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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.

Your Majesty Queen Silvia [Queen of Sweden, co-recipient of 2003 German Media Prize],

Distinguished guests,

Herr Koegol [Mr. Karlheinz Koegel, Chairman of German Media Prize],
When I think of all the eminent people who have received this award, I am truly honored and touched to be standing in front of you as a recipient.  And I am delighted to be here tonight.  I am particularly proud to be sharing this stage with Her Majesty Queen Silvia.

(Office of Her Majesty – Press Department – New York) - Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah were recognized by Seeds of Peace for their commitment to promoting world peace. 

As Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah accepted the award on their behalf, she asserted that, "It is time to drop the rhetoric of fear, and launch a conversation of the heart – one that builds on common values, as fellow citizens of an ever-shrinking world."

(Office of Her Majesty – Press Department – Amman) - Using one of the most cyber-savvy platforms for dialogue, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah launched her presence on YouTube (www.YouTube.com/QueenRania) with an urgent message to the world’s young people, Monday, asking them to join in a global dialogue to recognize our commonalities. “In a world where it’s so easy to connect to one another, we still remain very much disconnected.

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Baden Baden) At a time when the world is paralyzed by fear and cynicism over a conflict-ridden Arab region, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah challenged media leaders to capture the truth and document stories of common humanity as a basis for building bridges of understanding between the Eastern and Western Worlds.