The idea for a dedicated day to encourage the world to live together in peace was born in Abu Dhabi four years ago.
It followed a meeting and declaration between Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Iman of Al Azhar, during the head of the Catholic Church's first historic visit to the UAE on February 4, 2019.
What is International Day of Human Fraternity?
The International Day of Human Fraternity marks the day they signed a statement, known as the Document on Human Fraternity. The UN-recognised day was held for the first time last year and is being marked again on February 4.
Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed set out their joint statement, sometimes called the Abu Dhabi agreement, as a way forward for different religions to live peacefully together.
Denouncing terrorism, they called on world leaders to “to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace”.
To do this, it was necessary “to rediscover the values of peace, justice, goodness, beauty, human fraternity and coexistence in order to confirm the importance of these values as anchors of salvation for all, and to promote them everywhere”.
Four years later, the second International Day of Human Fraternity takes place to a backdrop of a standoff between Russia and the West in Ukraine, the humanitarian disaster facing Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover and the Covid-19 pandemic.
The United Nations, which chose February 4 in a resolution adopted by the General Assembly in December 2020, noted in particular the pandemic “requires a global response based on unity, solidarity and renewed multilateral co-operation".
How is it celebrated?
This year’s International Day of Human Fraternity will celebrate the winners of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, now in its third year.
The prize honours individuals and groups who advance peaceful coexistence, with $1 million to help continue their work.
Last year, winners included Latifa Ibn Ziaten, an Algerian-French activist, whose son was killed in a terror attack, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Mr Guterres was recognised for some of the initiatives he spearheaded during his tenure, including countering hate speech and violence, and modernising UN peacekeeping practice. Ms Ibn Ziaten was chosen for establishing the Imad Association for Youth and Peace, which works to prevent the radicalisation of young people, migrants, prisoners and communities in France, a month after her son was killed by Toulouse terrorist Mohamed Merah in March 2012.
International Day of Human Fraternity will be celebrated at Expo 2020 Dubai for four days from February 4, where more than 40 government agencies and ministries will take part.
What is the UAE doing to advance human fraternity and religious tolerance?
In Abu Dhabi, work is already well advanced on the Abrahamic Family House, under construction on Saadiyat Island.
Comprising a mosque, church and synagogue with an education centre, the multi-faith complex is designed to promote peaceful understanding and harmonious coexistence through greater understanding of the rituals of each of the three Abrahamic religions, whose faithful are often referred to in Arabic as “Ahl Al Kitaab” or “People of the Book”.
The Abrahamic Family House is scheduled to open later this year.
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
'Peninsula'
Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ra
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Rating: 2/5
GROUPS
Group Gustavo Kuerten
Novak Djokovic (x1)
Alexander Zverev (x3)
Marin Cilic (x5)
John Isner (x8)
Group Lleyton Hewitt
Roger Federer (x2)
Kevin Anderson (x4)
Dominic Thiem (x6)
Kei Nishikori (x7)
How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
more from Janine di Giovanni
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Match info
Bournemouth 1 (King 45 1')
Arsenal 2 (Lerma 30' og, Aubameyang 67')
Man of the Match: Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)
