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LONDON: Jordan’s Queen Rania has urged social media influencers to use their online presence to pursue the truth and promote humanitarian causes.
Speaking at the third Arab Social Media Influencers Summit in Dubai on Monday, she said people should use their online platforms to generate positive change.
The summit brought together 70 speakers from 25 countries to discuss the power of social media.
“(In our virtual world) the truth is losing ground to emotional rhetoric and sensational rumors. So do we blame these technologies and exonerate ourselves?
“We owe it to the truth to seek it out and distribute it. It might not be the most appealing or fascinating, but not all that glitters is gold. Let us aim to give truth the final word,” she said in her keynote speech in the presence of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.
Queen Rania argued social media should be harnessed as a tool to remove barriers between people, rather than create more divisions in society.
“I come to you … the influencers … the people whose voices are heard, to urge you to use your time to break barriers and open communication channels … to rally support for those who need it most to champion the truth and communicate through values,” she said.
Queen Rania warned influencers that collecting “likes” or “shares” of a post alone was “no substitute for action.”
Speaking at the summit’s award ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed urged young people to use social media to benefit their communities.
“The success of nations is built on optimism, hope and a positive vision for the future backed by planning and hard work. You have a responsibility toward your communities.
“We rely on you to be a role model for the community and to promote tolerance and openness in today’s fast-paced age,” he said.
Winners recognized at the event included Queen Rania, who was named personality of the year for using social media to support humanitarian causes. Algerian Foreign Affairs Minister Abdelkader Messahel was named political personality of the year for using social media in three different languages while conducting public diplomacy.
��������Ƶ’s Princess Reema, vice president for development and planning at the General Sports Authority, won the sports category award for her efforts in promoting sports via social media.
Saudi media personality Abdulrahman Al-Rashid was the winner in the media category for being one of the most active social media influencers in the media world.
The financial news portal Argaam won in the business category section.
Argaam’s CEO Islam Zween told Arab News: “It is our honor to be rewarded today as social media influencer in economy. We are really pleased to have such recognition after more than 10 years of day-to-day engagements with our readers and subscribers.”