemorated in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day, and on this day we celebrate and support universal togetherness, awareness among children around the globe, and improving their welfare.
November 26 — National Day of Mourning/Thanksgiving Day
Traditional Thanksgiving Day in the US is not celebrated by Indigenous Peoples. The National Day of Mourning was begun in Plymouth, MA by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE).
Every year for 50 years the United American Indians of New England have gathered on the fourth Thursday of November at 12 Noon EST at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts just up the hill from Plymouth Rock and around the statue of the Wampanoag leader Massasoit. The event is National Day of Mourning to remember that for many Indigenous people in the USA Thanksgiving Day is not a celebration but a reminder of the violence and genocide that has marked Native lives since the landing of the Mayflower. This is the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor. Events will be live and virtual. Go to uaine.org for more information or the United American Indians of New England Facebook page for more information on the events. Here is a history of the Day of Mourning.
