On September 18, 2025, we held the opening of a beautifully displayed Tolerance Poster Show at Belgrade Fortress (Kalemegdan) in Belgrade, Serbia. The show was a part of the broader Tolerance Campaign — a joint initiative of the United Nations and the Council of Europe launched earlier this year to promote inclusion and counter hate speech. The exhibition underscores efforts to use art, education, and public engagement to challenge prejudice and strengthen solidarity. But that didn’t last long. After being hung, the posters of Andrzej Pagowski of Poland, Blazo Kovacevic of Montenegro, and Levente Bendek of Romania were soon vandalized. The poster of Levente Bendek was vandalized repeatedly. First, somebody drew a skinhead symbol and scratched homophobic slurs. Then, someone ripped the rainbow flag depicted in the poster. After that, even more hateful messages and symbols were drawn over a rainbow flag that continues to be torn. So much for tolerance. Unfortunately, this happens ...
THE TOLERANCE PROJECT has brought a message of social acceptance to over 700,000 people in 50 countries. Founded by artist-activist Mirko Ilić, this initiative showcases posters designed by artists from around the world. THE TOLERANCE PROJECT starts a conversation about inclusion, which can only begin with a foundation of tolerance. The show utilizes the unique power of design to remind us what we all have in common. More about on the Tolerance Project website https://tolerance-project.org