HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal has launched a Centre for European Studies to an audience of diplomats and business leaders in Berlin. The gala function, which was hosted by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the German Foreign Ministry, was also attended by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and HRH Princess Sarvath.

The new Centre will bring together institutions of learning in Europe and the Middle East to allow students to explore the complex relationships between and within these regions: “The purpose of this Centre for European Studies is to place our common cultural and historical story in an academic context,” said the Prince.

Prince Hassan acknowledged the contributions of the German language to European scholarship in the Middle East: “It was for this reason that we thought it wise to turn to a third party – Europe, and more specifically, Germany - to play a lead role in facilitating a strategy of communication through education,” said Prince Hassan.

The objectives of the new Centre include encouraging true and open dialogue between Europe and the Middle East, and promoting understanding and shared experiences in reconciliation between states formerly in conflict

The Prince stressed that fund-raising should be governed by a European foundation with a qualified and objective international board to support the Centre.

“Tonight, with the launching of this Centre, we also renew our hope that we can develop and intensify European-Middle Eastern understanding through a programme of learning by analogy and create a forum for stakeholders and decision-makers,” said the Prince.

The centre will offer Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli students the opportunity to follow a degree programme in European studies together, with the aim of learning more about the EU and strengthening their contacts and mutual understanding. The classes will be offered at the universities of Trier, Düsseldorf and Berlin.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal returned today from a visit to Cairo and Alexandria. In an address to the members of Egypt’s Economic Forum in Cairo, HRH asked business leaders to work with politicians and civil society leaders for the betterment of those who have been excluded from prosperity in the region. He called for an acknowledgement that good governance from leaders at all levels was essential to progress.

During the visit, HRH was keen to point out to business and religious leaders that the region was in danger of collapse unless moderation was given a voice. The Prince regretted that an increasing gap between rich and poor would inevitably drive more disaffected young people into the hands of extremists.

Meeting with Amr Mousa on the 6^th anniversary of 9/11, Prince Hassan stated his conviction that the problems in Arab states are existential, not ideological. He regretted that several years of oil boom had resulted in little investment in infrastructure and the creation of employment opportunities. The Prince called on all leaders to recognise the needs of their people and to begin a cooperative investment process for the future of the region.

Earlier in the visit, HRH addressed academics and diplomats in a lecture at the Alexandria library. He called for a communication strategy between east and west to dispel misinformation and distrust on both sides.

Prince Hassan also had separate meetings with Muhammad Sayyid Shaikh Tantawy, Shaikh of al-Azhar and HH Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria. HRH discussed issues of pluralism and tolerance in Egypt and the Arab World.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sarvath El Hassan celebrated her 60th birthday yesterday in the company of her husband, children and grandchildren. Princess Sarvath who married HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal in Karachi on August 28th, 1968, is the daughter of the late Mohammad Ikramullah, Pakistan's first Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to Canada, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Her mother, the late Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, was a writer and Pakistan's first female member of Parliament.

Princess Sarvath is well known for her work in education and with the handicapped. HRH was appointed patron of the Young Muslim Women's Association (YMWA) in 1972. In 1974, the YMWA established the Centre for Special Education, which is regarded as a pioneer in the Middle East for the care and education of the mentally disabilities. The success of the Centre for Special Education led to the opening of a Sheltered Workshop in 1987. In 1981, HRH founded the Amman Baccalaureate School and continues to Chair its Board of Trustees.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal has addressed (Thursday, July 5th) the Global Compact Leaders Summit at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Organised by United Nations Secretary General, HE Ban Ki Moon, the meeting marks continuing efforts by the UN to bring accountability into economic globalisation.

Prince Hassan said that while a McKinsey report, issued to mark the occasion, was laudable in many respects, it envisaged a level playing field for business, not for the world’s poor. As the population of the planet continued to swell towards a predicted 9 billion by 2050, the Prince said the focus of big business is towards the estimated 1.7 billion consumers who have the wealth to purchase.

“Yet, in a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and adequate sanitation,” said the Prince. “I do not represent business or government but I can speak for the Middle East, the Arab world and I feel compelled to present from my region the biggest refugee population in the world.”

Prince Hassan also reminded the audience that in less than a decade, over half of the Middle East’s population will be under 18: “This can lead to two polar options,” said the Prince, “either we risk the formation of a disaffected bloc of society, an entire generation ripe for radicalization and extremism, or four billion poor can become an engine of the next round of global trade and prosperity."

Prince Hassan said Global Compact signals a transition from corporations answering only to stakeholders to corporations answering to populations. However, this should not create the myth of equality: “We are all viewed as consumers but are all consumers viewed as equals? We must enable dignity and choice through markets.”

Following his address to delegates, the Prince had a private meeting with the UN Secretary General.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal has delivered a keynote address at the launch of the Euromed Youth III Programme (Wednesday, July 4^th). Addressing the topic of conflict between East and West, HRH said dialogue was the only solution to worsening tension. The Prince emphasised that perceived difficulties between Muslims and western societies were not based on cultural differences but on material imbalances.

Prince Hassan paid homage to those in the audience who had worked on specific projects to facilitate communication between young people: “These are the brave individuals who encourage openness within our society,” he said, adding, “If we can’t be open with each other how can we hope for openness and dialogue with the outside world?”

The Prince emphasised that the key to good governance in the region was equal treatment of all citizens. He called for regional recognition of the rights of individuals under the law and for states within the region to treat their own citizens in a fair and even-handed manner.

Prince Hassan thanked the ambassadors of several European countries who attended the launch and whose embassies have given material support to the Euromed initiative. He acknowledged the good work done by many diplomats in this part of the world but regretted that the governments to which they report often choose to ignore sound advice on the needs of people in the region.

The Euromed Youth III is a joint project of Ministry of Political Development of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Euromed, an initiative of the European Union. The launch was held at the United Nations University on the Campus of Jordan University.

HRH Princess Sarvath el Hassan has officially opened the Centre for PKU and Genetic Counselling at the Amman Comprehensive Health Centre. The new centre will provide support to affected families as well as genetic counselling to prospective parents referred by their general practitioners.

PKU is an inherited chemical disorder that can have drastic affects on babies who are not diagnosed. Early treatment is essential to avoiding mental retardation, a tragic side-effect of PKU sufferers’ inability to metabolise particular proteins.

As a result of Princess Sarvath’s efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of PKU, testing of new born babies for this treatable disease has been introduced in five Governates. By early 2008, it is hoped that screening will cover the entire country.

According to Dr Sana Al’Hait, deputy head of the Jordan Charity Association for PKU, the Jordan’s high incidence of inter-family marriages makes PKU more prevalent in the country. In a speech at the opening ceremony, Dr Sana thanked Princess Sarvath for her tireless efforts to draw awareness to the disease. Dr Sana also thanked the Minister for Health, Dr Sa’ad Kharabash, who has supported the work of the Association for many years before taking office at the Ministry.

Services at the new centre will be provided free of charge by the Ministry of Health. Special formula for babies is provided by the Ministry of Health, as well as low protein bread mix which is sold to PKU sufferers at a subsidised rate.

Dr Sana thanked three previous Health Ministers who have supported the work of the Association over many years. They are Dr Arif Batayneh, Dr Walid Ma’ani and Dr Nael Ajlouni. The Minister for Health was represented by Dr Janet Mirza, Secretary General of Administration at the Ministry.

A total of 137 people are register with PKU in Jordan, most between the ages of five and 14.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal returned yesterday from Berlin where he delivered the annual ‘Leibniz Day’ lecture at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The Prince paid homage to the contribution made by all cultures to today’s global civilisation. Prince Hassan asked his academic audience whether this generation had “strengthened the pursuit of knowledge or weakened the human race with inward deceits and monopolisations of the truth?”

Prince Hassan said that the coming together of knowledge and enquiry from India, China, Ancient Greece and from the Arab and Islamic worlds represents “a true alliance of cultures” and a confluence of civilized achievement. Prince Hassan added that, “we still have time to right the wrongs of recent decades. Globalisation is not simply the spread of capitalism or deeper economic and political ties, but a chance to bring to prominence our shared consciousness”. This universal approach, said the Prince, implies compassion and altruism, and our willingness to draw on our history of working together across boundaries.

The Annual Leibniz Day celebrates the life and work of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, one of Europe’s foremost mathematicians and philosophers who died in 1716. Leibniz is best remembered as the inventor of calculus.

Photo Caption:  HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal is greeted by Professor Guenter Stock, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, before the Prince delivered the annual Leibniz Day Lecture in Berlin.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal has addressed the opening session of a civil society conference with participants from across West Asia and North Africa. Forum for the Future, held at the Royal Scientific Society, aims to encourage participation in grass-roots democracy building across the region.

Addressing the links between human security and democracy, HRH told an audience of civil society activists and academics that ignorance and indifference were major obstacles to reform in the North Africa and West Asia. The Prince said we all have an obligation to know our communities better than so-called foreign experts so that we can lobby for positive and inclusive change.

Prince Hassan thanked the participants for their efforts to improve the state of their communities and of the region. He said their work would help to sow seeds of change from which future generations would benefit.

The meeting was held under the umbrella of the Kawakibi Democracy Transition Centre, a Tunis-based think tank that specializes in developing democracy in the Arab world and enhancing the skills of those involved in spreading democracy.  The Centre promotes democratic culture and practice through dialogue and peaceful interaction.

Forum for the Future was co-organised by the Arab Institute for Human Rights, Council for a Community of Democracies, the Moroccan Organisation for Human Rights and No Peace Without Justice.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal yesterday (Monday, June 11) delivered the opening address at the Regional Humanitarian Response Reform Workshop at Amman’s Marriott Hotel. Quoting published figures, HRH expressed his sadness that the $318.5 billion spent by the United States on the War in Iraq by the end of 2006 could so usefully have been spent by the humanitarian organisations represented in the audience: “According to United Nations figures, this sum would have been enough to pay for the cost of keeping 400 million people from hunger for 13 years, stopping the spread of HIV/Aids worldwide for the next 30 years, or immunizing every child in the developing world for the next 100 years,” said the Prince.

Prince Hassan reminded the audience that since 1990, some 3.6 million people had died as a result of civil wars and ethnic violence, and civilians accounted for more than 90% of the casualties of these conflicts: “We are suffering from simple supply and demand economics,” said Prince Hassan.  “As resources increase in scarcity, so tensions are likely to increase.”

As co-chairman of the Independent Commission on Humanitarian Issues (ICHI), Prince Hassan has called for the establishment of a New International Humanitarian Order to bring to humanitarian issues the same level of experience and expertise that is accorded to economics and hard security matters: “This proposal, I am pleased to say, was adopted in 1981 by the UN General Assembly, and every year since,” said the Prince. “However, more than 25 years later, I am sad to say that humanity still lives by a law of war and concessions from it, implying that war is the norm in human relations.”

The two-day meeting, which ends today, was organised under the umbrella of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal has asked for a re-humanisation of the world order. Speaking to delegates at the High-Level Conference on Combating Discrimination and Promoting Mutual Respect and Understanding in Bucharest yesterday, the Prince called for justice and equality in development. HRH added that a culture of compliance to international humanitarian standards was required for all players on the world stage, not just those who set themselves against the global establishment.

Addressing an audience of ambassadors and government representatives from member states of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Prince Hassan emphasised that in today’s world, Muslim children are the greatest victims of suffering caused by ill-conceived foreign policies and bad governance. The Prince called for an honest appraisal of discrimination in and against the Middle East where population displacement, mental trauma and poverty have become the norm for much of the region’s population.

HRH gave a keynote address at yesterday’s opening ceremony, sharing a platform with Romania’s President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. In separate discussions with each of them, HRH pressed for cooperation in dealing with the underlying economic and social crises facing much of the Middle East. The Prince reminded Romania’s leaders that extremism was not a natural product of Islam nor of Arabic culture.

The conference, which ends today, was hosted by the Romanian Government on behalf of the OSCE. It follows on from a Conference on Anti-Semitism and Other Forms of Intolerance held by the OSCE in Cordoba, Spain in June 2005.

HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal has congratulated the recipients of the 2007 El Hassan bin Talal Award for Scientific Excellence. At a ceremony held yesterday at the Royal Cultural Centre, HRH commended the winners and thanked them for their contributions to “transition and trans-innovation” in Jordan.

Prince Hassan emphasised the importance of knowledge-sharing in the task of building strong and stable democracies in the region. HRH acknowledged the role of excellence in innovation but asked that traditional structures of knowledge distribution should not be ignored. “Informing ourselves and others about our environment, our needs and our aspirations is a key component of responsible citizenship,” said the Prince, “as is a firm appreciation of the structures that have been built up over generations.”

The El Hassan bin Talal Award for Scientific Excellence was established in 1995 for the encouragement of academic, scientific and technological activities in all institutions involved in education and training. The award is granted to national institutions that have contributed to the development of education and training in Jordan.

In anticipation of his departure for Romania later today (Wednesday, June 6^th), HRH thanked the countries of Eastern Europe for their contributions to the knowledge base of emerging nations. The Prince will act as a keynote speaker at a conference in Bucharest on combating discrimination and promoting mutual respect and understanding. The meeting is being hosted by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal will receive an honorary doctorate today (Friday) from the University of Lund in Sweden. The award recognises HRH’s humanitarian work and his efforts to promote the cause of interfaith dialogue around the world.

Speaking after the ceremony, HRH thanked Sweden for its contribution to peace-building and ecumenical understanding over many centuries. He said that Sweden, like its Scandinavian neighbours, had shown a genuine interest in working towards solutions in the Middle East, without any hidden agenda. Prince Hassan hoped that in these terrible times, Swedes would increase their efforts to aid positive change in the Middle East.

On Wednesday, HRH officially opened a new Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at the university. The centre is the first of its kind in Sweden and will offer post-graduate students an opportunity to specialise in a variety of disciplines related to the region. Lund already offers Masters and PhD students the opportunity to study aspects of politics, culture and religion in the greater Middle East. The University has also signed a cooperation agreement with Jordan University to facilitate student and academic exchanges.

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is the second oldest university in Sweden. Today, Lund is Scandinavia's largest institution for education and research.

HRH was accompanied throughout the visit by HRH Princess Sarvath. On Tuesday, Their Royal Highnesses had lunch with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Sylvia at their home outside Stockholm. TRH will return to Amman on Saturday.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal yesterday (Tuesday, May 23^rd) addressed the inaugural meeting of the Tolerance Foundation in St Petersburg on the topic of Interaction of Cultures and Civilisations. The Prince is Co-President of the Foundation along with former Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin and Dr Giovanni Bazoli.

Addressing an audience of intellectuals, journalists and government officials in the theatre of the Yusopov Palace, HRH commented on the cultural affinity between the Arab world and Russia. He asked participants to properly inform their communities about other creeds and peoples: “Proper information is essential in an age of globally-interacting religious process,” said the Prince.

Prince Hassan added that familiarity had not always bred respect. Conflict in the Balkans, India, Indonesia, Rwanda and elsewhere had shown that perceived or invented differences can drive horrifying violence.

HRH called for confidence-building between parties leading to agreement on basic standards and codes of conduct. Only then could we operate within a framework for civilised disagreement.

“Today, man finds himself at a crossroads,” said the Prince. “I fear that unless we can recognise cultural diversity as a concordance of values, we will be unable to overcome racial brand names and fully embrace the richness of our diversity.

The Tolerence Foundation meeting, Interaction of Cultures and Civilisations: A Dialogue or a Conflict? ends today (Wednesday, May 24^th)

HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan addressed the American Centre of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Washington DC last night on behalf of her father, HRH Prince Hassan. On the occasion of the 10^th International Conference on the History and Archaeology of Jordan, Princess Sumaya spoke to an audience of around 200 scholars on the theme Crossing Jordan, emphasising that the event “reminds us that this territory has been home to a great number of cultures and societies, and a vibrant centre where races, religions and people have met over time”.

HRH discussed the benefits and disadvantages of Jordan’s geographical location at the heart of the Levant: “Sadly, although we have examples of peaceful contact, such as the spice trade and the birth of religions, the land of Jordan has also often been the disputed contact zone between empire.” However, Princess Sumaya paid tribute to Jordan’s historical richness, a product of influences from an incredible variety of power centres, both east and west, over the centuries.

To mark the event, Princess Sumaya will be present at a reception this evening at the Jordanian embassy hosted by HRH Prince Zeid bin Raad. The Princess will also attend a gala evening hosted by the Department of Antiquities and ACOR at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on Friday.

Crossing Jordan was organised by The American Center of Oriental Research and The Department of Antiquities of Jordan, in cooperation with The American Schools of Oriental Research, Boston, and The American Schools of Oriental Research in Canada.

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal has officially opened the new Badia Centre for Ecological Education at Um Al Qutian in the east of Jordan. The centre, which HRH has supported from the planning stages, will help to educate locals and visitors on the wealth of flora and fauna in the area.

Working closely with the local community, the Centre aims to encourage a tradition of preservation and respect for the natural heritage of the eastern desert. Programmes will encourage the creation of job opportunities in ecotourism and other sustainable forms of development. The founders of the centre hope that through education, local farmers can be discouraged from harmful practices such as grazing and low-level agriculture.

HRH was accompanied by Dr Habib El-Habr, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme for West Asia. Dr El-Habr took the opportunity of the opening to present Prince Hassan with the Champions of the Earth award for 2007. HRH was unable to attend the awards ceremony which took place in Singapore last month.

Dr El-Habr paid tribute to HRH's work for the environment over many years and remarked that the opening of the Badia Centre was a fitting occasion to honour a man who had done so much to help people and the environment in Jordan and around the region of West Asia.

HRH proceeded to a private lunch in Ruwaisid where he oversaw the distribution of parcels of essential items to the needy of the area. The distribution was carried out with the assistance of the Taiwan Tzu Chi Foundation.

Photo Caption: HRH reveives the 2007 Champions of the Earth award from Dr Habib El-Habr of UNEP at the opening of the Badia Centre fro Ecological Education.

Under the Gracious Patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II and in celebration of the 60^th birthday of His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS), today hosted a birthday tribute to HRH Prince Hassan at the RSS Campus.

Guests at the event included members of the Royal Family and a host of dignitaries from Jordan, the Arab world and beyond. A variety of speakers, from family members to politicians and intellectuals, paid tribute to the breath of His Royal Highness’s vision and achievements in his first six decades. Speakers and guests celebrated His Royal Highness’s wisdom and humour, qualities that will continue to enrich the lives of the nation and the wider world in years to come.

To commemorate the event, Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya presented His Majesty with an automated system for accurate analysis of election results. The new system, which was developed by the Information Technology Centre at the RSS, combines proven technologies with a central database to increase efficiency and reliability of vote checking and assessment.

The gala celebration was rounded off with the launch by His Majesty and His Royal Highness of the El Hassan Science City. His Majesty and His Royal Highness planted a tree to celebrate a new era in scientific research and development in Jordan.

The science city initiative recognises the need of developing countries to acquire, produce and apply knowledge for growth. El Hassan Science City will provide Arab scientists, researchers, academics, entrepreneurs and students with the means to promote knowledge-based development through education and innovation.

The El Hassan Science City campus will host the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), the RSS and the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT). Its founding is an appropriate tribute to a man who has cleared a path for science and development in Jordan over many decades.

The El Hassan Science City will build on the strong performance of the three constituent institutions to become a centre of excellence in research and development for Jordan and the region. A well-known Jordanian architect has begun work on a blueprint for the El Hassan Science City campus. His designs will take into account the physical needs of the campus and will facilitate a natural flow from academia to research and development, and on to commercialisation of knowledge.

HRH Prince Hassan on Thursday said democracy is a universal and relative concept and no nation or society can claim ownership over the values and precepts of democracy.

 The Prince made the remarks at the opening of the "US Democracy Strategy: An American-Jordanian Dialogue," which brought together Jordanian and American youth to discuss US democracy promotion and develop strategies on how to enable Jordanians to work more effectively for democratic change.

 Highlighting that democracy is "a process and a condition, not merely the show of vote-casting," Prince Hassan said a "national form of democratic government does not necessarily translate into international democratic conduct or conduct in international relations that is in conformity with the preservation of peace or observance of international legality."

 "Democracy cannot exist without civil society. Civil society cannot exist without a population that has the will and capacity to act in defence of its values and institutions. We need to create a society of stakeholders... We must create the institutions and structures needed to transform the values of democracy into processes," the Prince added.

 An ideologically and geographically diverse group of 25 American and 25 Middle Eastern participants between the ages of 21-28 are taking part in the three-day event, a combined effort between the Americans for Informed Democracy, the Project on Middle East Democracy and the Al Urdun Al Jadid Research Centre (UJRC).

 Panel discussions will focus on measuring democracy, women's democratic participation, engaging political Islam and regional impacts on reform.

 The results of a poll conducted by the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies, which indicated that a significant percentage of Jordanians do not believe that the US wants democracy in Jordan, was discussed at one of the sessions.

 Senator Laila Sharaf questioned America's role in developing democracy, citing examples in Palestine and Iraq.

  "In Palestine, Hamas was a democratically elected government... The United States, instead of rewarding a democratic system, turned their back on the newly elected government," said Sharaf.

 "The Abu Ghraib scandal highlighted everything that is contrary to the discourse of pursing democracy. In Jordan, we find resistance to some initiatives because they are seen as furthering American policies," she added.

 Lina Ejeilat, one of the participants, said she was encouraged by the discussion but hoped something more would come out of the conference.

 "It is good to have a dialogue, but if nothing comes from it, people get frustrated and cynical and nobody wants that," Ejeilat told The Jordan Times.

 Dialogue has always been the key to resolving problems, avoiding armed conflicts and removing misunderstanding between opposing parties, according to  May Al Taher, executive director of the Jordanian Forum for Economic Development at the UJRC.

 "The image of the US is somehow distorted in the Arab world, and among  youth in particular, mainly because of the state foreign policy towards the region. Thus, people perceive it difficult to believe that the US seeks to promote democracy in the Middle East and in Jordan," said Taher.

 She added that UJRC has been working for democratic development, political reform and civil participation in Jordan and the Arab world since 1990, with a stated goal of "developing a democratic and civil culture among youth."

 David DeBartolo, a member of the organising committee and a Fulbright scholar in Amman, said that one of the goals of the dialogue is to bring Jordanians and Americans together and agree on recommendations that could be used to form foreign policy.

 "I feel that Americans don't listen to the people of the Middle East when forming policy on the region. We are trying to have an honest and authentic dialogue. We hope the recommendations that this conference will create will be used to develop a common interest," DeBartolo said.

By Ramsey G. Tesdell

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal has called for a comprehensive resolution to bring together the demands of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and the 1990 Cairo Declaration on a Culture of Compliance for human rights. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 15^th Conference of the Academy of Latinity, Prince Hassan added that the Declaration of European Muslims, which was drafted after the Balkan wars in the 1990s, stated clearly that Muslims living in Europe called for pluralism and respect for the other in the interest of the common good.

 HRH expressed his fear that decades of bridge-building had been erased in recent years due to poor policy-making and negative media coverage of Muslim communities and societies. Prince expressed his hope that alliances such as the one between the Latin world and the East, exemplified in the conference, could help to save us from a fragmented future.

Arabs are labelled as humiliated and angry by many in the west, said HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal. But few ask why this might be so or acknowledge that any community or race would react in a similar fashion when confronted with the unfair policies of leading powers.  HRH was speaking yesterday (April 14^th) at the opening ceremony of the 15^th Conference of the Academy of Latinity at the Al-Hussain Cultural Centre. Addressing the theme of “The ‘Universal’ in Human Rights”, HRH said that a culture of compliance with international humanitarian law was essential to healing rifts and bringing justice to the Middle East and elsewhere.

Echoing the Prince’s sentiments, Federico Mayor, President of the Academy and former head of UNESCO, reminded delegates of the principles of the UN Charter and of UNESCO. He called for an honest recognition of the diversity of people and an enforcement of the post-Second World War call for promoting peace in the minds of man.

Enrique Iglesias from Uruguay painted a bleak picture of the state of the world in the early part of the 21^st Century. He lamented that hope had turned to frustration, optimism to despair and tolerance to violence. He called for increased efforts to involve religious leaders in a search for a workable structure for universal rights and values.

Prince Hassan also criticised the behaviour of leaders in the Arab world, asking whether we had lost the benefits of an ancient civilisation to a new tribalism of cronyism, corruption and organised crime.

Among dignitaries attending the ceremony were Mayor of Amman, Omar Ma’ani, the President of the Senate and the Deputy Prime Minister. The conference is being co-hosted by the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies.

The Academy of Latinity comes to Amman this weekend for its 15^th annual conference. Prince Hassan bin Talal, patron of the conference, will welcome a host of dignitaries and scholars from across the Mediterranean and Latin worlds to examine the universal nature of human rights. Delegates will explore the topic in a variety of ways and ask if a universal understanding of human rights is a precondition for a dialogue of cultures.

Senior members of the Academy who will speak at the event include Federico Mayor, Spanish scholar and former Director-General of UNESCO, Mário Soares, former President of Portugal, Bernardino de Léon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for Spain, and Professor Candido Mendes from Brazil.

Among other contributors, Ebrahim Moosa from South Africa will examine the growing gulf between Islamic and secular perspectives on human rights, a gap of understanding that is often widened by media approaches in the west and by well-publicised actions of governments and others in the Islamic world. This dilemma often hampers attempts at reconciliation between people and governments.

Humanity in a global context is the theme chosen by Susan Buck-Morss from the United States. She will set her discussion against the background of what she refers to as “the tragic consequences of militaristic unilateralism, refusal to engage in dialogue, and narrow, partisan consciousness”.

Encompassing the argument that all delegates must tackle, Walter Mignolo from the US asks if the issue facing policy-makers is not to re-cast the debate on human rights and cultural diversity but rather to recast the very concept of human and humanity. Only then might it be possible to overcome the divisions created by those who, consciously or unconsciously, claim their own cultural uniqueness in relation to Human Rights.

The conference, which runs from April 14^th to 17^th, will be co-hosted by The Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, of which Prince Hassan is President.

AMMAN (JT) — The Muslim world must embrace Asia as a forum for dialogue and development, a roundtable meeting co-hosted by HRH Prince Hassan and Pakistan's Institute of Strategic Studies agreed.

The third meeting in a series, "Voices from Asia: Towards a Process for Cooperation and Security," which concluded on Thursday, marks a continuation in the efforts of political, academic and civil society leaders to address poverty and extremism in the Middle East and South Asia.

In his keynote address to participants, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf urged the Muslim world to focus on reform and renewal.

He lamented the inability of the cash-strapped Organisation of the Islamic Conference to defend the rights of Muslims and to fight poverty.

Musharraf suggested that if Muslim countries had taken up his suggestion to grant 0.01 per cent of their budgets to the organisation, it would have had an annual budget of over $200 million to implement programmes for the benefit of the umma.

The Pakistani president thanked Prince Hassan for his efforts to bring about dialogue among Muslims and with the outside world.

Earlier, Prince Hassan briefed Musharraf on the aims of the meeting, emphasising the importance of human security in a world where military solutions are almost taken for granted.

He said he hoped the build-up of tensions between Iran and the US might still be defused through diplomatic means .

"Only by openly tackling the issues facing our Asian continent, can we give hope to millions of disenfranchised people in West Asia, North Africa, South Asia and beyond ," said the Prince.

In a private meeting with Prince Hassan and HRH Prince Rashid, chairman of the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation, Musharraf expressed his appreciation for Jordan's assistance in the relief and rehabilitation work following the devastating earthquake of October 2005. The president bestowed the Tamgha-e-Essar award on Prince Rashid, who supervised the relief efforts.

/0010/  http://www.petra.gov.jo/nepras/2007/Feb/15/210000.htm

For newspapers..

Amman, Feb. 15 (Petra)—A roundtable meeting that was held in the Pakistani capital Islam Abad with the participation of His Royal Highness Prince Hassan Bin Talal, called on the Islamic world to take Asia as a platform for dialogue and development.

The meeting, which was held for the third time, is part of efforts of politicians, academics and civil society leader to tackle the problems of poverty and extremism in the Middle East and South Asia.

In a key note address at the meeting, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf called on the Islamic world to focus on reform and modernization, noting the Islamic Conference Organization could not defend the rights of Muslims and fight poverty due to the lack of financial resources.

Musharraf thanked Prince Hassan for his continued efforts to launch dialogue between Muslims and the world.

Prince Hassan briefed the Pakistani president on the goals of the meeting, stressing the importance of human security in a world where military solutions prevail.

He expressed hope that tension between Iran and the United States would be overcome through diplomatic means.

President Musharrraf expressed appreciation for King Abdullah for the aid sent by Jordan to Pakistan during the earthquake that hit part of the country in October 2005.

During a meeting with Prince Hassan and Prince Rashid Bin Al Hassan, he said that the aid contributed to rehabilitating the region, which was affected by the earthquake.

//Petra//

Written by pub   

http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3974&Itemid=2

ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Thursday reiterating Pakistan's commitment towards greater peace and security in the region stressed closer collaboration amongst the regional countries to overcome the challenges."We feel the world needs to get together...the challenges we face require cohesion, cooperation and closeness in what we do," he told participants of the 2-day roundtable.

     Aziz also spelt out a four-point strategy being pursued by Pakistan to promote peace and prosperity in the region and beyond, besides focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing the people of Asia.

        The conference organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies and Majlis El Hassan, Jordan and Sasakawa Peace Foundation of Japan was on  "Voices from Asia: Towards a process for cooperation and security."
Attended by experts from Bangladesh, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Norway, Palestine, Turkey, USA, Jordan and Pakistan the speakers discussed the challenges facing the region and need for a united strategy to address these.

        Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the greatest challenge faced in the region was to ensure peace and security within and between these countries.

        "Our future prosperity depends upon ensuring a peaceful enabling environment. Threat to security posed by interstate disputes and conflicts, civil wars and acts of terrorism must be overcome," Aziz stressed.

        The Prime Minister agreed to Prince Hassan bin Talal about the serious threats and "widescale destruction" if Iran's nuclear issue was not addressed.

         "Pakistan has underscored the need for restraint and dialogue to resolve the controversy over Iran's nuclear program," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said.

         He said Pakistan believes that Iran has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes under the international safeguards, and at the same time honour its commitments not to develop nuclear weapons.

         "We are also opposed to any use of force as that would lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and destabilise the entire area," he added.

          The Prime Minister also called for an early end to the Iraq war through dialogue and compromise.

           "Peace will come only by winning hearts and minds and not by enforcing shock and awe."
           He reiterated support to Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity and preservation of its ethnic and sectarian fabric.

          "Otherwise the entire region will be destabilized," Aziz warned and added that an end to the Iraq war was imperative for controlling spread of terrorism across the region.

          Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also urged an early resolution of the Palestinian dispute as the violence there was feeding terrorism.

         "Creation of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine in accordance with the wishes of the Palestinian people can provide the basis for a durable settlement of this issue."

          He said "the people of Palestine and Israel must be able to live within secure borders of their respective countries," and added that the international community have a responsibility to facilitate an equitable settlement.

           The Prime Minister referred to the new initiative and visits of President Pervez Musharraf to build consensus to address the conflict in the Middle East.

           He mentioned the "festering Palestinian problem" combined with instability in Lebanon and the growing war in Iraq and said their settlement required dialogue and engagement with both the "visible and the invisible stakeholders".

           "Dealing with the invisible stakeholders at times is more important," Aziz said and added that Pakistan will continue efforts to promote a peaceful solution to all these issues.

           On the regional scene the Prime Minister spoke of the Composite Dialogue process with India to reduce tensions.

           He said President Musharraf has proposed several ideas in his discussions with the Indian leaders and said these can serve as a basis for further discussions to resolve the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

          On Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said Pakistan was doing its part to check movement of undesirable elements in either direction and urged the international community and Afghans to do their part.

          He called for breaking the "nexus between drugs and terrorism" and said the Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan have become safe havens for undesirable elements.

         He said these must be dismantled and the refugees should return to their homes. He also urged a Marshal plan type programme for reconstruction, rehabilitation and development.

         The Prime Minister about Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism said a durable solution requires addressing the root causes - sense of deprivation, alienation and frustration, compelling some to resort to violence.

         The Prime Minister also pointed at the unequal distribution of resources, the inability to harness these effectively and overburdening of resources due to disputes as one of the challenges.

         "In some instances Asian countries have not fully leveraged the benefits of globalisation and remain mired in poverty, hunger and disease."
Aziz also pointed at the environmental and ecological changes besides the issues of water, food and energy security.

          He shared the four-point "architecture for security and cooperation" that calls for; broad-based reforms for good governance, empowerment of people and economic growth; dialogue with stakeholders to resolve disputes; cooperation to promote regional interdependencies; and ensuring level playing field on basis of equity and justice for sharing resources.

          He said Asia presented a rich mosaic of religions and cultures, largest market and described it as the engine driving the international economy and added the 21st century will be an Asian Century.

          The Prime Minister said Pakistan on its part was trying to leverage its strategic location at the cross roads of South, Central and West Asia and said it was establishing oil, gas and electricity linkages within these regions. He said Pakistan was fast emerging as a corridor for cooperation in energy, trade, transportation and tourism.
         

         Prince Hasan bin Talal called for greater unity amongst the regional countries and regretted that most of the disputes were related to inter-Muslim strife. He said over 70 per cent of refugees were due to internal strife and urged resolution through dialogue and engagement.
          He said the roundtable meeting appreciating the Makkah accord also called for an end to the economic blockade of the Palestinian Authority and stressed parallel dialogue with Israel, Syria and Lebanon to bring peace to the region.

          He also apprised the participants about the setting up of a Task Force for the conceptualisation of the Social Charter for the West Asia - North Africa (WANA) countries.

Members of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue, including HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, today presented HH Pope Benedict XVI with a specially produced boxed set of the three Holy Books of the monotheistic faiths: The Hebrew Bible, The New Testament and The Holy Qur’an.

The Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue (a private institution operating under Swiss law) was established with the aim of making a specific and positive contribution to dialogue amongst faiths and cultures.

The Foundation is honoured that Pope Benedict XVI, a co-Founder and former Board of Trustees Member, graciously accepts this presentation and so underlines his continued commitment to a common vision of promoting understanding, tolerance and friendship among the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The Foundation’s Trustees, who hail from diverse monotheistic faith backgrounds, share a desire to contribute to the interreligious and intercultural formation of those individuals who will thus be prepared for challenges in achieving the complementarity between the religious, social and political spheres.

In our rapidly fracturing world, the need to promote understanding and tolerance within and between the three monotheistic religions has never been greater. The work of the Foundation aims to reach beyond mere tolerance of ‘the other’, and to promote a clearer understanding of a shared moral heritage with no syncretism or proselytism.

 The Foundation has just achieved the publication of a boxed set of the Three Holy Sources in their original languages in a limited edition of 5,000 sets. A Preface, Brochure and a numbered certificate (in Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Latin, French, English, Spanish, Russian and German) accompanies each handmade box.

After careful thought and study, the design of the boxed set was agreed by all Board Members, taking into consideration the chronological order of the Holy Sources and the reading of both Hebrew and Arabic.

The Foundation hopes to continue its efforts at cross-religious education by preparing and publishing an analytical concordance of the shared values and standards of the Abrahamic religions. The Board Members hope to enhance what is universal while respecting differences.

Other activities being undertaken by the Foundation include the implementation of a post-doctoral program in the field of interreligious and intercultural dialogue and the awarding of annual scholarships. An official agreement of collaboration with the University of Geneva was signed this past March 1^st, 2006.

The importance of putting text into context is underlined by the prevalence of misunderstanding and misinformation in today’s world. An examination of the common moral foundations of all religions is long overdue.

 The Foundation’s delegation comprises:

§        *His Eminence Emmanuel Adamakis Metropolitan of France, Director of the Liaison Office of the Orthodox Church to the European Union, and Director of the Office of Interreligious and Intercultural Relations of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Trustee)

§        His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Founder & First Vice-Chairman)

§        Sayyed Jawad Al-Khoei, Al-Khoei Foundation (Trustee)

§        Mr. Jamal Daniel, President of The Levant Foundation (Founder, Second Vice-Chairman & Treasurer) represented by Ms Roula Daniel

§        His Excellency Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, Apostolic Nuncio in Egypt (Trustee)