Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Second Global Summit on Peace through Tourism will be held at the International Conference Center Geneva (CICG) February 5-8, 2003.  The Summit, being organized by the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) in partnership with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), is in support of the U.N. Decade for Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. The First Global Summit in Amman, Jordan (November 2000) was under the Royal Patronage of HM King Abdullah II. 

Queen Rania's development of substantive projects that aim to improve the living conditions of underprivileged groups in Jordanian Society provides a model of leadership for the Summit's aim of "Building a Culture of Peace through Tourism".  In 1995, Queen Rania established the Jordan River Foundation (JRF), a non-profit, non-governmental institution encompassing several projects that aim at improving the quality of life and providing a better future for all Jordanians. 

The Foundation oversees several well-known projects in the Kingdom that include Jordan River Designs, Wadi Rayan and Bani Hamida. These projects empower women to become skilled contributors to the Jordanian economy, while generating additional sources of income to support their families. The projects have also encouraged the revival of an almost forgotten heritage of craft production and rug-weaving.  

In 1997 Queen Rania launched the Jordan River Children Program (JRC), which is the Foundation's arm that focuses on children's issues, and in creating healthy generations of young Jordanians through protective and preventative interventions. The Child Safety Program (CSP), which is part of the JRC, addresses both protective and preventative activities with the overall objectives of enhancing positive child-rearing practices to protect children, and to identify, confront and eliminate various forms of abuse through awareness, prevention and rehabilitation programs.   

Her Majesty Queen Rania visiting with children in Bosnia-Herzegovina, March 2000.  The children are students of a school renovated by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund.

Photo courtesy of the Royal Hashemite Court.

In addition to the above, Queen Rania sponsors numerous events that promote economic growth as well as the educational, artistic, and cultural diversity in the Kingdom. 

Their Majesties King Abdullah Bin Al-Hussein and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah were married on June 10, 1993. They have three children, Prince Hussein, eight, Princess Iman, six, and Princess Salma, two.  

International Leaders to be Keynote Speakers

The Geneva Summit will feature leaders of the Travel & Tourism Industry from different regions of the world, as well as leaders in other sectors. Confirmed Keynote Speakers are: UNICEF Spokesperson, Roger Moore; Hon. Jennifer Smith, Premier of Bermuda; Premier of Tasmania, Jim Bacon, MHA; Amb. Anwarul Chowdhury, U.N. Under Secretary General for Least Developed Countries: Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President, World Travel and Tourism Council; Richard North, CEO, Six Continents Hotels; Francesco Frangialli, Secretary General, World Tourism Organization. 

Also, Mr. Setyanto P. Santosa, Executive Chairman, Indonesia Culture and Tourism Board, Anastasia Mann, Chairman, Corniche Travel; Hon. Richard Gordon, Chairman, Pacific Asia Travel Association; Hon. Zakia Hamdani Meghji, President, Africa Travel Association; John Marks, Chairman, Travel Industry Association of America; Noel Hentschel, Chairman and CEO, American Tours International; and John Noel, Chairman and CEO,Travel Guard; and Demba Ba, Sector Manager, Private Sector Development, Africa Region World Bank 

H.E. Dr.Bassem Awadallah, Minister of Planning, Jordan and H.E. Roni Milo, Minister of Regional Cooperation, Israel, will be featured in a co-presentation of the historic Red Sea - Dead Sea Project announced at the recent World Summit in Johannesburg. 

Summit Aim and Themes

The aim of the Summit is to continue "Building a Culture of Peace through Tourism" and to harness the world's largest industry, Travel and Tourism, as a leading force for Poverty Reduction.   

Within this context - themes of the Summit are: Strategies for Tourism Related Micro-Enterprise and SME Development in Least Developed Countries; Development and Marketing of Destinations Emerging from Conflict; Youth Travel for Peace and International Understanding; The Role of Sport in Peace and Development; Educating for a Culture of Peace through Tourism; Linkages of Tourism, the Arts, Culture, and Heritage in Building a Culture of Peace; Tourism, Environment, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development; and Building Community through Community Tourism; Accessible Travel for All.

Summit Outcomes will include:

  ·         "21st Century Agenda for Peace through Tourism"

·         A beginning government - industry - donor - NGO collaborative strategy for the role of tourism in poverty reduction

·         Youth Travel initiatives in partnership with International Youth Hostels and International Federation of Youth Travel Organizations

·         Educational Initiatives - in collaboration with leading Travel & Tourism Educators

·         Sport Initiatives for Peace and Development in collaboration with the U.N. Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace

·         Pilot projects for poverty reduction in Least Developed Countries in partnership with UNIVERSITAS - a Program of the International Labor Organization

·         Data Base of Tourism Development Projects in Developing Countries in partnership with George Washington University - followed by an assessment of selected projects to arrive at Guidelines for future projects and examples of Best Practice

·         Continued unfolding of the IIPT Global Peace Parks Projects launched from Bethany Beyond the Jordan on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 2000 as the closing event of our First Global Summit in Amman.   

Summit Sponsors

Major sponsors of the Summit are Six Continents Hotels & Resorts PLC, Bermuda Department of Tourism, Indonesia Culture and Tourism Board, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Reed Travel Exhibitions, and Moevenpick Hotels & Resorts. Hotel Intercontinental Geneva is the official Summit Headquarter Hotel; Swiss International Air Lines is the Official Summit Airline with Lufthansa a Supporting Carrier. Media sponsor eTurboNews . 

REGISTRATION

To register directly  on-line: www.iipt2003.ch

Organizations interested in supporting the Summit in a sponsorship role; and International Organizations wishing to have their Executive Committee or Board of Directors Meetings in connection with the Summit are invited to contact Louis D'Amore, Email: Summit@iipt.org , tel: +802 253-8671; Fax: 802  253-2645 

About IIPT

The International Institute For Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism initiatives which contribute to international understanding and cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, and poverty reduction; and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world. 

About WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council is the global business leaders forum. Members are chief executives from all sectors of the industry. The mission of the Council is to raise awareness of the industry's importance and to work with governments to create and implement policies that can unlock the industry's potential to generate economic growth and create jobs. 

Media Coverage
Press are invited to cover the Global Summit in Geneva. Registration Fees will be waived for all approved press. Please visit www.iipt2003.ch for media application.

For more information on The Second Global Summit:

Summit Secretariat: Conventus of Switzerland
Tel. 41-22 906 85 70   Fax: 41-22  906 85 75
Email: gerhard.schneider@conventus-swiss.com