Posted on 03/17/2002 7:53:00 AM PST by Thinkin' Gal
AMMAN (JT) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday received the Young Presidents' Organisation's first annual Global Leadership Award at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
“Recognising His Majesty King Abdullah for extraordinary leadership, uncommon vision and remarkable achievement, YPO Saturday honoured Jordan's young leader as the first recipient of the 52-year-old organisation's Global Leadership Award,” a statement from the organisation said.
Founded in 1950 in New York, YPO is the premier international network of young global business leaders, connecting more than 8,000 members in 170 local chapters and more than 75 nations to learn, exchange ideas and share strategies to address the challenges young leaders face today. More than 700 YPO members were in Los Angeles March 12-17, 2002, participating in YPO's Global Leadership Conference, which annually trains new officers to lead chapters and sets the organisation's direction for the new fiscal year.
In an address to the conference, King Abdullah lauded YPO's role in bridging cultural differences, sharing insights and affirming common values.
“I understand that following Sept. 11, YPOers opened a worldwide discussion to candidly and directly talk to each other, sharing insights and affirming common values. It is precisely this kind of global bridge-building that the Sept. 11 terrorists sought to destroy. Your response instead, was to pioneer a timely campaign to strengthen world ties and bridge cultural divides,” the King said.
“That is especially important, when you consider how deep an impact YPO has. Look around this room, and you see leaders of leaders, the pinnacle of the pyramid. But go into your countries, and you see a huge base of the YPO leaders' pyramid; thousands of forward-looking men and women whose work supports growth and progress, jobs and prosperity,” he added.
“The great honour that you, and your colleagues, are bestowing on me today, provides the opportunity to recognise all those who make it possible to shoulder the responsibility. I am grateful for a very wise and remarkable father, His late Majesty King Hussein, a wonderful wife and family, friends and colleagues all over the world, and most of all, a great, great people, the people of Jordan. Without them, I could not carry this task with so much hope of success,” he noted.
King Abdullah said Jordan, as a community, is investing in the education, technology and infrastructure needed to succeed in the global economy, and as a nation is taking the risk and responsibility to work against terror and pursue peace.
“So, behind these commitments is a strong belief in people, in their good sense, their noble values, in their fundamental abilities, and their human rights. This belief is what drives my work at home, and my efforts for peace and justice in our region, and in the world,” His Majesty said.
His Majesty also voiced pride in the YPO leaders in Jordan.
“I am especially proud of the YPO leaders we have in Jordan. In fact, I hope you won't mind if I say that ever since we brought YPO to Jordan, I've liked to consider myself a real YPOer.”
In presenting the award to His Majesty, J. David Martin of San Francisco, chairman of the YPO International Board of Directors, thanked King Abdullah for his personal support and work to help create the YPO's Jordanian Chapter which was inaugurated in 1993.
“Your Majesty's contributions — as an individual and a leader — are a benchmark of extraordinary leadership, uncommon vision and remarkable achievement for members of YPO worldwide, and especially in the Middle East where our values and objectives are resonating with increasing numbers of young business leaders joining our chapters in Cairo, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Emirates and Pakistan,” Martin said.
“For five decades, Young Presidents' Organisation has remained steadfast in its mission to build `Better Leaders Through Foundation and Idea Exchange' to help create a better world,” Martin said in his address.
“Today the need for better leaders in the world has never been more urgent. The YPO Global Leadership Award was established to honour an individual whose accomplishments exemplify extraordinary leadership and contributions toward progress on a global scale — one who perseveres to ensure a better tomorrow for humankind.
“Your Majesty may have been born to become a king, but becoming a great world leader is of your own making,” Martin added. “You have demonstrated a nobility of spirit, and wisdom beyond your years to walk in the path of honour, the courage to follow your convictions; and an abiding compassion for others.”
The more than 8,000 YPO members worldwide — all under age 50 — were invited to nominate a great global leader, also under age 50, whose achievements have made a difference for a better world. Martin said that in selecting King Abdullah to receive the YPO Global Leadership Award, YPO members honour the faith the young King has kept with the enormous legacy of his father, the late King Hussein, to strengthen the unity of Jordan and bring peace and stability to his nation and the Middle East.
“We salute your steadfast endeavours to modernise literacy and expand education opportunities, to secure a place for Jordan in economic globalisation and accrue the expanded economic benefits for your people,” Martin said. “We especially respect your firm belief that the real promise of the future is based on preserving and protecting the most invaluable asset — the `human capital of the individual.' Your unwavering personal resolve to build a nation where people can shape their future in an atmosphere of freedom is instructive to leaders everywhere in our wounded world today.”
FYI
Well, Abby is a qualified frogman... OUCH!
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