"We are one family" is a phrase emphasized by His Highness Sheikh Salem bin Sultan bin Saqr Al-Qasimi in a short keynote address given to a special audience at the World Fair in Dubai. Among the many videos available for the virtual RootsTech 2023 conference, you'll find a recording of a short but profound message from His Highness the Sheikh. Although only 11 minutes long, this video has a unique story and a lot to offer.
During the address, His Highness shares powerful insights and stories of how working together and uniting helps all people prosper and become family. The sheikh loves nature and shared many tidbits of what we can learn from it. For example, he has been passionate about bees ever since his father brought home hives from the mountains when he was a child.
“Have you ever considered how important bees are to our life? Have any of you ever taken time to watch them work and collect nectar from flowers? I have,” he says.
His Highness shared how he turned his childhood passion into a livelihood. Now he has been fortunate enough to set up a honey bee farm and sanctuary in the United Arab Emirates, called Hatta Honeybee Garden.
Many may wonder how it is possible for bees to survive in the hot desert. The Hatta Honeybee Garden has embarked on a mission to protect bees from extinction, helping them to survive even in extreme climates. The bees travel to the mangroves near the seas, which helps them produce the creamiest and most delicious honey possible.
Honey has been of interest to the sheikh’s ancestors in the Arabian peninsula for hundreds of years. Honey is historically important and has been used for trade and also for building bridges as a gift between tribes and families.
His Highness generously shared what he has learned from the bees:
"They are a family. They are loyal to their queen and work together as a team. We can learn a lot from our bees, and I believe our world can be a more harmonious place if we can just be a bit more like bees. Bees treat each other with respect and help each other. It is not about me, but we. Their family is important to them. And they honor their mother queen bee. Bees have different roles, but they work together in harmony, recognizing that every member of the community has value."
The sheikh shared a bit about his family history, including about the time when his forefathers found that working together in harmony created prosperity. It has been 50 years since the creation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Before that time, the emirates existed as tribes that were governed by a kingdom. Resources were scarce and imbalanced. Many of the sheikh's ancestors had to trade with other tribes to survive. The sheikh’s grandfather, together with 6 leaders of others emirates, decided that if they worked together, they would all prosper. Today, their country has grown so much—take the incredible growth of the city of Dubai, for example.
“We continue to welcome people of all nations and faiths," His Highness says, "as we believe that it takes many bees to build a successful hive. Today, our country has 11 percent locals and 89 percent foreigners. We are continuously expanding our UAE family."
Aside from talking about unity among nations and cultures, His Highness also shared the impact family history has had on him. "I find great inspiration from learning about and remembering my ancestors and what they stood for and worked toward," he said. "Each one of our ancestors lived a life with choices, experiences and decisions that influence [us] even today."
Expressing gratitude for some of the tools now available to people all over the world, His Highness said, "Thanks to the work of FamilySearch and thousands of volunteers, ... we are now able to learn more about our ancestors. Technology is finally here to improve the storage and availability of information. Many records are old and fragile that must be handled delicately, and the information must be preserved for generations to come."
The sheikh spoke much about both the past and the present. Near the end of his remarks, he stated, "It is time to make our lives sweet, full of safety, friendship, and love and to live in harmony, whether we come from the same tribe or different cultures, different beliefs, or different countries, much like these beautiful honeybees."
Even direct quotations cannot quite capture the power of the words of His Highness Sheikh Salem bin Sultan bin Saqr Al-Qasimi. Please enjoy the full video of his address, available in the RootsTech on-demand library.
Watch Other RootsTech 2023 Keynotes
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