‘ Sandwich Swap’ Offers World Much Food for Thought, Says Secretary-General

at Launch of Book Co-Authored by Jordan’s Queen Rania

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the launch of The Sandwich Swap, co-authored by Her Majesty Queen Rania al-Abdullah of Jordan, in New York today, 27 April:

It is an honour for me to welcome Her Majesty Queen Rania al-Abdullah to the United Nations.  Your Majesty, welcome back to the United Nations.  Thank you for being here, and thank you for everything you do for the United Nations and for young people around the world.

As you all know, Queen Rania is UNICEF’s first Eminent Advocate for Children.  She is also the Honorary Global Chairperson of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI).  And she has long been a champion for people, children especially, who need our help.

But before she was a Queen, she was also a student and a child, just like you.  And now she has helped create this wonderful book, an important lesson from her own childhood.  It starts with two sandwiches:  one peanut butter and jelly, the other hummus and pita.  It ends with ‑‑ well, I won’t spoil the surprise.

All I will say is that it shows how easily people can misunderstand each other, and how easily they can hurt each other’s feelings, sometimes causing real conflict.  In other words, it shows what often happens in the real world.

Fortunately, it also shows how people can learn from one another, how something that at first looks so different, so alien, can become something that we love.  That is an important message at any time.  But it is especially timely this year, for two reasons.

First, 2010 is the Year of Rapprochement of Cultures.  Second, this is also the International Year of Youth.  To celebrate the occasion, there are few things better than this beautiful little book, so well-written and nicely illustrated.

I assure you:  I will read it to my own grandchild, with great pleasure.  And I hope all of you will, too.

Again, Your Majesty, thank you for being here.  And thank you for teaching the world how a sandwich can offer us all so much food for thought.

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For information media • not an official record