Jordan’s Queen Noor to speak at UCI on diversity, cooperation
The widow of King Al Hussein is interested in education, conservation, sustainable development, human rights and cross-cultural understanding, as well as their application to human security.
Jordan’s Queen Noor will discuss her work in global conflict prevention at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at UC Irvine. Her appearance is the fifth in the Living Peace Series, co-sponsored by the university and the Center for Living Peace, Orange County. UCI’s 2011-12 Dalai Lama Scholar, Armaan Ahmed Rowther, will moderate the event, entitled “Leap of Faith: A Conversation with Queen Noor.”
The widow of King Al Hussein is interested in education, conservation, sustainable development, human rights and cross-cultural understanding, as well as their application to human security. Since 1979, the Noor Al Hussein Foundation and the King Hussein Foundation have tackled the global challenges of poverty eradication, women’s empowerment, microfinance and health. Queen Noor is also a longtime advocate for Arab-Israeli peace.
She highlights the commonalities, rather than the differences, among people of the world. By integrating the topics of gender, poverty and socioeconomic diversity, she seeks to overcome separateness and the idea of “other.”
“In what we fear, in what we seek, in what we need and in what we love, we are all essentially on the same path,” Queen Noor said. “That is the path to peace, security and justice, and I have great hope that, for the sake of our children, we can stay true to that path. I look forward to sharing this message at UCI, which has shown through its partnership with the Center for Living Peace that it shares these values.”
Rowther is committed to interfaith dialogue and religious harmony and is organizing a hunger banquet, day of service and campuswide fast this spring to focus attention on poverty and hunger in the community and worldwide.
The Living Peace Series, which brings to UCI international leaders committed to making the world a healthy, sustainable and compassionate place, has previously featured the Dalai Lama, Charlize Theron, Sir Richard Branson, and filmmakers and activists connected with the PBS SoCal documentary “Women, War & Peace.”
Tickets to the Queen Noor talk, to be held in the UCI Student Center’s Pacific Ballroom, are free for UCI students and $8 for the public and UCI faculty and staff. Reservations may be made at the Living Peace Series website.
To participate in the service events and community programs planned around Queen Noor’s visit, go to UCI’s Leap of Faith Facebook page or the Center for Living Peace, Orange County website.
About the Center for Living Peace, Orange County: Founded by Newport Beach philanthropist Kelly Thornton Smith on the belief that “good happens,” the Center for Living Peace, Orange County provides a place where children, families and adults of all ages can connect to self, others and the world and feel inspired to make a difference.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.
News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.