The Master Class on Tolerance brought together 510 enthusiastic participants, including students from schools and universities in the Île-de-France region, and representatives from civic service associations. This initiative, highlighting the values of inclusion, dialogue, and mutual respect, was a resounding success.
The event saw engagement from notable civic service associations such as AIME ONG, Afrogiveness (founded by the 2022 laureate of the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize), and Youth ID. Organizations promoting equal opportunities and inclusion, including Ambition Campus, Cité des Chances, Graine d'Orateur 93, and Rêv'Elles, also contributed actively with their youth networks.
A broad spectrum of educational institutions participated, including high school students from Lycée International Jeannine Manuel in Paris, Lycée Alexandre Dumas in Saint-Cloud, and Lycée Saint Dominique in Nancy. University students from renowned institutions like the Sorbonne, Paris VI, Paris Cité University, and Sciences Po, represented by the Junior Diplomat Initiative (JDI France), enriched the event with their diverse perspectives. Additionally, "l'Association des juristes internationalistes et européanistes - Paris Saclay" added to the discourse with their unique expertise.
This variety of backgrounds, ages, and experiences created an engaging and vibrant exchange of ideas, underlining the power of tolerance as a universal principle.
The event coincided with the 14th edition of the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. The prestigious jury was chaired by Aly Ndiaye (Webster), a Canadian historian and activist musician, alongside Professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer, a peace advocate from the Philippines, and Evelina Cabrera, an Argentinian sports coach and social activist.
This year, the Prize received nearly 80 applications, with 48 meeting all criteria: 19 individual applications (8 men and 11 women), 27 from NGOs or associations, and 2 from government entities. The laureate, whose contributions to tolerance and non-violence were deemed exemplary, can be discovered here.
This impactful event was made possible by the generous support of the Foundation, whose commitment to fostering tolerance and non-violence inspires hope for a harmonious future.