TANZANIA SHOULD BUILD ON FINE SHOWING AT DUBAI EXPO
Neither the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic, nor the relentless global climate change – or indeed any other devastating developments – could stop Tanzania from performing outstandingly-well at the ongoing World Expo 2021 in Dubai.
Although the quinquennial event was originally slated for last year, that never happened, because of the raging global coronavirus pandemic which first erupted in China in December 2019.
When the World Expo was finally held in the Dubai Emirate starting on October 1 this year – and is slated to close on March 31, 2022 – the event attracted 192 countries from across the world.
With ‘Connecting Minds; Creating the Future’ as its theme, the World Expo 2021 creates opportunities “to celebrate human brilliance, and connect people from across the globe to experience world-class science and technology, art and culture, innovation and invention.”
It so happens that Tanzania is among the scores of countries which are participating in the World Expo 2021; a decision that is already proving to have been prudent, going forward.
As we reported in these pages yesterday, the United Arab Emirates-based digital marketing firm Global Media Insight (GMI) ranked Tanzania’s Expo Pavilion at the Dubai show as the 27th best pavilion out of the more than 190 country pavilions at the Exposition.
GMI also ranked Tanzania at the sixth position in terms of the sub-theme “Mobility.” This is generally about “effectively exploring the concepts of connections, human progress, logistics, digital connectivity…” Tanzania also took the opportunity to display some of its development projects at the Dubai Expo, including the Standard Gauge Railway, the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project and expansion projects at our sea and lake ports.
Clearly, this impressed potential-cum-prospective investors in Tanzania, now described as “a viable regional investment hub” worth serious consideration.
The World Expo 2021 goes on, with Tanzania preparing to showcase its attractions for more investors, tourists, etc., to the country well into the future.
TOLERANCE BEGETS TOLERANCE
The International Day for Tolerance (IDT) is, once again, upon us today, when we should double and redouble efforts at strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among peoples locally and across the world. IDT was purposefully created by Unesco in 1995, and became effective in 1996, as a day on which to bolster and spread public awareness-cum-education on the dangers of intolerance – “intolerance” being unwillingness by someone to accept the behaviour, beliefs and/or views that differ from one’s own.
By parity of reasoning, then, “tolerance” describes the ability or willingness to accept, condone and otherwise withstand the existence of opinions or behaviour that one dislikes or disagrees with.
It all started with 1995 being declared Year of Tolerance. This was at a time when tolerance was increasingly being seen as “an endangered virtue” – particularly in the parts of the world which were under racial, religious or other conflicts of interest.
With a mouthful basic theme for 2021 – “Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human” – IDT requires us to build tolerance among ourselves by respecting other persons’ rights and freedom. This is not only a moral duty, but also a societal requirement for a better world.
