Sharjah24 – WAM: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) organised a virtual dialogue session titled ‘Positive Citizenship and Community Coexistence’ today, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tolerance and the Watani Al Emarat Foundation. The session is part of the Human Fraternity Festival, which coincides with the International Day of Human Fraternity.
Mariam Al Amiri, Under Secretary Financial Management Sector at MoF, highlighted the importance of such dialogue sessions in promoting positive practices in the nation and society. She also reiterated the UAE’s role in building a development model based on human fraternity.
Al Amiri said: "The wise leadership ensured that tolerance, coexistence, respect of freedom and people are among the priorities of its governmental agenda, as these values are rooted in the Emirati personality and identity. Emirati people have been adhering to these values since its foundation to date, which placed the UAE as a role model in accepting differences and being tolerant; and rejecting violence, extremism, racism and hatred. Laws and initiatives were launched on that, including the creation of the Ministry of Tolerance; the enactment of the law to combat discrimination and hatred; and the launch of the National Tolerance Programme."
Al Amiri said: "The UAE’s society is charaterised by morals, noble values and positive behaviours, which reflect the positive citizenship, peaceful coexistence, and culture of its people, and consolidate positive deeds towards the nation and society. Positive citizenship is a lifestyle through which we express our belonging, loyalty, and love for the homeland, and is a commitment to responsibility towards working sincerely to build and elevate our nation."
"At the Ministry of Finance, we will continue to spread positive citizenship, coexistence and fraternity, and each of us is a partner and contributor in supporting our wise leadership’s efforts to consolidate love, affection, tolerance and humanity," she added.
Afra Al Sabri, Director-General of the Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Office, said that: ''We are proud that the United Nations endorsed the fourth of February as the International Day of Human Fraternity. This is the effort and success of the UAE, and a result of the appreciated efforts made by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as well as for Emirati diplomacy around the world.'' Al Sabri noted that the Human Fraternity Festival was launched to promote coexistence and fraternity. It is organised on Thursday by the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence in cooperation with the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity under the auspices of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and will last for five days. Arab and international personalities, several federal and local entities, as well as United Nations and UNESCO are participating in the festival. The festival includes several activities, foremost of which is the International Forum on Human Fraternity, the Human Fraternity in Youth Eyes Forum, the Family and Human Fraternity, as well as the Little Knight Brotherhood programme, which is directed to school students.
Dirar Belhoul Al Falasi, Member of the Federal National Council and Director General of Watani Al Emarat Foundation; reaffirmed that the foundation’s objectives focus on promoting national identity and decent citizenship that lead community members to achieve positive citizenship and community coexistence.
During his speech on the national identity, Al Falasi reiterated that it must revolve around belonging to the homeland, loyalty, heart-linking to the nation, and dedication to serving it. This is because national belonging achieves great aspects in homelands’ renaissance.
Al Falasi noted that empowering the youth that are aware and able to hold discussions and educate society is key to strengthening the sense of national belonging, and the unique Emirati identity.
The dialogue session included two papers: the first was presented by Dr. Amal Belhoul Al Falasi, Community Affairs Advisor of Watani Al Emarat Foundation, and introduced national identity, good citizenship, and the strengths that reaffirm citizens’ constructive readiness. The second paper was presented by Amal Hamad Al Musafri, a strategic planning advisor and a talent development consultant, and discussed the UAE’s efforts to promote tolerance and the humanitarian values on which the concepts of coexistence and human fraternity are based in the country.
The lectures and workshops held by the Ministry of Finance provide an important contribution to raising awareness and consolidating Human Fraternity, which will be reflected in the mechanisms of government work and on employees and beneficiaries of all government services. The UAE places great importance on human fraternity – it is not a coincidence nor is it a new matter, as the UAE is built on these principles. The country’s ministries and institutions, like its people, are born on these values that have become the most prominent feature of us.
The UAE, in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt proposed allocating a day every year to celebrate the International Day of Human Fraternity. This is in line with the UAE’s position as one of the first countries in the world to spread fraternity, love and tolerance – which is reflected in the UAE’s embrace of more than 200 nationalities from different cultures, religions and ethnicities.
The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the International Day of Human Fraternity last December, which the international community will celebrate annually starting this year.
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