Tolerance and coexistence are characteristics of UAE: Nahyan

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, said that the UAE’s social cohesion has made it an international model of cultural diversity, as over 200 nationalities live together in the country, WAM reported.

In a statement marking World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrated annually on May 21, Sheikh Nahyan said that the UAE’s diversity and acceptance have made it an oasis of tolerance, coexistence and peace while highlighting the keenness of the country’s leadership to promote cultural diversity and encourage openness to other cultures.

He also pointed out that supporting cultural diversity will bring together all members of the community and promote sustainable development and peace while noting that since the country’s establishment by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it has welcomed all cultures and religions and provided them with an ideal environment for communication and coexistence.

The UAE’s leadership has followed the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, which is reflected in the directives and actions of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, who have adopted tolerance as a way of life and made diversity a characteristic of the country, he concluded.

Meanwhile, celebrating the Year of Tolerance, Zayed University Urban Satellite Space (ZUUSS) hosted Mirco Illic’s Tolerance Project, a travelling poster exhibition that was created by the New York-based graphic designer.

Featuring the work of 100 renowned graphic designers and illustrators from around the world, the exhibition, located at Hall 48 at the Dubai Alserkal Avenue till June 30, offers an opportunity to see beautifully designed posters addressing the concept of tolerance.

“The initial idea of this exhibition was to invite well-known graphic designers to create posters based on their understanding of tolerance in their mother tongue. One of the conditions was that the exhibition is placed in public space, among the citizens, not in art galleries,” said Illic.

“The purpose of the exhibition is not only displaying posters but in gathering and approaching people. Artists are the ones who promote tolerance and peace, and facilitate the reconciliation process.”

The exhibition reinforces Zayed University’s commitment to providing its students, in particular, and the community at large with opportunities to engage with some of the leading global names, such as Milton Glaser from the USA and Japan’s Yuko Shimizu, in the field of art and design. The show hopes that the posters will initiate a positive dialogue with the viewers.

“The beauty of this exhibition is that it touches the reality. Most of the paintings reflect preconceived ideas and ideologies that are common in most societies, showing the differences between people,” said Hiba Sultan, Student at the ZU College Communication and Media Sciences. “Art connects people in a common mold that shows the importance of accepting our differences, and the need to intermingle to complete the process of peaceful living between individuals no matter how different we are from each other.”

The Zayed University Urban Satellite Space (ZUUSS) is a new exhibition and project space presented in partnership with Alserkal Avenue.

The space is open to the public and operates as an off-campus art and design hub for the university’s students, alumni, faculty and staff hosting exhibitions, workshops, lectures, panel discussions and community events. The programme will contribute to a vibrant art and design community, in the UAE and abroad, through graduates and foster the next generation of local artists, designers, curators, policy makers, educators and arts administrators.

The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) develops graduates who are leaders and innovators in the field of art and design practice who will contribute significantly to the cultural fabric of the UAE.