By Guido Lanfranchi.
On Tuesday March 20th, H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan delivered a speech to the students of World Class The Hague. At the Theater Diligentia, the audience have enjoyed also the presence of H.M Queen Rania, H.M. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and H.M. Queen Máxima.
The Hague, City of Peace and Justice, recently hosted H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife H.M. Queen Rania, during their visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In spite of his busy schedule, H.M. King Abdullah decided to dedicate some time to “One of the most satisfying parts” of his work: talking with students. “… is always meeting and talking with your generation, a major part of Jordan’s young population, and a truly global force today. I see your energy; I see your concern for the world; and I see a generation with tremendous talent.”
Thanks to the precious job of the Municipality of The Hague, on Tuesday some hundreds of students gathered at the Theater Diligentia, in the city center, in order to attend H.M. King Abdullah’s speech.
Mr. Mark Singleton, former diplomat at the Dutch Foreign Ministry, warmly welcomed the audience, made of not only students, but also of diplomats and a number of citizens of The Hague. Shortly after, the keynote guests entered the theater: H.M. King Abdullah of Jordan with H.M. Queen Rania, and H.M. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and H.M. Queen Máxima, walked in a crowded theater that promptly stood up at their presence.
Mr. Singleton officially started the event, giving the floor to Ms. Pauline Krikke, Mayor of The Hague, who warmly welcomed all the guests. The Mayor praised the special relationship between Jordan and the Netherlands, and especially The Hague, before giving the floor to H.M. King Abdullah.
In his engaging speech, H.M. the King decided to focus on “the deeply urgent need to help the world’s people live together in mutual respect.” His Majesty stressed the importance of understanding that “humanity is one,” and he pointed out that our values should inform out thoughts, our actions, and our lives. He then praised the students for their efforts to understand our complex world, and urged them to continue to do so. He also encouraged the students to pursue the way of dialogue, of love, and of inclusion, in order to “help us all walk away from disrespect and ignorance. Take the world in a better direction, and help shape the better future you all truly deserve.”
After the speech, Mr. Singleton introduced the Q&A. Some students from the International Institute of Social Studies, The Haagse Hogeschool, and Leiden University had thus the possibility to ask questions to His Majesty. The discussion dealt with a variety of topics, such as the conflict in Syria, the growth of the Jordanian ICT sector, the Jordanian security model in countering extremism, and the measures to counter hate-speech and violence. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Singleton warmly thanked H.M. King Abdullah, who rejoined his spouse and the Dutch royal couple and left the theater under the audience’s applause.
Many of the attendees remained then in the Diligentia’s reception room, to enjoy lively conversations, among the drinks and snacks kindly provided by the organizers. A special gratitude for this event should be reserved to the Municipality of The Hague, organizer of the masterclass series of World Class The Hague and of this beautiful event. It is also because of initiatives such as this that The Hague was, is, and will be the International City of Peace and Justice.
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For the whole speech of H.M. King Abdullah:
https://kingabdullah.jo/en/news/king-delivers-speech-world-class-hague-programme
https://rhc.jo/en/media/news/speech-hm-king-abdullah-world-class-hague-students
For more on the “World Class The Hague” programme: https://www.studyinthehague.com/studying/world-class
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Photography: Guido Lanfranchi
