Queen urges world’s youth to push back against injustices at One Young World Summit
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah called on the world’s youth to challenge double standards and push back against global injustices, urging them to refuse to let their voices be dismissed as too impassioned or idealistic.
“Anger at injustice is not weakness; it's proof you're paying attention. Caring deeply is not the opposite of thinking clearly,” Queen Rania said. “Standing up for each other isn’t sentimentality; it’s how we pay our dues.”
Her Majesty made her remarks Tuesday evening while speaking at the opening ceremony of the One Young World Summit, convening this year in Cape Town, South Africa.
Queen Rania began her remarks by noting that she has come from Jordan “with a heavy heart,” following a recent terror attack in the nation’s southern governorate of Al Karak, which left nine dead and dozens injured.
“Our country was recently shaken by a horrific, unprecedented attack on a church,” she said. “This violence is alien to Jordan, and an affront to everything we stand for. The families of those we lost bear the deepest pain, but their heartbreak is shared by an entire nation.”
Addressing an audience of more than 2,200 youth leaders from over 190 countries, Her Majesty noted that young people are confronting global challenges “with curiosity, scrutiny, and more intellectual rigor than earlier generations.”
“That is why, in discussions over pro-Palestinian student protests, when people say to me, ‘Most of them probably couldn’t find Gaza on a map,’ I push back,” she explained.
Describing dismissal as “an old tool,” the Queen noted that this tactic was similarly used during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa against figures such as the late Nelson Mandela.
“In 1997, Madiba said that South Africa’s freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians,” she recalled. “Yet with Palestine, dismissal has reached a whole new level.”
Reflecting on the past few years of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Queen Rania condemned the disregard for international law, the rulings of the world’s highest court, and the Geneva Conventions, which underpin the rules of armed conflict.
“The duty to protect civilians, to let food, water, and medicine through. The prohibition on forcible transfer, on collective punishment. All are treated as optional,” she said, noting that in Gaza, both the rules of war and the terms of the October 2025 ceasefire have been disregarded.
“It breaks my heart to remember that, a year ago, thousands of Palestinians took to Gaza’s shattered streets to celebrate what they believed was the end to their nightmare – only to discover, as more than 100 NGOs recently put it, that the ceasefire exists in name only,” Queen Rania said.
Her Majesty also highlighted the ongoing suffering of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, “where Israeli checkpoints, raids, and land grabs have made their lives a living hell, and settler violence is downplayed as the acts of just a few on the fringe.” She described the recent Israeli offensive on the city of Hebron, where residents were put under lockdown and thousands displaced.
The Queen underscored states’ legal obligation to take all measures within their power to prevent grave crimes. She also praised South Africa’s “moral clarity” in initiating proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging violations of the Genocide Convention.
“The law isn't a matter of opinion; it’s not moved by feelings. And it protects everyone equally, Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Those are the obligations every nation has signed up for,” she said. “Governments that see the evidence and look away are making a choice. It is a cop-out dressed up as neutrality.”
Queen Rania also rejected the notion that Palestinian freedom is unrealistic, or “something for later, something to be earned.”
“What is that, if not racism – to expect Palestinians to settle for less freedom and less dignity, then call them unreasonable for demanding more?” she asked. “None of us should accept that for them. We owe each other more than that.”
Her Majesty encouraged global youth to refuse to allow their voices to be silenced, to push back against dismissal, and to corroborate their arguments with evidence. “Look at the reports, not just reels,” she said. “Reality doesn’t change depending on who can best tell their story, or better exploit the algorithms.”
“And to those who would tell young people they can’t point to Gaza on a map, I would say, you don’t need to know the coordinates of a hospital to know it shouldn’t be bombed,” she explained. “You don’t need to master every chapter of a conflict to recognize raw, human suffering and injustice.”
One Young World is a global platform that identifies, connects, and promotes young leaders from around the world, hosting an annual summit that convenes in a different city each year. This year’s four-day event in Cape Town commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, a youth-led South African movement that served as a turning point in the struggle against apartheid.
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah called on the world’s youth to challenge double standards and push back against global injustices, urging them to refuse to let their voices be dismissed as too impassioned or idealistic.
“Anger at injustice is not weakness; it's proof you're paying attention. Caring deeply is not the opposite of thinking clearly,” Queen Rania said. “Standing up for each other isn’t sentimentality; it’s how we pay our dues.”
Her Majesty made her remarks Tuesday evening while speaking at the opening ceremony of the One Young World Summit, convening this year in Cape Town, South Africa.
Queen Rania began her remarks by noting that she has come from Jordan “with a heavy heart,” following a recent terror attack in the nation’s southern governorate of Al Karak, which left nine dead and dozens injured.
“Our country was recently shaken by a horrific, unprecedented attack on a church,” she said. “This violence is alien to Jordan, and an affront to everything we stand for. The families of those we lost bear the deepest pain, but their heartbreak is shared by an entire nation.”
Addressing an audience of more than 2,200 youth leaders from over 190 countries, Her Majesty noted that young people are confronting global challenges “with curiosity, scrutiny, and more intellectual rigor than earlier generations.”
“That is why, in discussions over pro-Palestinian student protests, when people say to me, ‘Most of them probably couldn’t find Gaza on a map,’ I push back,” she explained.
Describing dismissal as “an old tool,” the Queen noted that this tactic was similarly used during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa against figures such as the late Nelson Mandela.
“In 1997, Madiba said that South Africa’s freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians,” she recalled. “Yet with Palestine, dismissal has reached a whole new level.”
Reflecting on the past few years of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Queen Rania condemned the disregard for international law, the rulings of the world’s highest court, and the Geneva Conventions, which underpin the rules of armed conflict.
“The duty to protect civilians, to let food, water, and medicine through. The prohibition on forcible transfer, on collective punishment. All are treated as optional,” she said, noting that in Gaza, both the rules of war and the terms of the October 2025 ceasefire have been disregarded.
“It breaks my heart to remember that, a year ago, thousands of Palestinians took to Gaza’s shattered streets to celebrate what they believed was the end to their nightmare – only to discover, as more than 100 NGOs recently put it, that the ceasefire exists in name only,” Queen Rania said.
Her Majesty also highlighted the ongoing suffering of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, “where Israeli checkpoints, raids, and land grabs have made their lives a living hell, and settler violence is downplayed as the acts of just a few on the fringe.” She described the recent Israeli offensive on the city of Hebron, where residents were put under lockdown and thousands displaced.
The Queen underscored states’ legal obligation to take all measures within their power to prevent grave crimes. She also praised South Africa’s “moral clarity” in initiating proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging violations of the Genocide Convention.
“The law isn't a matter of opinion; it’s not moved by feelings. And it protects everyone equally, Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Those are the obligations every nation has signed up for,” she said. “Governments that see the evidence and look away are making a choice. It is a cop-out dressed up as neutrality.”
Queen Rania also rejected the notion that Palestinian freedom is unrealistic, or “something for later, something to be earned.”
“What is that, if not racism – to expect Palestinians to settle for less freedom and less dignity, then call them unreasonable for demanding more?” she asked. “None of us should accept that for them. We owe each other more than that.”
Her Majesty encouraged global youth to refuse to allow their voices to be silenced, to push back against dismissal, and to corroborate their arguments with evidence. “Look at the reports, not just reels,” she said. “Reality doesn’t change depending on who can best tell their story, or better exploit the algorithms.”
“And to those who would tell young people they can’t point to Gaza on a map, I would say, you don’t need to know the coordinates of a hospital to know it shouldn’t be bombed,” she explained. “You don’t need to master every chapter of a conflict to recognize raw, human suffering and injustice.”
One Young World is a global platform that identifies, connects, and promotes young leaders from around the world, hosting an annual summit that convenes in a different city each year. This year’s four-day event in Cape Town commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, a youth-led South African movement that served as a turning point in the struggle against apartheid.
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah called on the world’s youth to challenge double standards and push back against global injustices, urging them to refuse to let their voices be dismissed as too impassioned or idealistic.
“Anger at injustice is not weakness; it's proof you're paying attention. Caring deeply is not the opposite of thinking clearly,” Queen Rania said. “Standing up for each other isn’t sentimentality; it’s how we pay our dues.”
Her Majesty made her remarks Tuesday evening while speaking at the opening ceremony of the One Young World Summit, convening this year in Cape Town, South Africa.
Queen Rania began her remarks by noting that she has come from Jordan “with a heavy heart,” following a recent terror attack in the nation’s southern governorate of Al Karak, which left nine dead and dozens injured.
“Our country was recently shaken by a horrific, unprecedented attack on a church,” she said. “This violence is alien to Jordan, and an affront to everything we stand for. The families of those we lost bear the deepest pain, but their heartbreak is shared by an entire nation.”
Addressing an audience of more than 2,200 youth leaders from over 190 countries, Her Majesty noted that young people are confronting global challenges “with curiosity, scrutiny, and more intellectual rigor than earlier generations.”
“That is why, in discussions over pro-Palestinian student protests, when people say to me, ‘Most of them probably couldn’t find Gaza on a map,’ I push back,” she explained.
Describing dismissal as “an old tool,” the Queen noted that this tactic was similarly used during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa against figures such as the late Nelson Mandela.
“In 1997, Madiba said that South Africa’s freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians,” she recalled. “Yet with Palestine, dismissal has reached a whole new level.”
Reflecting on the past few years of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Queen Rania condemned the disregard for international law, the rulings of the world’s highest court, and the Geneva Conventions, which underpin the rules of armed conflict.
“The duty to protect civilians, to let food, water, and medicine through. The prohibition on forcible transfer, on collective punishment. All are treated as optional,” she said, noting that in Gaza, both the rules of war and the terms of the October 2025 ceasefire have been disregarded.
“It breaks my heart to remember that, a year ago, thousands of Palestinians took to Gaza’s shattered streets to celebrate what they believed was the end to their nightmare – only to discover, as more than 100 NGOs recently put it, that the ceasefire exists in name only,” Queen Rania said.
Her Majesty also highlighted the ongoing suffering of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, “where Israeli checkpoints, raids, and land grabs have made their lives a living hell, and settler violence is downplayed as the acts of just a few on the fringe.” She described the recent Israeli offensive on the city of Hebron, where residents were put under lockdown and thousands displaced.
The Queen underscored states’ legal obligation to take all measures within their power to prevent grave crimes. She also praised South Africa’s “moral clarity” in initiating proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging violations of the Genocide Convention.
“The law isn't a matter of opinion; it’s not moved by feelings. And it protects everyone equally, Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Those are the obligations every nation has signed up for,” she said. “Governments that see the evidence and look away are making a choice. It is a cop-out dressed up as neutrality.”
Queen Rania also rejected the notion that Palestinian freedom is unrealistic, or “something for later, something to be earned.”
“What is that, if not racism – to expect Palestinians to settle for less freedom and less dignity, then call them unreasonable for demanding more?” she asked. “None of us should accept that for them. We owe each other more than that.”
Her Majesty encouraged global youth to refuse to allow their voices to be silenced, to push back against dismissal, and to corroborate their arguments with evidence. “Look at the reports, not just reels,” she said. “Reality doesn’t change depending on who can best tell their story, or better exploit the algorithms.”
“And to those who would tell young people they can’t point to Gaza on a map, I would say, you don’t need to know the coordinates of a hospital to know it shouldn’t be bombed,” she explained. “You don’t need to master every chapter of a conflict to recognize raw, human suffering and injustice.”
One Young World is a global platform that identifies, connects, and promotes young leaders from around the world, hosting an annual summit that convenes in a different city each year. This year’s four-day event in Cape Town commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, a youth-led South African movement that served as a turning point in the struggle against apartheid.
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Queen urges world’s youth to push back against injustices at One Young World Summit
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