The UAE is set to become a “global capital” for tolerance.

2017 was the Year of Giving, 2018 was the Year of Zayed, and 2019 will be the Year of Tolerance, the UAE has announced.

The news was declared by H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE. The leader said the year would highlight the UAE as a global capital for tolerance, instilling the values of co-existence and peace in local, regional and international communities.

The Year of Tolerance would also be an extension of the Year of Zayed, he said, as it would uphold the same values that the late Sheikh Zayed established among the people of the UAE.

ALSO READ:
Pope Francis to visit UAE in February 2019
Does your phone say ‘UAE Tolerance? Here’s why…
The UAE launches a world-first ‘tolerance charter’

SEVEN MAIN PILLARS

The Year of Tolerance will focus on seven main pillars. These are:

Pillar 1: 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.

Pillar 2: Tolerance in Education
This pillar’s objective is to solidify teachings behind the values of tolerance within education systems – across schools and universities – within the country.

Pillar 3: Tolerance in 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.

Pillar 4: 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 via the arts and culture sector.

The visit of Pope Francis will be a major event during the Year of Tolerance.

Pillar 5: 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.

Pillar 6: 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.

Pillar 7: Tolerance in the Media
The media is one of the most important axes in dissemination tolerance and co-existence values via targeted media campaigns and projects, as well as promoting the UAE Model of Tolerance across media channels and social networking sites.

“A CHARACTERISTIC OF ADVANCED SOCIETIES”

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, welcomed the announcement.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (@hhshkmohd) on

“UAE President’s directives to declare 2019 as the Year of Tolerance aims to boost UAE’s status as a model for co-existence and cultural understanding and further promote this value within the UAE community,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Tolerance is a characteristic of advanced societies and a pre-requisite for cultural empowerment and prosperity. In 2019, we will work to institutionalise this value and lead the intellectual, media & research efforts required to promote tolerance in our region.”

— For the best of Dubai straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.