The second edition of World Tolerance Summit (WTS), one of the initiatives of International Institute for Tolerance (IIT) under Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Initiatives, will be chaired by HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Tolerance (IIT), top officials disclosed on Sunday.

The two-day summit themed ‘Tolerance in Multiculturalism: Achieving the Social, Economic and Humane Benefits of a Tolerant World’, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will be held at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on November 13-14.

On Sunday, the organising committee of the summit disclosed the details of the event at a press conference held at the Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Hotel in Dubai, which was attended by HE Dr Ahmed bin Sheikh Ahmed Al Shaibani, Managing Director of the IIT and Chairman of Higher Organising Committee of WTS, HE Dr Afra Al Sabri, Director General of the Office of the Minister of Tolerance, Ambassador Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, Director of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Dubai, and HE Dr Salah Al Ghoul, Director General of Community Protection and Crime Prevention, HE Sultan Butti bin Majren, Deputy Chairman of Higher Organising Committee of WTS, and Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the WTS.

The organising committee said Rustem Nurgalevich Menekhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, Mara Cristina Gabrielli, Federal Senator of Brazil, Dr Lucy Janet Bermudez, President of the State Council of Colombia and other dignitaries will attend the two-day event, in addition to senior officials, specialists, influencers, and local educational institutions.

Addressing the media, Dr Hamad Al Shaibani, Managing Director of the International Institute for Tolerance, and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the summit, stressed that the UAE adopts values of tolerance in word and deed, and considers it as the basis of peace and harmony prevailing in the country, as envisioned by the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of UAE.

Dr Al Shaibani started his speech with an immortal statement by the late Sheikh Zayed, “Tolerance is our duty, and the duty of the whole of society, to forgive the sinner and help him return to the right path. Allah, the Almighty, is forgiving, so can we not forgive.”

Dr Al Shaibani thanked HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Chairman of the Supreme National Committee of the Year of Tolerance, for his support to the tolerance initiatives in the country.

He also highlighted the role of the sponsors and strategic partners in making this year’s event even more successful than the previous edition. While mentioning the role of media, he highlighted the support of TV and radio channels under Dubai Media Incorporated which broadcast tolerance initiatives happening in the country.

The list of strategic partners and sponsors, includes Ministry of Interior,  Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Ministry of Tolerance, Roads & Transport Authority in Dubai (strategic partner of the WTS and strategic partner for all initiatives during 2019), Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dubai Police, Department of Community Development Abu Dhabi, Strategic Exhibitions & Conferences (the main partner in organising the summit),  Emirates Real Estate Solutions; and media partners like MBC Group & Tik Tok MENA.

Dr Al Shaibani said: “The event will be a leading platform for government leaders, peace experts and academics to meet and discuss ways of promoting tolerance in multiculturalism, and how to tackle the challenges it faces, and instil a culture of dialogue by all possible means to support international efforts for world peace and stability.” He also drew the attention of the attendees of the press conference to the role women can play in promoting tolerance.

He added that the agenda of the summit will include sessions, workshops, a government exhibition of tolerance, student projects for tolerance, specialised councils, digital library, art and photography exhibition and tolerance video.

The sessions will discuss different topics such as gender equality, inculcating community peace and harmony within societies, tolerance and sustainability, developing a comprehensive business strategy, issues of youth, women and people of determination, the role of media in spreading the message of tolerance.

Speakers from different countries will participate in the sessions that are modelled on TED X talks.

The summit, which brings a number of ministers, ambassadors and thinkers together in a common platform, will have various panel discussion sessions and workshops, that facilitates interaction between decision makers in governmental and non-governmental organisations and peace experts to promote tolerance initiatives worldwide.

For his part, Sultan Butti said that the summit is a precious addition to the series of initiatives in Dubai thanks to the wise vision and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who has always been unique in launching quality initiatives that the world has never seen before, in order to support and lay the foundations of universal brotherhood and peaceful coexistence in the region and the world.

For his part, Dawood Al Shezawi, said that the summit is an opportunity to discuss about the latest developments taking place in the world with top officials, experts and influential leaders, in order to reach solutions that support open dialogues to prevent violence, conflict and hate speech in the society.

Dawood El Shezawi reviewed the agenda of events and activities that will be held during the two days of the summit, which includes a unique digital library showcasing more than 80 books, youth projects, tolerance exhibition for government departments, and an art and photography exhibition organised in cooperation with National Geographic Channel Abu Dhabi.

The art and photography exhibition will reflect of the core theme of the summit ‘Tolerance in Multiculturalism’ and will be shared on the summit’s social media platforms in promotion of tolerance through art.

Dawood Al Shezawi added that the summit will see 36 student projects from 16 participating local and international universities, including Higher Colleges of Technology, American University of Dubai, Sharjah, Zayed University, Al Ghurair University, Fujairah University and Sorbonne University. Participation of more than 1,000 students are expected in the two-day event, he said.

He pointed out that the summit provides more than 35 government agencies and institutions an opportunity to highlight tolerance initiatives that promote the values ​​of tolerance, justice and equality in their respective departments, including the Ministry of Interior,  Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Office of Minister of Tolerance, Roads & Transport Authority in Dubai, Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dubai Police, Department of Community Development Abu Dhabi, Umm Al Quwain Government, Zayed House for Islamic Culture and United Religions Initiative, Foundation for Reconciliation and National Dialogue based in Bahrain, King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue in Saudi Arabia, Strategic Exhibitions & Conferences, Emirates Real Estate Solutions; and media partners like Tik Tok, Channel 4, Pulse, NABD, EuroNews, Sayidaty, Smashi TV, Al Shawati magazine.

The summit will include workshops led Dr Mariam Alhashmi Assistant Professor at the College of Education, Zayed University, and Dr Naved Bakali, Assistant Professor at the College of Education, American University in Dubai.

Dr Wajeeha Al Baharna, Vice-President of the Bahrain Women’s Society for Human Development in the Kingdom of Bahrain, will present a workshop titled We Tolerate to Transcend, which will address ways to promote values ​​of tolerance in society and how to enable young people to practise and adopt tolerance, besides the experience of nations in implementing the values of tolerance.

Dr Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Fawzan, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Secretary General of the King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue, will review Saudi Arabia’s tolerance initiatives in another workshop while Abdullah Mohammed Al Ansari, Director of Community Research, Awareness and Public Relations at Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation in Dubai, talks about the Masmooh – A Study of Hope, an initiative.

The Human Harmony Workshop which will be led by Carine Bouery, founder of Synchro Comms, examines the natural instinct of humanity.

For more details visit  www.worldtolerancesummit.com