Tolerance Talks: To solve conflict, agree to disagree

Khaleej Times is proudly organising the Tolerance Talks 2019.

In a world that is becoming increasingly polarised, where disingenuous forces continue to abuse the bonds of religion, faith, politics - and even commerce - to divide, discredit, and discriminate, the UAE has taken it upon itself to amplify the hitherto low-decibel calls for the one thing that can and will save the world from self-destruction: tolerance. Inspired by the legacy of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's Year of Tolerance initiative is aimed at promoting the values of coexistence, diversity, moderation and mutual respect to achieve lasting peace.
Globally acknowledged as a melting pot of race, religion and cultures, the UAE is wisely using its status as a cauldron for heterogeneous society to bring together opposing agendas, contrarian perspectives, and incongruous convictions to discuss, debate and accept their differences. The first two months of the year saw the country bring disparate faith leaders and followers, divergent viewpoints and conflicting agendas under one roof to see eye to eye on issues of global significance.
To play our humble role in promoting the virtues of peaceful coexistence as part of the UAE's Year of Tolerance initiative, Khaleej Times is proudly organising Tolerance Talks 2019, a year-long series of talks aimed at keeping the conversation going and at reiterating the need for making the effort to understand the counterpoint. Being a 40-year-old UAE institution, Khaleej Times fully understands that it is the responsibility of the media to promote local, regional and global peace and harmony, to alleviate tensions, to bridge societal chasms and to mitigate potential rifts and conflicts.
The UAE has always accepted people from different countries with diverse backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and convictions. Influenced by the essence of Islam, the traditions and values of the Arab culture and the learnings of Zayed, the wise leadership of the country has always promoted the virtues of tolerance, peace and harmony. The first of the KT Tolerance Talks 2019 will witness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE's Minister of Tolerance, share his idea of cooperation, and his concept of coexistence, narrated through the prism of his life experiences.
The UAE government has done a remarkable job in incubating tolerance through several initiatives, including the establishment of the National Tolerance Program and the Cabinet position of a Minister of Tolerance, and the naming of an Abu Dhabi mosque as Mariam Umm Eisa (Mary Mother of Jesus). This year, the Year of Tolerance, has witnessed enormous activity and sincere steps by the UAE, including the first papal mass on the Arabian peninsula, the 'Declaration on Human Fraternity' and the historic meeting of Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, Dr Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, and representatives of 12 religions, and the foundation of the Zayed Global Fund for Coexistence.
Make no mistake, though - these are concrete steps in the right direction, and we will need to continue to trek down even faster down the road of tolerance if we're to achieve the objective of global peace. In a civilised world where peaceful coexistence is the need of the hour, there can be no hope, no journey, and no future if we lack the willingness to tolerate what we dislike, if we're not even ready to hear the other viewpoint, if we're so shallow as to think that ours is the only opinion that matters. It's time to agree to disagree. It's time to walk the walk and talk the talk on tolerance. It's time for Tolerance Talks.