December 19, 2001

Dear Sir,

I would like to use your columns to offer thanks to Dred & Baha for their invitation and sponsorship for me to attend the activities around the United Nations Tolerance Day 2001, which was held on December 11 in New York.

Dred & Baha Productions had been invited to participate in this event by Dr. Noel Brown, the president of Friends of the United Nations, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting the principles and values of the UN Charter. Their involvement in this event came through successful networking and as a result of the fact that this year's theme was "Tolerance through the Arts". This Bermudian production company assisted in the video recording of the event and supplied the entertainment for the cocktail reception which was held, in the form of Ras Georges (the local singer).

In presenting me with the invitation, Gladwin Simmons head of Dred & Baha, cited my role in founding the Anti-Apartheid movement in Bermuda. In accepting, I noted that Mr. Simmons accompanied me, along with a couple of other observers, when I had been invited as a delegate for a conference marking the 25th Anniversary of the United Nations' Center Against Apartheid, in the early '80's. So this could be seen as a part of a cycle.

The programme was diverse. It included a Tribute to New York and specifically the emergency services. There was the recognition of the fact that Secretary General, Kofi Annan , and the United Nations had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the day before; so this was received by Deputy Secretary General Louise Frechette.

The major portion of the program was the honouring of a variety of persons in the arts with Global Tolerance Awards 2001. These included Dr T. F. Chen, a Chinese artist who has worked to facilitate an East/West art and cultural exchange. Another of the honorees who might be familiar to locals was Alanis Morisette, a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter who has exercised "selfless dedication to humanitarian causes and promoted tolerance in the Middle East and Kosovo".

I would like to again express my appreciation to Dred & Baha for the opportunity afforded in being a part of their efforts to "think Globally and act locally". It is my hope that lessons drawn from this event can help to foster tolerance here. The spirit of this celebration for the UN Tolerance Day 2001 was captured by a recurring theme in the presentation made by renowned actor Danny Glover at the event, when he paraphrased the quote from Gandhi, that "we must all become the change that we are working towards".

GLENN FUBLER

Smith's Parish