2009

Avid campaigner of human rights and women's issues is also the globe's most tech-savvy monarch. Nearly 600,000 people follow her on Twitter, where she identifies herself as "a mum and a wife with a really cool day job"; also has a Facebook page. Jordan's queen made significant strides in promoting East-West dialogue by leading a series of films on YouTube that explored shared medieval heritage; she has since been awarded YouTube's first-ever Visionary award. Hosted Pope Benedict XVI on his first trip to the Middle East.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, on Wednesday, was joined by teachers, students and Madrasati partners, who united to demonstrate their stance against school violence.

President Levin, Dean Lorimer, faculty, students… thank you so much for making me feel so welcome here at Yale. I’ve wanted to come here for many years, and am so grateful to everyone for the hospitality and kindness you’ve shown to me and my staff.

I’ve really been looking forward to seeing the Yale landmarks that I’ve been hearing about for so long – the Beinecke Library… Harkness Tower… Old Campus… Peter Salovey’s moustache.

Ahlan wa sahlan…welcome to Jordan. It’s great to see so many of you; thank you for making the effort to be here.

You know, it’s not often I stand in front of a group of men and women known for their talent, drive, and success… who have contributed so much to their professions... and who are officially recognized as ‘young’.

You hail from every corner of the globe... from politics… arts… business… civil society.  Each of you has made your mark, and earned your reputation.

Thank you, Karen.

You know, this is one event I wish I wasn’t at.

I wish there was no need for UNRWA... I wish there was no anniversary to mark…and I wish that there were not 4.6 million Palestinian refugees in need of humanitarian aid.

But, you and I know, the reality is very different.

Theirs is a life interrupted...a life half lived.

Hours wasted at checkpoints… …another work day lost…another pay cheque cancelled.

Worried about what the family will eat… weighing up how far food will stretch…praying for an aid parcel.

On-off negotiations, limp handshakes, violated agreements, starts and stops, hopes dashed. This, the landscape of the Middle East peace process in the last decade. In 2006, what our region needed was a renewed peace effort; what our region got was the devastating cat and mouse conclusion of Hezbollah’s skirmishes and Israel’s imperious invasion of Lebanon. 

The fall of the Berlin Wall: what a testament to the power of peaceful revolution. Even as a high school student in Kuwait, it was impossible not to be swept up in the emotion, as I watched people clamber to freedom, family and friends for the first time.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - London) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, on Tuesday, joined forces with global leaders, footballers, and FIFA President Sepp Blatter in the global launch of the 1Goal education campaign, which included live satellite link-ups from six different countries. ( The FIFA-backed 1Goal campaign, which seeks to give 75 million children a fair chance in life by recruiting tens of millions of supporters through a mass sign up campaign in the run up to the 2010 World Cup, calls on global leaders to stand up to their education pledges.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- London) Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, on Tuesday, joined forces with global leaders, footballers, and FIFA President Sepp Blatter in the global launch of the 1Goal education campaign, which included live satellite link-ups from six different countries.

The FIFA-backed 1Goal campaign, which seeks to give 75 million children a fair chance in life by recruiting tens of millions of supporters through a mass sign up campaign in the run up to the 2010 World Cup, calls on global leaders to stand up to their education pledges.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) Starting a three day official visit to Jordan, the President of Turkey Abdullah Gul and his spouse met with their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, on Tuesday.