Crown Prince addresses int’l student conference

AMMAN — Hospitality, friendliness, generosity, tolerance and respect are the values that bind the people of Jordan and earned them a reputation as a “haven of moderation and a sanctuary for those in need”, HRH Crown Prince Hussein said Wednesday.

He made the remarks at the launching ceremony of Round Square Conference under the theme: “Al Salamu Alaikum” (Peace be upon you). 

“I can’t remember a time when those words had greater resonance.  So, as Round Square brings us together in the pursuit of peace, let’s also remember those in this region — and others around the world — for whom conflict is a daily reality and peace a distant hope... Welcome to Jordan,” the Prince said.

Round Square is a worldwide, half-a-century-old association of more than 100 schools on five continents “sharing unique and ambitious goals”.

Around 500 students from 25 countries are participating in the conference held at King’s Academy.

According to organisers, students attending Round Square schools “make a strong commitment, beyond academic excellence, to personal development and responsibility”.

This is achieved by participating in community service, work projects, exchange programmes and adventuring.

Participants in the conference, held in the Middle East for the first time, will discuss sharing and integration mechanisms among the students of the world in an attempt to achieve and spread peace among people. 

“We take these values for granted. But in too many places, among too many people, they’re in short supply,” the Prince told his audience.

The result, he added, would be intolerance, mistrust and disrespect. “They combine… will foment… and drive wedges between communities and countries with terrible consequences.”

“My grandfather, His late Majesty King Hussein, a tireless peacemaker, lived these ideals.  As does my father, His Majesty King Abdullah, who, every day, works to heal divisions and build lasting peace in our region,” Prince Hussein said. 

“The pursuit of peace begins with each one of us stepping out of our comfort zones, understanding how others see the world, speaking out in the face of injustice and leading by example,” the Crown Prince added.

The ceremony, which was attended by Round Square Honorary President Constantine II, former king of Greece and his spouse, started by the entry of representatives of the 54 participating schools carrying the flags of their schools.