‘UAE’s model of tolerance is a unique, influential soft power’

The UAE is continuing to promote its inspiring model of tolerance, coexistence and openness to others, after leading globally through its unprecedented initiative launched this year that made it the “Capital of Tolerance.”
The UAE has proven the importance of the key role of its soft power in reinforcing human fraternity principles and encouraging moderate speech discourse, through supporting all initiatives that promote such human values amidst the current challenges threatening world peace.
During the Year of Tolerance 2019, the cooperation between public institutions, government authorities and the private sector has demonstrated a true harmony between official bodies and the community, to strengthen the culture of tolerance and reinforce a sense of openness among community members. These entities are keen to launch creative initiatives throughout the year, which will help reinforce such values and require cooperation to raise awareness.
The current year has also created promising and creative opportunities to bridge the gap between various cultures and nationalities, proving country’s official approach and community interaction reinforce the sustainability of the values of tolerance, coexistence and human fraternity within the community. Under this framework, the “1,000 Innovation Projects” related to tolerance, and human fraternity was launched, which involves the production of
one thousand audio, visual, written and artistic works promoting tolerance.

The project aims to make knowledge an efficient tool for shaping ideas and the behaviour of people and make tolerance and human fraternity a fundamental part of each individual’s life and a leading approach in all aspects of social activity.
The country’s celebration of the International Day for Tolerance on November 16 coincided with a series of official initiatives and local and international events, and its international presence was reinforced by the launch of the Global Tolerance Leadership Programme, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), with the aim of sharing the Emirati model of building tolerant communities with the world, through educating people from different countries on how to ingrain the culture of tolerance within the community and encourage individuals to adopt positive values related to coexistence and civilised discourse.
Due to the importance of reinforcing the concepts of tolerance, coexistence and other human values, the UAE hosted related academic conferences, including the “International Islamic Fiqh Academy Conference 2019,” which was attended by leading Arab and Muslim scholars, researchers and intellectuals. The research papers presented during the conference confirmed the importance of tolerance as the ultimate aim of all religions and humanity while highlighting the duty of leaders, politicians and scholars to remind people about the values of Islam, such as understanding, forgiveness and tolerance, as well as improve the relations between Muslims and peoples from other faiths.
Mohammed V University in Abu Dhabi has hosted an international conference on tolerance, under the title, “Bridges of Tolerance, cross-cultural Communication from locality to Globalism,” to highlight the UAE’s peaceful coexistence.