I NF ORMAT I ON BOOKL ET S UMMER’ 09
UNI T Y.COMPAS S I ON.L OVE.DI GNI T Y.RES PECT .HUMANI T Y.T OL ERANCE.MUS I C.
ABOUTT OL ER8 PAGE003
T OL ER8i sanor gani s at i onf or medt opr omot et ol er ance,equal i t yanduni t yt hr oughout ourmanydi f f er entandbeaut i f ul bel i ef s ,backgr ounds ,s ex ual i t y,r acesandr el i gi ons . Weal l l i veont hi spl anet ,apl acewecal l home,s o whycanwenotl i ves i debys i dei n har mony,i fyoucanex cus et hecl i chÊ. T hewor l di si ndi s ar r ayands omet hi ng,eveni fs mal l ,needst obedonet os t ar tuni t i ngusal l . T her ear es omanyt hi ngswecanl ear nf r om eachot her .S oi ns t eadoff i ght i ng,l et ’ ss t ar tl ovi ng, enj oyi ng,s har i ng,br eat hi ngandex per i enci ngwhatwehavet oof f erwi t heachot her . S i debys i deandhandi nhand.
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WHYWENEEDT HI S PAGE004
Eur opeanandNor t hAmer i cangover nment sar ef ai l i ngt okeeppacewi t hawaveofvi ol enthat ecr i met hat cont i nuest or i s eacr os st her egi on.Raci s m,ant i S emi t i s m,x enophobi a,ant i Mus l i m andant i Romahat r ed,r el i gi ous i nt ol er ance,homophobi a:t hel i s tofbi as est hatf uel t hes ecr i mesi sal ongone.At t acksr angef r om l et hal as s aul t s t ot hr eat sandhar as s mentt ovandal i s m anddes ecr at i onofr el i gi ousandcommuni t ypr oper t y.T heper pet r at or s ar ei ndi vi dual sact i ngal one,ori nconcer twi t hnei ghbor s ,cowor ker s ,andf el l ow s t udent s ,aswel l asl oos el ykni t ormor eor gani z edgr oupst hats har ei deol ogi esofhat r edandactont hem.T hevi ol encecanr ui nl i ves ,orend t hem.I tcant er r or i z ewhol ecommuni t i es ,dr i vi ngawayvul ner abl emi nor i t i esorf or ci ngt hem t os t ayoutofs i ght . Vi ol enthat ecr i me,es peci al l ywhent heof f i ci al r es pons et oi ti sweakornonex i s t ent ,al s oat t ackst hes oci et yat l ar ge,under mi ni ngt hever ynot i onsofequal i t yandt heequal pr ot ect i onoft hel aw. T heHat eCr i meS ur veyex ami ness i xf acet sofvi ol enthat ecr i mei nt he56Eur opeanandNor t hAmer i can count r i est hatcompr i s et heOr gani z at i onf orS ecur i t yandCooper at i oni nEur ope( OS CE) :Vi ol enceBas edon Raci s m andXenophobi a,Ant i S emi t i cVi ol ence,Vi ol enceAgai ns tMus l i ms ,Vi ol enceBas edonRel i gi ousI nt ol er ance, Vi ol enceAgai ns tRoma,andVi ol enceBas edonS ex ual Or i ent at i onandGenderI dent i t yBi as . Bas edonar evi ew ofavai l abl ei nf or mat i on,vi ol enthat ecr i mei soccur r i ngathi s t or i cal l yhi ghl evel si nmany OS CEcount r i es .I ndeed,t hevi ol encei ncr eas edi n2007i nmanyar easf ors ever al t ypesofhat ecr i me.Among t hef i ndi ngs : #T her ewer emoder at et ohi ghr i s esi nt heover al l r ecor dednumber sofvi ol enthat ecr i mesmot i vat edbyr aci s m and x enophobi ai n2006and2007i nF i nl and,I r el and,t heS l ovakRepubl i c,S weden,t heUni t edKi ngdom,andt heUni t edS t at es . I nt heabs enceofof f i ci al dat a,i nf or mat i onf r om nongover nment al moni t or ss how r i s i ngl evel sofr aci s tvi ol encei nGr eece, I t al y,t heRus s i anF eder at i on,S wi t z er l and,andUkr ai ne.I ndi vi dual sofAf r i canor i gi nandRomawer epar t i cul ar l yt ar get edi n act sofr aci s tandx enophobi cvi ol encei n2007andi nt hef i r s thal fof2008. #I n2007,over al l l evel sofvi ol entant i S emi t i cat t acksagai ns tper s onsi ncr eas edi nCanada,Ger many,t heRus s i anF eder at i on, Ukr ai ne,andt heUni t edKi ngdom accor di ngt oof f i ci al s t at i s t i csandr epor t sofnongover nment al moni t or s . #Avai l abl edat ai ndi cat est hatvi ol encebas edons ex ual or i ent at i onandgenderi dent i t ybi asi sas i gni f i cantpor t i onofvi ol ent hat ecr i mesover al l andar echar act er i z edbyl evel sofphys i cal vi ol encet hati ns omecas esex ceedt hos epr es enti not herhat e cr i mes .
F ORMOREDET AI L EDF I NDI NGSANDREADI NGSPL EAS EVI S I T : ht t p: / / www. humanr i ght s f i r s t . or g/ di s cr i mi nat i on
PART YI NT HEPARK MUS I C,L OVE& UNI T Y. PAGE005
Per s onal l y,Icannott hi nkofanyot herbr i l l i antwayt obr i ngal l t ypesofpeopl et oget her ,ot hert han mus i c.S omet hi ngwhi chuni t esandl i f t susal l ,Gay,S t r ai ght ,Bl ack,Whi t e,Chi nes e,I ndi an,Mal e& F emal e,weal l l ovet os hakeourbot t omsal i t t l ebi t ! S oT OL ER8’ smai neventoft heyeari s‘ Par t yI nT hePar k’ .Al i veeventf eat ur i ngmanynat i onal andi nt er nat i onal ar t i s t s ,bandsandper f or mer s ,s pr eadi ngt hemes s ageofpeaceanduni t yon ones t age,t oget heranduni f i ed. Aneventf orever yone,youcancomet ochi l l ,par t y,t akepar tandl ear nal l i noneweekend andmeetpeopl eyout houghtyouneverwoul d. T heeventwi l l bes eti nbeaut i f ul s ur r oundi ngswi t hevent sf orchi l dr enas wel l asadul t sal i ke,i naf un nonaggr es s i veandi nyourf acewayt oeducat epeopl e.Educat i oni st hekey-wi t houtknowl edge wehavenor oom t ogr ow andl ear naccept ance. F r om t hef i l t hybeat sof50Centt ot hemel l ow t onesofS i neadO’ Connor ,uni t yhasnevers ounded s ogood.S obr i ngabl anket ,br i ngapi cni cbas ketandbr i ngabot t l eofChampagne!Wehave s omet hi ngt ocel ebr at e. . .T OGET HERNES S .
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WAYST O HEL P & WAYST OL EARN PAGE006
Wecoul dbor eyouher ewi t hal i s tofdo’ sanddon’ t sbutyouknow what , t her ear ej us taf ew s i mpl et hi ngst hatyoucandot hatwi l l hel p:
Goandl oveever yone Goandeducat epeopl e Goandembr acei ndi vi dual i t y Goandenj oyot herpeopl e,youcanl ear nal ot Goands t andupf oracaus eyoubel i evei n Goandt al kt ot hatnew gi r l ats chool Goands ayhi t ot hatnew f ami l yt hat ’ smovedi noppos i t e Goandhel pt hatol dl adyacr os st her oad Goandhel poutatal ocal homel es ss hel t er Goandembr aceet hni ci t y Goandembr aces ex ual or i ent at i on Goandl ear naboutot herr el i gi ons Goandgi ves omeoneas mi l e andofcour s eGO ANDT OL ERAT E. Wemayhavedi f f er entvi ews ,backgr ounds ,s ex ual or i ent at i ons ,r el i gi onsandbel i ef s ,butyouknow what ,weal l s har e t hi sear t h,weal l wantt obel ovedandweal l wantt ol ove.Embr acei t ,t hewor l di swai t i ngf oryout ogi vei tahug!
2010ANDBEYOND T OL ER8’ SF UT URE PAGE007
2010i sj us tt hebegi nni ngf orus ,i t ’ sal ongr oadunt i l ourf i r s tPar t yI nT hePar k,wi t hal otofwor kahead,butwe bel i evet hatwi t ht hi sevent ,wecanopenuppeopl e’ seyesands how t hats t andi ngupf orwhatyoubel i evei n does n’ thavet obef or ced,aggr es s i veoraneventt hatcaus est ens i onsandboundar i es . Wef i r ml ybel i evet hatt hr ougheducat i on,under s t andi ngandt oget her nes swi t habi tofmus i cchuckedi n, wecanr eal l ys t ar tl i vi ngs i debys i de,maki ngt hi swor l dabet t erpl acet ol i vei n,f oryouandt hechi l dr en oft hef ut ur e. T OL ER8i swor ki ngonaf ew ot herpr oj ect si nt hemeant i me,l ocal i s edt os peci f i car eas ,s uchaset hni ci t y,r el i gi on, r aceands ex ual i t y.T hr oughourcommi t mentandyours ol i ds uppor twecanr eal l ys t ar tt omakeadi f f er ence. Wehopeyouar er eadyf ort hi sex ci t i ngr i deandl ear ni ngex per i ence,i t ’ sgonnabes ad,i t ’ sgonnabet ough,i t ’ s gonnabef un,i t ’ sgonnabebeaut i f ul ,i t ’ sgonnabehear t f el t ,i t ’ sgonnaber eal l i f e.I t ’ sgonnabeournew l i f e.
L ove,peaceandt ol er ancet oyoual l . T hankyouf oryourt i me,pas s i onandi ndi vi dual i s m, T het eam atT OL ER8. ht t p: / / www. t ol er 8. com