By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
BEAUTY, brains and boldness describe the 2008 YouTube Visionary awardee and staunch advocate of women rights, Jordan’s Queen Rania Al-Yassin.
Queen Rania was born to Faisal and Ilham Yassin in Kuwait on August 31, 1970. She finished business administration at the American University in Cairo in 1991. Two years later, she met now Jordanian King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, then Prince, at a dinner party and months after, they were engaged and married. They have four children.
Jordan’s Queen Rania has been noted for being tech savvy, especially in using video blogging (vlogging) for her advocacy on women’s rights and for answering questions about Islam and Arab culture stereotypes.
This led YouTube to award her for the “use of technology to instigate social change.” She accepted the award in a video taped speech and spoofed David Letterman by enumerating the top 10 reasons why she started her own YouTube channel in March.
Queen Rania also puts education a top priority and has started the Madrasati initiative to help renovate Jordan’s “most dilapidated public schools.” At the homepage of her official website, it can be read:
Educating our children is not just about imposing a body of knowledge on them. Rather, it involves preparing children from the early years for the world in which they will come of age. It means instilling a love for lifelong learning, creativity, self-expression and an appreciation for diversity.
Below is her acceptance speech for the YouTube Visionary Award spoofing David Letterman’s show:
February 18th, 2009 at 1:40 am
yap..she is really smart.
February 14th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
aside from her innate beauty,her majesty queen rania seems to be a steadfast woman,articulate and spontaneous.it high time for her to empower her constituents,the women of her country.obviously,i admire her and so with her husband, the king of jordan who i believe is highly intelligent,liberal and forceful character.they both are a perfect tandem in moving their country forward in their are.more power and good luck.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Queen Rania is a noble woman of the 20th century. I truly admire her because she uses her influence in a good cause. ^_^
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
that was so great. She’s good and with class!