On November 25-26, the 7th Forum on Minority Issues took place to promote dialogue and cooperation. The goal was to identify, share, and analyze the good practices, opportunities, challenges, and initiatives to better implement the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities.

In the introductory speech it was reminded that people are not born with a  sense of categorization,
children do not have the idea of friend/enemy; external elements, such as society or competition, introduced this notion. For this reason there is a strong need of educating and learning to appreciate the beauty of the diversities between people.

Among many topics addressed, two main causes for reflection were the following; “a life should have more value than another one? Why?” (Bacre Ndiaye, Former Director of the Division of Human Rights Council and Division at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions); and the second is in Nelson Mandela’s words (quote by Patrick Thornberry, Chair of the Forum on Minority Issues): “education is the most powerful army that can be used to change the world!”