UAE varsities to teach tolerance

Dubai - With the current Arab World's turmoils, Al Mansouri is aware that there's a long way ahead.

  Tolerance will be a compulsory course in UAE universities starting from the next academic year, an official said.
As part of the International Institute for Tolerance, launched earlier in October to promote values of coexistence among nations, the academic course will be imposed among students during their foundation years.
The course, inspired by the Global Peace Foundation framework, will instill the principles of acceptance in youths, and address the root causes of fundamentalism, seclusion and extremism.
Ahmad Khalfan Al Mansouri, General-Secretary for Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Tolerance, said: "Future generations will continue the country's mission in becoming the capital of tolerance, so they will have to learn to live in tolerance from today to carry on these principles to upcoming generations."
He added that tolerance ambassadors will be allocated in different schools across Dubai, before expanding to academic institutions in others emirates.
Schools will witness different programmes and councils that will build tolerance culture among young students.
World Peace Award renamed
Once named the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for World Peace, the foundation has been redirected towards tolerance.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced the tolerance institute and award through his Twitter account on October 8.
"There are a number of peace awards across the world, such as the United Nations and the Nobel Peace Award, and Sydney Peace Prize. The UAE government wanted to present something new to the world that centres on tolerance: a theme we need to expand on given the world's conflicts," said Al Mansouri.
The award, which will honour champions of tolerance across the world, will start accepting applications through self-nominations by next year. The exact dates will be announced later.
The award is divided into five categories, three of which will be dedicated to honouring champions of tolerance in human thought, literary creativity and the arts.
The other two will focus on youth projects and new media.
 
The award foundation will start its operations across the UAE within this year, before working across different regions.
Al Mansouri said the foundation will carry out different initiatives that will promote tolerance within the UAE and the world, in collaboration with global partners including Global Peace Foundation and Global Volunteer Foundation.
"The UAE has been a great example of gathering 200 nationalities in peace and tolerance. If there are initiatives to promote tolerance and spread this culture, we will be able to address the main problems behind conflicts in the world," noted Al Mansouri.
On Thursday, he said, an initiative under #ToleranceUnitesUs will be launched to encourage users to post pictures that signals tolerance across their social media platforms.
Other initiatives will be carried out during World Tolerance Day on November 16.
Besides reading and translation programmes that will bring different cultures together, a walk will be marched with figures of different religions to promote peace.
With the current Arab World's turmoils, Al Mansouri is aware that there's a long way ahead.
The 30-plus entities that fall under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives' umbrella will unite in their efforts to achieve these goals, he said.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE