HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II ’12 made history when he returned to his alma mater last weekend to host the Global Forum on Youth, Peace and Security, the first forum of its kind to promote peace-building efforts and leadership among today’s youth.

Building on his speech at the United Nations Security Council last April, during which he spoke about the role of youth in making sustainable international peace and security, Crown Prince Hussein led some 500 delegates, who travelled to King’s Academy from countries across the globe to attend the forum, in interactive panels and moderated conversations that covered a wide range of topics – countering violent extremism, conflict prevention, violence reduction and peace-building, to name a few.

“Peace is not just a quality, value or idea,” Crown Prince Hussein explained during the opening session on August 21. “It is a human trait – the very pillar that holds up the roof over our global family.”

Co-organized by the United Nations, the two-day event took place at various venues across campus and served as a unique platform for innovative ideas and experience exchange with the goal of creating a unified international agenda on youth, peace and security – culminating in a final Amman Youth Declaration.

Delegates were addressed by Jordanian Foreign Minister HE Nasser Judeh as well as United States Secretary of State John Kerry, who spoke via video message on the importance of “working together for shared peace” in order to “shape a better future for all.”

The event wrapped on Saturday with a fun cultural evening that included an authentic Arabic dinner, dabkeh dancing and a performance by famed Jordanian singer Omar Al-Abdallat.

“When youth believe in a mission, they will dedicate their lives to fulfill it,” said Crown Prince Hussein. “Youth are the strategic asset. They are the real wealth.”