The post of the Minister of State for Tolerance was first introduced in 2016, reinforcing the UAE's commitment to eradicate ideological, cultural and religious bigotry in the society and nurture a tolerant society that celebrates and promotes cultural diversity, and exhibits values of tolerance, dialogue, coexistence and openness to different cultures. The Ministry of Tolerance, lead by the Minister of Tolerance, aims to develop a roadmap towards introducing tolerance as a national value of the UAE to the world.
In this regard, and in order to boost the values of tolerance and coexistence and to reject attitudes of discrimination and hatred, the UAE Cabinet approved the National Tolerance Program. The program, launched in June 2016, is based on seven key pillars:
1. Islam
2. The UAE's Constitution
3. Zayed's legacy and ethics of the UAE
4. International conventions
5. Archaeology and history
6. Humanity
7. Common values.
The program is being implemented in collaboration with federal and local entities under five main themes:
* Strengthen government's role as an incubator of tolerance.
* Consolidate the role of family in nation building.
* Promote tolerance among young people and prevent them from fanaticism and extremism.
* Enrich scientific and cultural content.
* Integrate international efforts to promote tolerance and highlight the leading role of UAE in this area.
Some of the initiatives under this measure which impact the culture and creative sector include:
* Cultural and Media Content: Launch a campaign for the purpose of publishing, copyrighting and printing 1971 books, scientific researches, students' stories, TV and radio programs and short-length movies as a medium to disseminate and promote the values of tolerance.
* Launch a TV programs on tolerance.
* Revise UAE laws and regulations to promote tolerance and renounce violence, extremism and fanaticism.
* Launch the Corporate Tolerance Responsibility (CTR) program for public and private organizations as an index and indication to estimate organizations' commitment support and promotion of tolerance.
* Specialized workshops: develop participants' skills and spread awareness on the concepts of tolerance, whilst rejecting racism and fanaticism. These workshops target stakeholders, such as media persons, religious sects, and others.
* Review curricula in cooperation with competent bodies and follow up on the preparation of topics that promote tolerance among youth.
* A Tolerance Volunteer Association: Set up an association that focuses on promoting communication across the various communities in the UAE based on tolerance.
* Promote the principles of tolerance among sports clubs and student clubs, universities, colleges and schools, in cooperation with the concerned bodies.
* Launch initiatives to consolidate the culture of tolerance among youth in cooperation with other stakeholders.
* International Institute for Tolerance: offer advice and expert views on policies to promote the values of tolerance among nations, publish studies and research reports on tolerance, and collaborate with relevant cultural institutions in the Arab region.
* Launch common regional and international initiatives to promote tolerance in cooperation with global partners.
* Enabling and integrating people of determination (persons with disabilities) of different nationalities and ethnicities into various activities and events that will introduce the values of tolerance and celebrate human diversity in the fields of sport, culture, and social and natural sciences.