Estela Valverde
Orcid ID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4446-9612
University of Sydney/Macquarie University, Australia
estela.valverde@sydney.edu.au

Jane Hanley
Orcid ID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6331-7353
Macquarie University, Australia
jane.hanley@mq.edu.au

Abstract:

In this article we explore the relationship between tolerance and human rights in Uruguay, analyzing the asymmetry of purely attitudinal tolerance. This form of tolerance is unsustainable if the national community is defined based on the cultural values of the ethnic majority. We identify key moments in Uruguay’s history that demonstrate the limits of tolerance, and compare the Uruguayan case with the Australian. Instead of attitudinal tolerance, we support tolerance that arises from the reciprocal recognition of rights. This form of tolerance, enshrined in law, is possible in a nation a common project of political negotiation and civic participation in place of a singular culture that requires assimilation.

Keywords: multiculturalism, national identity, Australia, assimilation, amnesty.