AMMAN | In tribute to the late King Hussein, U.S. President Bill Clinton, former President George Bush, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak and U.S. Middle East envoy Dennis Ross honoured the memory of the King at an evening organised by the “Seeds of Peace” in New York.
In his video remarks, Clinton addressed the dinner gathering on Thursday saying, “the ideals that King Hussein lived by were embodied in the Seeds of Peace … He wore the Seeds of Peace tie the day we signed the Wye Accords and the last time he landed his plane in his beloved Jordan.”
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who the same evening was presented with the 1999 Seeds of Peace Award, noted that “we meet tonight still grieving for the loss of His Majesty King Hussein, who received this award two years ago … the peace we continue to build must be for him.”
Her Majesty Queen Noor, who received the Seeds of Peace sculpture honoring the legacy of King Hussein, thanked the dignitaries and celebrants for their moving tributes, adding that in the 47 years King Hussein reigned, he dedicated “all his heart, soul, and physical energy to peace, willing to sacrifice his life for the cause.” Queen Noor said King Hussein was constantly in search of partnerships, which he felt he found in the Seeds of Peace.
Seeds of Peace is a summer camp in the United States for 12 to 14-year-old children from countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
At the camp, Arab and Israeli children interact by participating in a variety of activities that range from team sports to theatrical plays and co-existence seminars.
The children also travel to Washington where they stay for a week during which they meet with the U.S. president, the vice-president, members of Congress and the Supreme Court.
The programme’s main goal is to introduce Arab and Israeli children to each other in the hope that their camping experience forges lasting bonds of friendship and understanding between them.
Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has brought teenagers from the Middle East, Bosnia and other troubled regions to its conflict resolution and co-existence camp.
The organisation plans to launch a programme for Greek and Turkish youth from Cyprus this summer.
King Hussein once said, “children are capable of achieving great things … give them a chance.”
Ambassador and Mrs. Hassan Abu Ni’mah, Ambassador and Mrs. Marwan Muasher, HRH Princess Raiyah Bint Al Hussein and Prince Zeid Bin Raad attended the Seeds of Peace dinner with the Queen.