2009

President Fini, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, grazie mille.

More than a century ago a travel writer lamented, “There is no looking at a building after seeing Italy!” Joining you here in this beautiful palace, I have to agree.

But it’s not just Italy’s architecture I love. This is a country where history lives and breathes, alongside cutting-edge innovation… and the only match for the landscape’s beauty is the warmth of Italians themselves.

Sayeedna, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests…

Thank you, President Cavaco-Silva.

It is an honor to receive the North-South Prize, together with President Sampaio, in front of such an eminent audience.  Thank you to the Council of Europe and the North-South Centre for this generous distinction.

Thank you, also, to the people of Portugal for hosting us in the beautiful Palacio de Sao Bento.

I’m here to ask you to join one team and help us reach one goal.  

One goal:  To change the lives of children through education for all. 

And I’m honored to be introduced by a champion who won the Golden Shoe.  

Now that’s one, I don’t have!  But, seriously, I think it’s great to see stilettos and cleats lining up together… in support of a golden chance to make a lasting difference for the world. 

Thank you, Ann. It’s an honor to be here with you all this morning; thank you for that warm welcome. What a wave of positive energy to start the day…wow!

So, before I visit a new place, before I meet new people, I always do my homework…and everything I read about you guys was pretty amazing:

“…an environment of exceptional trust and respect… highly committed staff…a four-year college enrollment twice the national average for women of color… high expectations…highly supportive… students consider school their second home…”

Grazie mille, Milly!

Someone once said, “It’s not the glitz of the uniform that matters, it’s the spirit that shines within”. Well, nowhere is that light brighter or that spirit stronger than here in Italy, a country synonymous with world class football and world cup titles…where the Azzurri are masters of their art.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” ... Article one, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person” … Article three, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Over the past 41 years, the people of Gaza have been living under occupation. Over the past 18 months, they have been living under siege. And for the past 10 days, the people of Gaza have been subject to a cruel and continuous military attack.

MICHELE NORRIS, host:

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9AWom8BSm4]]

Speaker …. Please welcome Her Majesty Queen Rania

Thank you, Nita for those kind words.

And a special hello to the fourth graders of Ben Goldberg’s Rock Creek Valley Elementary school who join us today. They’re here to support the launch of the Big Read, because they know how important going to school is… and what a difference it can make in the life of a young person. Thank you for coming.

I’d like to tell you about a group of extraordinary children I met in a Johannesburg library during my trip to South Africa last month.