Second Petra Conference of Nobel Laureates And Other Of The World's Foremost Minds Opens Today In Jordan To Address 'A World In Danger'

"With human development stalling in many parts of the world, with opportunity still lacking for many, and with instability still threatening to derail hopes of peace around the globe, The King Abdullah II Fund for Development [Jordan] and the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity [United States] invited the world’s Nobel Laureates, heads of state and other esteemed leaders representing different nationalities, religions and creeds to gather in Petra, Jordan once again to discuss and define their roles in responding to these emergencies.

His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan said, “We all share a responsibility to act -- to address the inequalities, asymmetries and threats to peace that abound. For more than 100 years, Nobel Laureates have represented excellence in the pursuit of humanity’s advancement, and Elie Wiesel and I have invited this distinguished group along with a number of leaders from different disciplines to convene once again in Petra and carry this promise of generations forward.”

Agenda items for the two-day Petra II conference include

Challenges to Global Security and Human Development;

Strategies and Activities of the Nobel Laureates Initiative;

The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process and Regional Issues; and

Darfur Commission of Nobel Laureates.

Elie Wiesel, founder of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and the 1986 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize said, “It is both humbling and awe-inspiring to work among fellow Nobel Laureates, leaders and His Majesty King Abdullah II to explore the most critical problems of our time. Last year in Petra, we launched the Nobel Laureates Initiative to deepen cooperation and foster regular communications between Laureates. This year, we will report advancements made by the initiative, as well as define a role for Nobel Laureates in response to humanitarian emergencies.”

Expected participants, moderators and media leaders of “Petra II: A World in Danger” will include Nobel Laureates from all six disciplines (Peace, Economics, Literature, Physics, Chemistry, and Physiology and Medicine). Joining the Nobel Laureates will be world-renowned leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as from civil society. A sampling of those in attendance include Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard C. Holbrooke, Founder of Medicines sans Frontiers Bernard Kouchner, Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Sathirathai Surakiart, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund Representative Stephen Heintz, and Library of Alexandria Representative Ismail Serageldin. Attending Nobel Laureates include in Chemistry: Peter Agre, Aaron Ciechanover, Johann Deisenhofer, Avram Hershko, Yuan T. Lee; in Medicine: Richard Axel, Baruch S. Blumberg, Christian de Duve, Eric R. Kandel; in Physics: Georges Charpak, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji; in Economics: Finn E. Kydland, Robert A. Mundell; in Literature: Wole Soyinka; and in Peace: Frederik W. de Klerk, Jose Ramos-Horta, The Dalai Lama."

Embassy of Jordan, Washington, D.C. "His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and Nobel Peace Laureate, Elie Wiesel, to Host the Second Petra Conference of Nobel Laureates in Jordan" April 25, 2006

http://www.jordanembassyus.org/new/pr/pr04252006.shtml
















The Ancient Nabataean Treasury Petra, Jordan.

Petra

The Nabataeans

Photo credit: Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia. With thanks.

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