Embassy of Jordan- Washington, DC
Information Bureau
Media AdvisoryQueen Rania of Jordan to Visit
the United States
(Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania, Press Department
– Amman,
May 3, 2006 )--- Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah
will be traveling to the United States for a four-day
working trip starting May 7, in a bid to step up efforts
to promote cross-cultural understanding and acceptance,
particularly amongst youth and children.
Upon her arrival in New York City, Queen Rania will
attend the Save the Children ‘Promise of Youth’
symposium to help raise funds for the organization's
Jordan and Lebanon chapters. The program, which will
take place at the Metropolitan Club will feature a panel
discussion moderated by ABC News commentator Cokie
Roberts, a member of Save the Children’s Board of
Trustees. Panel members will include actor and
humanitarian Richard Gere; Dr. Isobel Coleman, senior
fellow of U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign
Relations; and Dennis Walto, Save the Children country
director in Jordan and Lebanon.
Save the Children has helped to initiate a number of
programs in Jordan, including early childhood
development programs and microfinance programs – both of
which are issues that are near and dear to Queen Rania's
heart.
Also in New York, Her Majesty will be joining students
for a Junior Achievement Worldwide Class at Norman
Thomas High School, as they take part in the Junior
Achievement Global Marketplace program. Carrying with
her a message from Jordanian youth, Queen Rania will
engage the youth in a discussion on the economic
interdependence of nations around the world. The oldest
and largest provider of economic education for young
children in the United States, Junior Achievement aims
to inspire young people to be successful.
Queen Rania is the regional ambassador of INJAZ, the
Middle East offshoot of Junior Achievement, which works
to bridge the gap between the output of a traditional
education system and the human resource needs of a
modernizing private sector.
Her Majesty will participate in the launch of the Ben
and Izzy television series on May 8 at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York City. She will speak of the
importance of helping young people see the common
humanity within cultural diversity. Ben and Izzy is an
animated television series for young children, which was
produced by the Jordanian media company Rubicon. The
series documents the travels and interactions of two
11-year-old boys, one Arab and the other American.
Producers are hoping the show will help children from
different cultures bridge their differences.
On May 9, Her Majesty will be speaking at the 9th Annual
Mosaic Gala Dinner in Washington, DC. The Mosaic
Foundation was established in 1998 by the wives of 17
Arab Ambassadors to the US to raise funds at local,
national and international levels to increase the
understanding of Arab culture and history in the United
States. This year, proceeds from the dinner will support
the Sesame Workshop. Sesame Workshop was founded thirty
seven years ago as the nonprofit educational
organization behind Sesame Street and other educational
programs for children. First Lady Laura Bush will chair
the event.
On May 10, Queen Rania will be heading to Chicago, IL to
meet with the Chicago Business Community and participate
in an after school program with Mayor Richard Daley, his
wife, Maggie Daley and Geda Condit. The program, After
School Matters, is an initiative of the city of Chicago;
it offers teenagers hands-on job training in the arts,
sports, technology, and communications.
In 2004, the mayors of Amman and Chicago signed a "Twin
City Agreement" to enhance bilateral relations and
exchange of know-how in the fields of culture,
education, medicine, environment and technology between
the two cities.
Queen Rania has been promoting interfaith dialogue and
the importance of youth across the globe this year. So
far, in 2006, Queen Rania has been to Turkey where she
participated in a roundtable discussion with youth; in
Switzerland she broached the topic of interfaith
dialogue with world leaders; and in India and South
Africa, she helped shed light on some wonderful
enrichment centers that are providing brighter futures
for their communities.
|
PROGRAM |
|
May
7, 2006 (New York City, NY) |
| |
17:30 (EST)
Save the Children (Jordan) Fundraiser
"The Promise of Youth"
Address: 1E 60th St, 5th Ave. New York,
NY |
| May
8, 2006 (New York City, NY) |
| |
10:00 (EST) Junior Achievement
Worldwide Class
Address: 111 E 33rd St New York, NY
10016
19:40 (EST)
"Ben & Izzy" Gala Dinner
Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY
10028 |
|
May 9, 2006 (Washington, DC) |
| |
19:00 (EST)
Mosaic Gala Dinner
Address: 401 F Street NW,
Washington, DC 20001 |
|
May 10, 2006 (Chicago, IL) |
| |
16:00
(CDT) Gallery 37 and
reception with Chicago Business
Community
Address: 66 E. Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60601 |
|
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