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Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured today the 14 winners of the UAE Pioneers, including individuals, groups, and initiatives, who contributed in promoting tolerance in the UAE.

Now in its sixth edition, this year’s UAE Pioneers Award coincides with the Year of Tolerance, as the year 2019 was announced as the year of tolerance by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The felicitation ceremony for the awardees was held on Tuesday at the end of the Annual Meetings of the UAE Government 2019.

Sheikh Mohammed said that tolerance is the greatest value that God granted to human, praising the exceptional models of UAE nationals and those living on its homeland, in tolerance and upholding human values.

"Today we honour outstanding models that embody the values of tolerance and the values of Zayed and its approach, and work to promote them in the UAE society, so that they become a way of life for all who live on the land of the UAE ...

Tolerance is the noblest human traits, without which the world will suffer, conflicts increase and nations and civilisations decline," Sheikh Mohammed said. "We are collectively responsible for spreading and promoting the values of tolerance, and participating in the consolidation of models and experiences that embody these values."

"We want to see tolerance in all areas of life. We want to educate the tolerant student, train the teacher to educate tolerant generations, and consolidate the values of tolerance that embody the true image of the UAE society," Sheikh Mohammed said.

The ceremony was attended by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah; H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman; H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah;

H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain; and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah. The event was also attended H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior;

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance; Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum, Director of Dubai Department of Information; Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and The Future; and several ministers and senior officials.

The Year of tolerance honourees were: Human Fraternity Working Group, headed by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, chaired by H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, launched by the UAE to facilitate the building of bridges between religions, NGOs and experts in all fields. Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance.

The team of the Covenant for Million Tolerant, headed by Nidal Al Tunaiji, Director-General of Dar Zayed for Islamic Culture. Voice of Tolerance Choir headed by Jameela Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education.

The choir includes more than 400 students representing 40 nationalities from 68 schools. Hamad Saeed Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Lebanon, who contributed to conveying the image of Emirati tolerance to the Lebanese. Global Tolerance Leadership Task Force headed by Noura Mohammad Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, an initiative between the UAE government and UNESCO.

Nasser Al Dhaheri, a thinker, writer and director of several short films, who adopted the slogan of the Year of Tolerance in his work.

International Institute for Tolerance, the first institution dedicated to raising awareness about tolerance, coexistence and peace through education, which represents a global UAE beacon to achieve solidarity and unity among members of the same society, and promote the concepts of equality, justice and freedom.

The award was received by Dr. Hamad Al Shaibani, Managing Director of the Institute. Interfaith Hall at the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, which embodies the concepts of tolerance through collections belonging to different religions, including religious texts and manuscripts, was received by Mohammad Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi.

Zayed-Gandhi Digital Museum, which pays tributes to Shaikh Zayed and Mahatma Gandhi. The UAE team was led by Noura Mohammad Al Kaabi and Pavan Kapoor, Ambassador of India to UAE.

Team of tolerance and coexistence programme headed by Dr Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, which focuses on linking the principle of tolerance to the UAE national identity.

Rev Andrew Thompson, author of Culture of Tolerance book, which tells stories of people living harmoniously and peacefully in the UAE and celebrates a culture of tolerance and understanding among 10 religions.

Saji Cheriyan, an Indian Christian businessman, was honoured for building the Maryam Mosque for workers in Fujairah.