May 19, 2005

Jordan Times

Inspiring Minds

Editorial

It was depressing to reflect on His Majesty King Abdullah's observation on Wednesday at the Nobel laureates meeting in Petra that in the Middle East, our youth — who constitute one half of the population — have no memory of a time without regional conflict. Imagine that: Those 18 and younger have no memory of a time when war, occupation, economic sanctions, armed resistance, terrorism and state repression and violence were the exception to political life, not the apparent rule.
The challenge we face should be obvious to all and it is made all the more pressing by the increasing disparities in the global distribution of wealth, by gender discrimination, by the growing scarcity of natural resources that must be shared.

Our youth — like young people around the globe — are full of energy, talent and intellect. They want to live in a peaceful world, to enjoy freedom, prosperity, justice, equality and a clean environment that is managed sustainably. It is up to us to make sure that their qualities are harnessed and deployed to noble purposes to which they aspire.

We are honoured that the Nobel laureates who gathered in Jordan yesterday have undertaken to help us make sure that the qualities inherent in our youth are harnessed and deployed to the noble purposes to which they today aspire. Purposes which no doubt also motivated the lifework of these scholars, writers, scientists and peace activists. We know that they too have aspired to the betterment of humanity, and in the dogged pursuit of that dream have achieved the seemingly impossible, have discovered the seemingly unknowable.

Their attendance at the two-day conference is an acknowledgement of the creativity, intellect and lofty ambitions of our youth, and we hope that their presence here in Jordan will inspire their minds. We hope it will remind them that whatever can be imagined can also be achieved.