Tolerance integral to the UAE story
Nation’s overarching efforts to coexist with its grass-root realities is commendable
From ministers, officials, ambassadors to individuals, the efforts to promote tolerance were honoured by the UAE at the UAE Pioneer Awards held in Abu Dhabi yesterday. The recognition was an impetus for a critical priority in today’s increasingly fragmenting times.
The value of tolerance is not a new currency in the human exchange of attitudes; it’s the oldest familiarity but it’s also the most under threat in the current global sociopolitical climate. For the UAE however, tolerance is not a new pursuit; it has been integral part of what the country stands for since its formation in 1971. Tolerance was envisioned as a way of life by the UAE’s founding fathers; it is a hereditary asset, evident in every facet of the country’s identity.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, encapsulated this abiding principle when he announced the theme of this year’s UAE Pioneer Awards, “Tolerance and the UAE are two sides of the same coin,” he said.
As regions and nations across the globe grapple with the myriad challenges of divisive ideologies, the UAE has chosen its own path guided by its innate belief that progress is not about achieving targets or crossing milestones that are not inclusive of peoples and their values. The fact that more than 200 nationalities make the UAE their home, a reality that is born out of choice and not chance, attests to the UAE leadership’s inclusive approach. And inclusiveness cannot be possible without tolerance, as the latter is the glue that holds it all together.
Embellishing this harmony are the many national initiatives and projects and events launched by the UAE. From having a Minister of State for Tolerance, instituting a National Tolerance Programme, declaring 2019 as the Year of Tolerance, hosting the World Tolerance Summit to the decision to build in Abu Dhabi the Abrahamic Family House to promote inter-faith harmony and a Hindu temple, as well as hosting Pope Francis, a historic event that took place in February this year, the country’s overarching efforts coexist with its grass-root realities whether in legislation, education, community or workplaces to reveal the empowering force of tolerance in the country’s very fabric. What the UAE has shown is that if you have the will, you can make tolerance a way of life that is as natural as breathing.