Jordan Times
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Nobel laureates convene
in Petra today
By Mahmoud Al Abed
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah will today host an array of Nobel laureates
and key world personalities who are meeting in Petra “to share their views and
create new insights into global concerns.”
Participants ranging from former US President
Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama and Shimon Peres to US movie star Richard Gere and
prominent scientists, are expected to come up with recommendations on how best
to address challenges facing humanity in this age. Follow-up teams will be
formed to ensure the message is conveyed to decision-makers across the globe.
Officials said the timing of the conference, ahead of the May 20-22 World
Economic Forum (WEF) at the Dead Sea, gives added value to the meeting of Nobel
laureates.
Finance Minister Bassem Awadallah said the WEF meeting will provide the Petra
conference participants with an opportunity to present their conclusions and
vision to world and business leaders gathering at the Dead Sea, in addition to
Arab education ministers and their counterparts from G-8 countries who are
meeting on the sidelines of the forum.
The Nobel laureates' conference is co-hosted by the US-based Elie Wiesel
Foundation for Humanity, founded by Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, soon after
he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. The foundation seeks to combat
“indifference, intolerance and injustice through international dialogue and
youth-focused programmes that promote acceptance, understanding and equality,”
according to the foundation's website.