Queen Rania of Jordan

Learning to read and write changes lives; it means jobs, money, health, and dreams fulfilled.

As a child I sometimes used to travel to the West Bank to visit my family, so I know what the checkpoints felt like. I knew what it was like to live under occupation.

When you deprive people of their right to live in dignity, to hope for a better future, to have control over their lives, when you deprive them of that choice, then you expect them to fight for these rights.

We always say Jordan is not rich in natural resources - we don't have oil or gas like some of our neighbors do - but I think in terms of human resources, we are quite lucky and we are really trying to foster an environment of innovation and technology. I think Jordan will emerge as a center of innovation in the Middle East.

Holy scripture does not hold women back. It's the people that decide to interpret it in such a way for their own, sometimes political, agendas.

Of course democracy is good, but it is a process, not a prescription.

I really feel that political will is born out of popular will.

In education, technology can be a life-changer, a game changer, for kids who are both in school and out of school. Technology can bring textbooks to life. The Internet can connect students to their peers in other parts of the world. It can bridge the quality gaps.

I found that being online has opened a window for me to look into other people's lives... The greatest fear that I have is losing touch.

Being queen is overrated.

Often times, we think of girls as soft and vulnerable. And we don't really think of them as possibly being the solutions to some of the world's toughest problems, but they really are.

I'm amazed by the misconceptions about Muslim women and the Arab world that I hear, and that really does hurt me.