Ministry of Tolerance, Ministry of Education to kick off Eshraqat Festival on Monday

ABU DHABI, 14th September, 2021 The International Festival "Eshraqat"

is set to begin on 20th September, 2021, featuring over 40 knowledgepacked, educational and diverse events and activities, and a large number of international academics and experts (to participate virtually). The festival targets students, parents, teachers and university professors from five continents, including around ten thousand students from schools and universities in the UAE and a number of countries in the world, 70 public and private universities (local and international), 800 public and private schools in the UAE, and 100 international schools. Held under a slogan of "Tolerance is Knowledge", the three-day festival kicks off with an opening ceremony attended by experts, academics and educators from different countries of the world, featuring an opening keynote by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, followed by a speech by Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, highlighting the practice of tolerance in the UAE’S schools

After that, Dr. Ruby Bakshi Khurdi will be joining from Switzerland in a talk about learning human values through emotional intelligence. The opening ceremony will conclude with a speech by Professor Temple Grandin, who will participate from the USA to share her experience in integrating people of determination, especially autism patients, into society and its value and social impacts. The festival will also include "Towards a Bright Future" forum, which focuses on drawing a map for the festival participants to walk towards the future on the path of tolerance and coexistence based on knowledge, wherein Sam Branett, CEO of MBC International, will talk about the relationship between modern and traditional media, as well as tolerance and human values. Andrew Hammond, Senior Director of Learning and Community at Discovery Education, will also speak at the forum from UK. Al Hammadi commented, "Eshraqat is an international platform highlighting the UAE’S experience in celebrating and promoting the tolerance in the UAE’S schools." The Minister of Education also affirmed that the word 'tolerance' represents a lofty value that has a great impact on the cohesion of the fabric of the UAE society, explaining that the UAE leadership's adoption of tolerance as an approach contributed to creating an environment of intercultural coexistence and mutual respect. He added that the Ministry of Education was keen on integrating tolerance into the vocabulary of its curricula, to create a school community founded on tolerance, highlighting the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to launch Moral Education as curriculum subject in UAE schools, which promotes tolerance among students, and aims to reject differences and conflicts and promote positive and responsible citizenship. Al Hammadi said that Eshraqat Festival represents a wonderful knowledge platform to showcase important ideas related to education, knowledge and tolerance before students, teachers and parents. A world leading educator and lecturer, Dr. Khurdi will present many stories that she encountered during her long career. One of the world's most influential experts in the fields of dealing with autism and studying animal behaviour, Professor Grandin will share the findings of her studies on the most acceptable methods of integrating people fo determination, especially autism patients, into society. Her participation is based on a fact in which she believes, that "the world needs different minds", which aligns with the theme of the Eshraqat Festival, and will explore personal experience in "thinking in pictures", which helped her solve problems that can be hard to deal with. Researcher, academic and lecturer with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Hammond will talk about the most important ways and methods, through which schools can transform the basic values related to tolerance, coexistence, cooperation, human fraternity, and others, into actual practices enacted by children, teachers, administrators and parents on a daily basis. A veteran in the field of traditional and modern media, Sam Brant will focus on the relationship between multimedia and tolerance and how to invest the capabilities of these media in promoting and spreading the values of tolerance and enriching the vital educational mechanisms for learning and selfdevelopment, especially among children and youth.

tribute to or incorporate the Emirati crafts of Talli produced by the skilful artisans of Irthi’s Bidwa Social Development Programme. Elevenish is a newly established online community and e-commerce platform targeting emerging designers, talents, and artists around the world. The online platform brings collections one step closer to a discerning clientele both within the UAE and around the world and will redefine the digital shopping experience for users. The collections have also been unveiled at the Elevenish showroom in Majlis Ghorfat Umm Al Sheif, Dubai. Reem Binkaram, Director of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, said, "The UAE is at the forefront of the fashion revolution in the Middle East, and the country’s home-grown talent is now being recognised for the dynamism and innovation they bring into the constantly evolving fashion scene." Binkaram added, "E-portals, such as Elevenish which set a new standard and raise the bar for designers are vital to driving the UAE’S pioneering efforts in the fashion and design industries. For Azyame graduates, who are mentored and trained in integrating fashion with craft-inspired design while also focusing on ethical and sustainable practices, the opportunity to showcase their work on this platform could serve as a launchpad for exciting new opportunities and partnerships." Hala Al Gergawi, Founder and CEO of Elevenish, said, "We are proud to announce that we have more than 80 brands on board showcasing exclusive pieces on ELEVENISH.COM, and it is an honour to have Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, which shares our vision, to partner with us on the launch, as 10 designers from the Azyame programme’s third cohort will be featuring their beautiful creations on our platform." The ten designers whose labels can be accessed on the website include Maitha Hamdan, Founder of "Decencia"; Aysha Salem, Founder of AS Fashion House; Shoug Fardan, Founder of "SHOUG", and Fatma Alawi, Founder of "Mzyan". The "Azyame" cohort of designers also includes Ayesha Al Mheiri, founder of "OSH Collection"; Moza Al Mazrou, founder of "Moza Al Mazrou"; Sara Al Bedwawi, founder of "The Bedwa", and Wafa Balaswad, founder of the "Wafa Balaswad" label. Badria Salim, founder of "Abdar Jewelry" honours the Talli patterns with her geometric designs; while Sara Al Mulla, founder and CEO of "Piece of Heart Jewellery", pays homage to the intricate details of Talli in her collection. At an exclusive event to mark the launch, a panel discussion was held to introduce attendees to Irthi and the Azyame programme. The session featured Hala Al Gergawi, Founder and CEO of Elevenish, Reem Binkaram, Director of NAMA, and Azyame designers Wafa Balaswad, Badria Salem, and Shoug Fardan.