Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader has left for the United Arab Emirates to take part in the two-day 2019 World Tolerance Summit which kicked off on Wednesday, November 13.

The CCSM’s participation in the conference is in line with its endeavors to entrench tolerance and strengthen inter-religious dialogue.

The CCSM has served as a regional oasis that disseminates love and understanding among the various components of societies as it has two electronic sites one in Arabic (www.abouna.org) and an English-language site (en.abouna.org). The CCSM regularly holds seminars with respective local associations, and takes part in various regional and international conferences that aim at entrenching tolerance and peace.

On the other hand, the annual World Tolerance Summit (WTS) is a two-day aims to strengthen the UAE’s position as a model of common living and cultural tolerance around the world. The conference is an initiative of the International Institute for Tolerance, a part of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ‘Global Initiatives’, in conjunction with the 2019 Year of Tolerance. The 2018 conference saw the attendance of over 1,800 people from 105 countries.

Under the theme of “Tolerance in Multiculturalism: Achieving the Social, Economic and Humane Benefits of a Tolerant World”, the summit kicked off on November 13 at Madinat Jumeirah Conference and Events Centre in Dubai.

This year’s summit will be a prominent forum for sincere and positive dialogue toward achieving peace and tolerance in the world, and to empower all regions and populations to participate effectively in this most noble of human quests.

The summit is a strong embodiment of the enlightened vision of the UAE that emphasizes the value of tolerance and coexistence as essential tools for achieving valuable cooperation among peoples and nations of the world.

The event aims to establish global bridges of humanity, culture and unity with the participation of more than 2,000 professionals, experts, academics, social activists and envoys from the international diplomatic community.

Furthermore, the WTS event gathers men, women, and young people of goodwill from various nations across the world. Government leaders, key figures from the private and public sectors, tolerance advocates and ambassadors, change-makers, youth, women and influencers will once again join hands in the spirit of tolerance to discuss how the world can counter racism, xenophobia, extreme forms of nationalism, religious fanaticism and social exclusion and discrimination.

The summit will provide an ideal platform for universities, schools, institutions and educational centers to present their students' projects, highlight their efforts and perspectives on tolerance, and learn about the roles and efforts of educational institutions in integrating tolerance with their programs. It also serves as an ideal opportunity for leaders to engage in an open dialogue and discussion to further enhance cooperation and understanding.

Moreover, the WTS serves as a platform for an art and photography exhibition, featuring works by artists and photographers from around the world to highlight their skills, compete for the best photo and film award, and highlight their work in social media and news agencies.

The 2019 WTS also offers the “Digital Tolerance Library” that allows its users access to a wide range of books on tolerance from all over the world and access to a broad global perspective.