The Foundation for Islamic Culture and Religious Tolerance has a new president in the person of His Excellency Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al Jarwan. An influential leader who, for more than 40 years, has been a leading advocate of tolerance and peace, both in the Arab region and around the world.
Ahmed Al Jarwan has a broad academic background, covering a range of disciplines from aeronautical science and engineering (for which he trained in France, Egypt and the United States) to diplomacy, international relations and politics, with studies in prestigious American universities such as Georgetownin the Zayed University of the United Arab Emirates; or in that of The Hague (Netherlands).
He was a member of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces from 1979 to 2007, graduating with the rank of Colonel of the Engineer Staff and receiving the Military Service Medal.
Subsequently, he served as Deputy Military Attaché at the Emirati embassies in Washington and London.
His strong leadership and communication skills led him to serve in the UAE Federal National Council (2011-2019) and the presidency of the Arab Parliament (2012-2016). During his time at the helm, he promoted the work of the Arab Parliament at the regional and international levels.
In 2017 he founded the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace.This organisation, of which he is president, aims to promote the values of tolerance and the culture of peace to combat discrimination, religious sectarianism and ethnocentrism, and to develop the norms of international law.
Al Jarwan is a person of strength and openness, displaying a spirit of cross-cultural awareness, bridging divergences between countries with varied political agendas.
His professionalism, diplomatic skills, business acumen and cultural sensitivity have resulted in more than 85 countries joining the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace as member states, and also that more than 50 academic institutions and NGOs have joined the General Assembly for Tolerance and Peace.
He has been a key player and an essential participant in all activities of international organizations and in meetings of national and international parliamentarians, receiving great recognition from dignitaries around the world.
Among the numerous recognitions and awards he has received for his achievements in the areas of human rights, tolerance, peace, sustainable development, and women’s and youth rights, the following stand out:
- Powerful Leaders Award, granted by the Global Excellence Assembly, in 2021.
- Golden Peacemaker Order by worldwide Charitable Alliance 2021.
- Distinguished Humanitarian Award
- 2020 Mahatma Gandhi International Award to world leaders for spreading peace and international understanding.
- Order of the Russian Service, first class, in 2020.
- Albert Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award for Marquis Who’s Who, in 2020.
- Order of Democracy in the degree of Grand Cross Extraordinary, awarded by the President of Colombia in 2019.
- Medal of the Arab Parliament.
- United Arab Emirates Armed Forces Military Service Medal.
Considered one of the world’s most influential figures, H.E. Ahmed Al Jarwan has dedicated his life to the promotion of tolerance and peace, contributing to various initiatives that promote dialogue and understanding between different cultures, religions and countries.
Since the end of 2022, he has also chaired the Foundation for Islamic Culture and Religious Tolerance (FICRT), from which he will promote the culture of tolerance, peace and interreligious dialogue in Spain, through activities and events that will be announced in the near future.
