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KT edit: Positive citizenship at the core of UAE

The UAE never fears looking inwards — celebrating values that are intrinsic to us, while always leaving room for new ideas and ideals.

A lot was put to test in the year that’s gone by. In the middle of a global pandemic, as some of us lost loved ones, as our financial wellness became casualty to the shifts happening in workplaces, as the threat of contracting a virus loomed large, our patience, perseverance and resilience were put through a litmus test.

A year on, the national inoculation programme may have given us hope, but the moral recovery from a year that challenged us in many ways can be ascribed to the sense of togetherness and empathy that has been ingrained deeply in Emirati society. It is imperative that we stand by our faith in these positive values and instil them in generations to come in order to cope with a rapidly changing world.

The UAE never fears looking inwards — celebrating values that are intrinsic to us, while always leaving room for new ideas and ideals.

While tolerance remains at the heart of the Emirati society and polity, recently, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makotum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, launched a national programme to promote positive behaviour in society. Positive citizenship is important to the UAE in order to further its strategic goals, but above everything else, it realises the importance of leaning on these values to usher in positive change. The key aspect of this initiative is an effort to reward positive behaviour, indicators of which include healthy life, nutrition, volunteering work, compliance with laws and empowerment. Extending and furthering that ethos to the private sector is crucial for a wider outreach of the programme and plans are underway to collaborate and innovate.

Today, the UAE’s strategic intervention in tackling the crisis that is the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the world why it remains the land where thousands come to build lives and livelihoods. The country has shown enormous resolve in fighting the pandemic and making vaccination accessible to all. If anything, the last year has witnessed how immensely a society benefits when positive citizenship remains at the core of its values. From extending help and compassion to those in need to rebuilding the sectors that have been worst hit during the pandemic, the society’s deep investment in overcoming those challenges was a testament to its resilience. In formalising those ideals by means of this programme, the UAE has taken another leap, and proven to the world that it is prepared to take on any challenge.