In his interview with the Turkish edition of "The Independent" newspaper, Sheikh Nahyan affirmed the country’s belief in the importance of sharing the UAE’s experience with the rest of the world, noting that it has set an example to be followed by other communities of promoting tolerance.
"We believe that the UAE’s international influence in promoting tolerance has become a part of its soft power," Sheikh Nahyan said, adding that the establishment of the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence was due to the country’s realisation that promoting tolerance and human fraternity is a continuous process.
The UAE, since its establishment, has been a pioneering model of peaceful coexistence, and is committed to spreading the values of tolerance amongst the entire community, he added, stressing that the ministry plays a key role in the community and the whole world.
The ministry’s plans are part of the National Tolerance Programme launched by the UAE Cabinet based on five pillars. These are supporting the government’s role as a hub for tolerance, reinforcing the role of coherent families in establishing a tolerant community, promoting the values of tolerance among the youth and preventing them from falling to extremism, enriching academic and cultural content with tolerance, contributing to the global efforts aimed at promoting the values of tolerance, and highlighting the role of the UAE as a tolerant country, Sheikh Nahyan explained.
The Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence has implemented action plans under the framework of the five pillars, which include projects related to the National Tolerance Festival; making the government a hub for tolerance; promoting tolerance in the country’s schools; the Champions of Tolerance Programme; cooperating with the General Women’s Union (GWU), the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and other women’s organisations in the country; the Zayed’s Beacons of Tolerance; cooperating with Emirati writers and publishing houses; the National Tolerance Research Project; sporting activities; relations with foreign communities, and the Global Tolerance Alliance.