2019 declared the Year of Tolerance to reflect Zayed’s vision for UAE
The President, Sheikh Khalifa, declared 2019 the Year of Tolerance, highlighting the UAE as a global capital for acceptance through its legislative and policy goals to ensure the safety, stability and happiness of peoples from across the world living in the UAE.
The Year of Tolerance will focus on Seven Pillars
- Tolerance in community: The first pillar aims to promote the values of tolerance within family members, and to consolidate them among different cultures, activating the role of UAE community centres across the country to promote tolerant, cohesive societies.
- Tolerance in education: This pillar’s objective is to solidify teachings behind the values of tolerance within the education systems – across schools and universities – within the country.
- Tolerance at the workplace: The third pillar’s focus is on creating a safe, tolerant, and cohesive workplace across public and private sector institutions and organisations, via educational progammes highlighting equal opportunities for all.
- Tolerance and culture: The promotion of cultural tolerance is the main objective, via the launch of various events and programmes celebrating more than 200 nationalities residing in the country, and enhancing interactions between them through the arts and culture sector.
- UAE model of tolerance: This pillar seeks to solidify the UAE as the global capital for tolerance, via a series of initiatives and projects specialised in tolerance and dialogue between various cultures and civilisations.
- Tolerance in legislation: The sixth pillar will see the Supreme National Committee for Tolerance work on developing policy, legislation and executive regulations guaranteeing the sustainability of values and lessons behind tolerance, dialogue, and cohesion among cultures, including a law on multiculturalism.
- Tolerance in the media: The media is one of the most important axes in disseminating tolerance and coexistence values via targeted media campaigns and projects, as well as promoting the UAE model of tolerance across media channels and social networking sites.
Leaders took to social media to announce the move, following on from the Year of Zayed in 2018 and the Year of Giving in 2017.
The announcement came days after it was revealed Pope Francis will visit Abu Dhabi in February, a sign that the UAE is welcoming and tolerant of all religions.
The visit will be marked with a Mass at Zayed Sports City on February 5, where more than 100,000 people are expected to attend.
Pope Francis will also visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Founder’s Memorial.
In November, a World Tolerance Summit in Dubai attracted regional leaders and national figures.
This year, the UAE announced it will be a global co-ordinator for co-operation within a new Global Tolerance Alliance to promote acceptance around the world, with the aim of solidifying the international role that the country plays as the capital of co-existence and meeting of civilisations.
What do you think about this move? Please give your feedback in comments section below.
- Learn All About Mina Al Arab, RAK
- Ras Al Khaimah Bus Station: Timetable, Photos, and Everything You Need to Know
- Pullman Resort Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah
- Uterra Launches RAK’s First Organic Soil Fertiliser Facility
- Hop into a Luxe Easter Escape at Rixos Al Mairid, Ras Al Khaimah
