Queen Rania and Malala Yousafzai at the Clinton Global Citizen award ceremony in 2013. Photo: Getty
The Clinton Global Initiative makes a return after six years this September, and HM Queen Rania of Jordan has been named among the international dignitaries convening at the event. Launched by former US president Bill Clinton, the gathering seeks to promote cross-cultural dialogue, with this year’s theme, ‘The Business of How’, in particular, focusing on “[driving] action on climate, health equity, economic growth, the refugee crisis and more.”
The Jordanian royal has spoken at a number of the event’s previous editions, often shedding light on issues within the Middle East, such as the Syrian refugee crisis in 2016, and the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, and the war in Lebanon in 2006. At the two-day gathering on September 19 and 20, Queen Rania can be expected to highlight similar problems within the region on a global platform. Other prominent figures joining her at the Clinton Global Initiative include Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, water activist and actor Matt Damon, Hamilton playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, and famed chef José Andrés.
“We called the CGI community back together this year because we face an urgent and historic moment,” Clinton said in a statement announcing the upcoming event. “The global community is confronting several existential challenges, including climate change, new threats to our health, worsening economic inequalities, and a global refugee crisis.”
The Clinton Global Initiative was called off in 2016, reportedly due to concerns over a possible conflict of interest during former US senator Hillary Clinton’s White House bid in the same year.
Read Next: Queen Rania at Expo 2020 Dubai: “When it Comes to the Environment, Every Region is Under Threat”
