Just Another Reason for Jordan to Love its Queen

~~~~ Tired

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah '91 receives first YouTube award for using the site
to induce positive change.

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah '91 recently won YouTube’s first ever
Visionary Award.

The award, presented as part of the official
launch of YouTube Live, celebrates active users of YouTube who aim to use the
service as an open platform for constructive dialogue to highlight social and
cultural issues and work for positive change in their communities and around the
world. Her YouTube channel, which is dedicated to breaking down stereotypes
about the Arab and Muslim worlds and bridging the East-West divide, has more
than 15,000 subscribers and has been viewed more than half a million times since
its launch in March.

“YouTube encourages us to be active
participants in a global conversation, making our voices heard, giving us the
power to broadcast ourselves, increasing knowledge of each other, breaking down
the barriers between us clip by clip,” said Queen Rania.

Chad
Hurley, co-founder of the popular Internet video-sharing Web site, honored her
efforts with the award during a 90-minute live event on the site. “Queen
Rania sets the standard for breaking down stereotypes, and her YouTube videos
are nothing short of inspirational,” said Hurley. “It is both a pleasure and an
honor to present her with this much-deserved tribute.”

In accepting
the award, the queen spoofed late night talk show host David Letterman’s “Top
Ten” list, beginning with humorous reasons for her starting the channel,
including not having enough friends on Facebook, but ending with her actual
reason: “Because suspicion, intolerance, and mistrust are driving us apart. …
That’s why I wanted to kick-start a conversation in the world’s largest
community,” she said

Work is quiet this early in the morning.