UNICEF

Youth are the voice for change, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah said Wednesday, stressing that Jordanian youth can significantly contribute to the building of a better future of their country through participation in dialogue and exchange of ideas.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the four-day UNICEF Regional Youth Forum, Queen Rania also said Palestinian youth share the same aspirations and ambitions of youth across the world and will to chart a better future for themselves and their people, despite the difficult conditions they are currently enduring.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) It is imperative to view child care within the context of investing in human beings, rather than the mere provision of primary care, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah said Wednesday in a keynote address launching the annual UNICEF Progress of Nations Report.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) The media has a crucial role in advocating and advancing issues related to childhood, Her Majesty Queen Rania said Tuesday, stressing that it should be instrumental in assisting the development of issues related to children and their care.

(Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah-Press Department) Programs offered by the Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV) were the focus of a meeting between Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah and ACEV General Manager Izin Ozygine, on Monday.
 

Mothers’ faces wretched in agony as they stumble through debris crying out their children’s names. Despair. My stomach tightens in fear for them.

Little ones, no older than my youngest, crouching bewildered, jostled by surging crowds. Soft, tear stained, skin sprinkled with concrete dust. Frightened. I close my eyes in prayer.

The shaky steps of the frail and disorientated, searching for anything, anyone familiar. Lives ebbing away.

A primeval howl of loss. The fragile frame of a tiny girl collapses onto a lifeless body. She clings. She clings.

In January this year, I was honored to become UNICEF’s first Eminent Advocate for Children, and delighted to learn that my first working trip would be to Morocco – a country I’ve always loved– to highlight the importance of getting girls into school; explore some of the challenges faced by girls; and shine a spotlight on the excellent partnership between Morocco’s progressive government, local NGOs, and UNICEF. 

(As it appeared in the Huffington Post)

Ironic. The peace conference, that brought me to South Africa, has been postponed.

A gathering billed to bring people together... that symbolized the power of dialogue and intercultural understanding... that was to be a medium for solutions to ongoing conflicts around the world has, instead, polarized opinions, fuelled frustration, and caused divisions.

(As it appeared in Slate)