Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan is this year’s James C. Morgan Humanitarian Award winner.
The announcement came during her visit at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., according to the Seattle Times.
The annual award by the Tech Museum is given to “innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity.” Previous winners include former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus.
The Tech Awards cited Queen Rania’s leadership and efforts in promoting human rights globally, as she has spearheaded an intensive campaign to increase access of children, especially girls, to schools and higher quality education.
“I am honored to be the recipient of the Global Humanitarian Award and to be recognized for work that I believe in so deeply,” Queen Rania said. “In a world gripped by economic crisis, conflict and contagious disease, education can be a path to growth, a boost to public health and a stepping stone toward peace. It’s the best investment we can make to help people lift themselves out of poverty.”
Queen Rania has a large following on Twitter, now numbering 1.3 million. She has also used YouTube to initiate conversation about Arab and Muslim stereotypes, the Seattle Times says.
“There are some really good examples of how technology has had an impact in the real world,” the Queen of Jordan said May 19, as quoted by the Times. “It’s breaking social boundaries and having a real impact on the ground.”
