Last Sunday I saw one of the best examples of the famous Dutch tolerance in action at the cultural festival and day-without-cars in Utrecht. I am talking of Mensenzoo (people zoo) installed in the post office square, one of the hot spots in the city. Consists basically of a group of stalls in which a ‘specimen’ of the human race is ‘exhibited’ (farmers, homeless, homos, children, immigrants, and almost all the groups in the human family were represented). You could talk to the people in the stalls, ask them questions and, as in any other zoo, take photos of you and your favourite creature.
The idea behind it is to promote a society which does full justice to each individual irrespective of religion, age, social status or sexual preference.
And the way to achieve that? By improving communication and respect for each other’s differences in a funny, provocative way!
Meet one another, exchange views and learn from one another.
2 comments:
This reminds me of an ironic comedy tv programme from some years ago by Alexei Sayle:
'Yeah we lived next door to the Invisible family for a while. Me and the wife got on with them really well - until we discovered they were black.'!!
brilliant!
who said that good walls make good neighbours?
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