Queen Rania's Taped Message for Seeds of Compassion - Seattle, USA

Hello everyone. I’m sorry I can’t be with you, but I’m pleased to join you from Jordan, and support this conference which places caring, kindness, and kids at the core of all it is and all it aims to do.

Someone once told me that those who bring sunshine to the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves. If that is true, then Seattle must be shining bright this morning.

And I can’t think of a better season than Spring time for so many ‘seeds of compassion’ to gather… grow…and take flight on the wind.

Because today, our global family needs those seeds disbursed far and wide. As migration increases, technology advances, and our societies diversify - the challenge of maintaining social harmony is greater than ever.

Cultural intolerance, misleading stereotypes, and mutual misunderstandings are causing schisms between communities and cultures. And all too often, compassion is falling through the cracks.

That’s why initiatives like yours that span boundaries of geography, culture, age, religion, and race are so important.

You are teaching us how to trust and respect people from all backgrounds, and you are showing us that our similarities outweigh our differences.

You are helping us to reach out further, learn more about each other, understand how others see the world … and forge new friendships at home, at school, and in our communities.

And there is no better place to start nurturing those instincts than in our most precious seeds – our children.

Their open minds…innocent eyes… and trusting hands are rich soils in which to plant our futures. So, thank you for all that you are doing to cultivate their young minds and ensure that thoughtfulness, gentleness, and humanity are perennial values in our global family.

And let us as their parents, care-givers, and role models hold ourselves to a higher standard. If they see us radiating love; hear us offering words of compassion; and feel the power of our positive actions…they will reflect our behavior, reach for the skies, blossom and grow.

Thank you very much.