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 Henrik Garlöv/Kungl. Hovstaterna Six promising postgraduate students in Sweden were awarded scholarships to continue their studies directly from Queen Silvia on Tuesday at the Palace. It was part of the Queen’s Jubilee Fund, set up on her 50th birthday in 1993, to encourage further research on children and the disabled.
Each year there is a certain priority in the research area. This time the theme was “Physical and psychological well-being disorders in children and adolescents”.
The recipients of the scholarships were: Charlotte Lindfors, Emma Arvidsson, Snjólaug Sveinsdóttir, Marja Tengvall, Bjorn Nodlund and Martina Abelius.
Source: Kungehuset.se
 Toussaint Kluiters/Getty Images On Saturday, Princess Maxima of the Netherlands went to school…to open another branch of a weekend school for children, that is.
The Weekend Academy is a program that allows Dutch students to attend classes on Saturdays and Sundays to improve their academic performance, as well as take part in sports and leisure activities. Opening in 2006, about 500 children across the country participate in the program.
For today, Maxima was in Amsterdam to open the academy’s fifth branch at Marcanti College. She met with dozens of its students, who wore colorful graduation caps. The children threw their caps in the air after the Princess officially opened the branch.
Source: AT5.nl
The Queen of Jordan finished up a two day visit to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain on Monday. She was there to promote her Madrasati Palestine initiative, and also on behalf of the non-profit organization inJAz, which Queen Rania is patron of. 
During Monday, Rania was at a special students’ assignment organized by inJAz Bahrain as part of the “Banks in Action” program at the Citibank headquarters in Bahrain. She was joined by Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, who is the inJAz Bahrain Executive Director.
About the “Banks in Action”event, Queen Rania said this: The ‘Banks in Action’ competition shows INJAZ at its best. Teaching our children the value of money, the spirit of business, and the rewards of hard work improves not only their future prospects as job seekers but our future prosperity as a region. I want to thank INJAZ and the Kingdom of Bahrain for their inspiring example, and all the competitors for their impressive skills.”
Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa expressed her satisfaction with the event, stating “We are very delighted and grateful for Her Majesty Queen Rania’s attendance, a gesture which exemplifies her personal involvement and caring passion for the development of youth across the Arab world. We also thank Citibank for providing this unique, innovative learning experience and for the ongoing support of its employees who volunteer their time to mentor young Bahrainis students and provide them with valuable work-readiness and financial literacy education.”
Teams from three boys’ and three girls’ schools took part in the competition. The students take roles of being managers to learn how to work through a successful bank simulation program.
Queen Rania congratulated the winning team and wished the others all the best.
 INJAZ was started as a project by Save the Children with funds from USAID. In 2001, it spun off to become an independent not-for-profit organization. INJAZ is an International Member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the leading global youth organization.
Monday evening saw the Queen take part in a dinner to raise money for Madrasati, which is Arabic for “my school”. It is meant to improve schools and education in the Palestinian Territories.
Sitting with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman, Rania saw a few auctions take place in order to raise funds for the initiative, as well as a Bahrain charity, Alia School for Early Intervention.
Tomorrow, Queen Rania will go to Kuwait for a one day visit.
Sources: Bahrain News Agency, Ammon News, INJAZ
 Gulf Times The wife of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, spoke Wednesday at the United Nations’ Millenium Developmental Goal (MDG) Advocacy Group’s opening session. The Sheikha, who is a member of the Group, gave a speech on how important education is in order to meet the MDG.
“My passion is education for all, regardless of gender, location or circumstance,” Sheikha Mozah said.
“I had started to be publicly involved in educational issues when I realised that without major reform in Qatar we would never be able to achieve political and social changes and ensure economic sustainability for our country.
“Our reforms in Qatar opened my eyes to the global need to focus on the role that education plays in equitable development.
“Through my work at UNESCO and the UN Alliance of Civilisations, I have focused on education as the key element of development strategies, particularly in countries affected by war.”
Mozah mentioned that progress has been made for universal education, but “Maintaining progress is not enough,” she insisted. “For example, if current trends continue, the MDG of universal primary education will not be met until 2040.”
“That assessment concerns me greatly.”
The Sheikha described education as the “key to unlock the potential to achieve all MDGs.”
She said: “An educated person is an independent, healthy and active citizen. Education provides hope and understanding. It enhances tolerance. It ensures that there are no disillusioned youth out in the street looking for answers through radical ideologies.
 Gulf Times “Or else, Victor Hugo’s statement ‘he who opens a school door, closes a prison’ would be considered lost in translation.
“Unfortunately in conflict-affected areas, all doors are closed.”
“Today, my fellow Advocates and I will begin to detail measurable actions to achieve our goals. We should look into existing initiatives and build on them. For instance, many of you are aware of the work being done at the UN Alliance of Civilisations also co-chaired by [Spanish] Prime Minister Zapatero.
“I would like to ensure that the objectives of the Alliance which encompass peace, prosperity and cross-culture are also central to the MDGs.
“Without achieving equity, peace, security and understanding will remain an illusion.
“I therefore invite you to work with us on these two UN projects together towards the common good.
“Let me reiterate, knowing the challenge ahead, if we are not ready to act then let us not expect to achieve our mission.”
Although the Spanish school year already started, Spain’s future King and Queen officially inaugurated the academic year in the town of Logroño. They visited the public school Maundy Gallarza González and were greeted by its students, who were very excited to see Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.
 Terra Noticias The royal couple arrived at 11:30 local time on the dot to a crowd of hundreds trying to get a glimpse of them.
Inside, Felipe and Letizia met with the school board members and unveiled a plaque to mark their visit. They then went into separate classrooms to meet the students. La Rioja has pupils between the ages of three and twelve.
Each classroom had decoration of the royal family to celebrate the visit. There were photos of Felipe and Letizia’s two daughters, Infantas Leonor and Sofia, on the walls, as well as King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Felipe’s two older sisters, Infantas Elena and Cristina.
The Prince and Princess sat at the desks with the children, asked them their names and what they were hoping for this school year. Letizia even drew pictures with a young girl. After this classroom, the couple stopped by another one meant for autistic students, and then paid a visit to the upper grades where pupils use laptops for their schoolwork.
After touring the classroom, Felipe and Letizia went to one classroom, where the students were at physical education, and the Prince and the director of La Rioja gave speeches. The director, Carmen Camarero, stressed the importance of education for children and society. She even said to “be thankful that this school represents all schools in Spain with this act.”
Once it was Felipe’s turn to speak, he praised the school’s teachers and said, “in this time of the school year, we are very close, as parents, the hardships and hopes to live to be part of the school community.”
The Prince also highlighted the “need for our young people are open to other countries and cultures, master information technologies and communication and fluent in at least one foreign language.”
After the speeches, Felipe and Letizia shook hands with the school’s administration as a farewell, and headed back to Madrid.
Sources: ¡Hola!, Europa Press
In Casablanca Monday, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI stopped by the Oukacha reformatory, which is a school for juvenile delinquents. He did this for his foundation for Inmates Reinsertion. Back in May 2006, the King signed agreements to improve the lives of prison inmates once they have completed their sentences.
 Maghreb Arabe Presse During his visit, Mohammed saw the reformatory’s vocational training center and the workshops. He even to the took the time to award certificates to ten of the best laureates.
His Majesty also toured a school built by the Education Ministry as part of an agreement with the Mohammed VI Foundation for Inmates Reinsertion. He also gave a high school degree to an inmate.
King Mohammed asked several questions during the tour. He asked about the results of the socio-professional reinsertion system, and about the achievements of the post-prison support centers.
At the end of his visit, the King oversaw the signing of a partnership agreement between his Foundation, the General delegation of the penitentiary and reinsertion administration (DGAPR) and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM). The agreement aims to train inmates in certain professional fields so they could earn employment once they are out of a reformatory.
Source: Maghreb Arabe Presse
The Queen of Jordan paid a visit to one of the schools benefiting from her Madrasati campaign in the town of Russaifeh in Zarqa. The school, Tamador Bint Amer Secondary School for Girls, is being renovated thanks to the campaign, and Queen Rania came to see that. She also saw the extra-curricular activities the students are doing for Ramadan.
 Petra The Queen met with several students who told her about the volunteerism they are doing for the Islamic holy month. They told her about the joy they get helping others in need.
Queen Rania also was briefed on a student project “Seeds of Hope”, where every year students from the school collect seeds like lentils, rice, flour, as well as canned food, and give them to their fellow underprivileged students.
This year, some of the food will also be distributed to families in the area and an orphanage in the Ghor region in the Jordan valley for the sake of Ramadan.
Students are also recycling their uniforms by giving them to others who are less fortunate and cannot afford a uniform to this school.
Madrasati – which means “my school” – is a program set up by Queen Rania to refurbish and improve schools in Jordan as well as the Palestinian territories.
Tamador Bint Amer Secondary School for Girls was one of the first schools to be part of Madrasati.
Source: Petra News Agency
In the spirit of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania announced Tuesday that they will cover the education expenses for 200 of their country’s orphans.
 REUTERS/Ali Jarekji/FILE The beneficiaries are part of the Al Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans. Those who will get their expenses paid for are the ones who have completed high school.
The King and Queen will pay for not only tuition but for accommodation, transport, books, stationery and medical insurance.
On Wednesday, Rania met with a group of seven orphans who will benefit from Al Aman. They thanked the Queen for the fund, and talked to her about the difficulties they face being orphans growing up in foster homes or orphanages.
Al Aman – which is Arabic for “security” – is a non-profit organization started by Queen Rania back in 2006. It gets its funds from private and corporate donations.
Since it began, over a thousand Jordanian orphans have benefited from Al Aman, with 300 of them graduating from high education institutions and establishing careers.
Those who are accepted by the fund have to be evaluated before being accepted.
Source: Jordan Times
The Queen of Jordan was one of those present at Friday night’s ARK fundraiser in London. The fundraiser, which stands for Absolute Return for Kids, was started by Arpad Busson, the boyfriend of actress Uma Thurman, and at the end of the gala dinner, had raised $20.5 million dollars.
 Bauer Griffin Queen Rania was present mainly because ARK is setting up programs to encourage education in South Africa. The Queen often works tirelessly to improve schools in developing nations.
Speaking at the dinner, she said: “I’m pleased that, in the coming year, my education foundation will partner with ARK to invest in South Africa’s teachers, through leadership training programs, that will turn failing schools into first class institutions.”
Stanley Fink, the Chairman of ARK, said:“I want first to thank Her Majesty Queen Rania of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for her support for ARK tonight. Her uncompromising work to achieve better education for children is an inspiration. We are delighted that we are working with her foundation to develop a new programme to raise educational achievement in South Africa by raising the quality and leadership in schools.”
ARK also launched new programs to battle infant mortality and diarrhea in the southern part of Africa.
ARK functions by having its guests bidding on pricey items.
The other 800 celebrities at the fundraiser were models Sophie Dahl, Jacquetta Wheeler and Natalia Vodianova, the rock band The Killers, and even Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie Chantal of Greece.
Sources: Opalesque, Bloomberg, Times Online
A couple of days after beginning the Palestinian version of her Madrasati initiative, Queen Rania of Jordan launched Tuesday the Madrasati Palestine Women’s Network. It is meant to have women donate money, whether in a group or individually, which would help fund the school campaign.
 Petra News Agency The inauguration took place at Basman Palace during a luncheon. At one point, the Queen went up to the podium and thanked the women for their generosity, and emphasized the need for better schools in East Jerusalem.
“10 thousand children in Jerusalem didn’t go to school today, and they won’t be going this year,” she said.
“Imagine your son’s or daughter’s future diminished by the occupation, their education limited by the occupation, their house threatened by the occupation, and their land taken by the occupation.
“We think a lot about securing our children’s futures, but, in Jerusalem, there is no safety or security.”
Also during the luncheon, a film was shown about the troubled state of education in the Arab section of the city.
The event was attended by such prominent Arab women as Lebanese singer, Majida Roumi and Al Arabiya Presenter, Muntaha Ramahi.
The network will expand to various parts of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.
Source: Jordan News Agency
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