On Tuesday September 12th, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah advocated for a new leadership paradigm that tries to build common ground and inject humanity into decision-making, emphasising the importance of working together to address shared difficulties such as the migration, refugee, and climate crises.
Her Majesty recalled the drowning of a crowded migrant boat in the Mediterranean Sea last June, which killed over 600 people as they attempted to reach Europe, while speaking in London at the CogX Global Leadership Summit, part of the 7th edition of the global CogX Festival.
She noticed how each side of the migration debate interpreted the tragedy as proof of their side of the story, with some blaming Europe's strict migration rules for the calamity, others claimed that Europe's leniency was to blame for the migrants' decision to endanger their lives in the first place.
"When we can't tolerate ideas that challenge our own, we hold their proponents in contempt," Her Majesty added. Rather of "retreating into bunkers of 'we vs. them,' she called for an openness to questioning, saying that unfettered certainty might lead people to "attack each other instead of solving our issues."
"You may believe that certainty is a sign of moral integrity, but is it?" Queen Rania inquired. "Certainty can lead to moral fracture - a code of ethics that registers a sinking ship first as evidence of being right, and only secondarily as tragedy."
Her Majesty also urged for additional worldwide aid to refugee-hosting countries like Jordan, where one of every eight persons is a Syrian refugee. She also called attention to the mounting needs of African countries absorbing refugees from Sudan, where over 4 million people have been displaced since April.
"Doing the right thing means getting things right." And for that, we must think with our hearts," she continued, referencing His Majesty King Abdullah II's decision to welcome hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees to Jordan following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011.
"His Majesty understood what was most important. His acts were dictated by his heart. There is a hungry youngster and a desperate mother at our border,' he said. 'How could we refuse them entry?'" according to Queen Rania.
Her Majesty praised Jordanians' compassion, as well as the kindness of host countries now hosting refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan. She did, however, emphasise that conflict-affected nations cannot bear the burden of refugee hosting alone.
"Since July, the World Food Programme has been cutting support for Syrian refugees in Jordan—not because the need has passed, but because new emergencies are breaking out, while donor support has lagged," she said, adding that low- and middle-income countries host 74% of the world's displaced.
The Queen further emphasised the world's unequal response to refugee crises, remarking that four months into the Sudan war, fewer than 30% of donor requests had been met, yet the Ukraine emergency appeal was 70% financed within its first month.
"I don't think we need a supercomputer to explain such discrimination," stated Her Majesty.
"We normalise people's suffering when we demonise them for seeking a better life for their families." "We normalise 11 children drowning each week in perilous Mediterranean crossings," she explained. "In a world of plenty, we normalise people going hungry—not because we can't help them, but because we've chosen not to."
During her speech, Queen Rania stated that in an age "where AI churns out content and code, and where we're connected to everything, everywhere, all at once," it is easy to become distracted and lose concentration. She did, however, emphasise that "progress is not unavoidable." It does not happen automatically. We are the ones who set the path and steer the ship."
"What good is artificial intelligence if we can't use it to elicit genuine empathy?" Queen Rania inquired.
Her Majesty shared that, after spending time with some of the world's most prominent leaders as well as some of the world's most vulnerable people, her perspective on leadership has not only shifted, but inverted.
"I've met people with nothing who share everything in refugee camps from Jordan to Greece to Bangladesh." People who have been brutalised by a selfish world but nevertheless put the lives of others ahead of their own," she remarked. "If the world's most powerless people can act with such strength, what does that say about the rest of us?"
Queen Rania also emphasised the need of "learning how to follow" in leadership and how it can fuel progress in areas such as climate change, which she called as "an existential challenge that demands a global movement."
Under the name of the CogX Festival, the CogX Global Leadership Summit debuted in 2020 and has since welcomed over 3,500 professional speakers from industry, government, education, philanthropy, and other disciplines. The CogX Festival, which debuted in 2014, brings together world leaders, the tech industry, and the general public for in-depth conversations about the ramifications of artificial intelligence and other developing technologies.
Look Details:
For the events, Her Majesty wore Alexander McQueen Cutaway Military Shirt in Optic White paired with her Alexander McQueen Women's Geometric Buckle Waist Belt in Black, Bottega Veneta Mini Intrecciato Napa Top-Handle Bag, Bespoke Jennifer Chamandi Black Suede & Elaphe Lorenzo 105 Pumps, Apple Watch Ultra [GPS + Cellular 49mm] Smart Watch w/Rugged Titanium Case & Brown Ocean Band.
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