London, June 3 (Petra) – Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah called for building the strength and resilience required to shoulder humanity’s shared challenges, warning that avoiding difficult tasks will erode our capacity to meet them.

"Today, we find ourselves in a moment that demands clear communication and determination – but just like anyone who has gone too long without breaking a sweat, we are discovering that our muscles have gone soft," Her Majesty said.

"The worst part is, atrophy is self-reinforcing," she added. "When we believe we cannot lift something, we do not try; and the less we try, the less we can lift." Speaking from the South by Southwest London (SXSW London) conference stage on Wednesday, Queen Rania reflected on the prevailing sense of heaviness felt across the Middle East over the past few years.

"It’s the weight of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and the entire population is still denied adequate healthcare, nutrition, or shelter," she said. "It’s the weight of the on-again-off-again war in Iran and the air raid sirens echoing across the Arab World. Of fragile ceasefires. Of hundreds of thousands displaced in Lebanon. Of weaponized famine in Sudan." Her Majesty also noted the weight of shared global hardships such as climate change, wealth inequality, AI’s upheaval of job markets, and the normalization of racism and bigotry.

"This heaviness is amplified, in no small part, by the technology in our pockets," she said, explaining that prolonged phone use can result in a physical condition known as "tech neck." "I can’t help but see the spiritual equivalent of tech neck; the built-up heaviness from constantly looking down," the Queen said. "And yet, we’re expected to put one foot in front of the other and keep going." Stressing that strength is built through practice, Her Majesty cautioned against overreliance on technology, which has been shown to weaken brain pathways and decrease tolerance for delayed gratification, and has contributed to a 28% decline in average words spoken each day.

Queen Rania also outlined the challenge posed by the rise of absolute thinking, whereby opposing groups have become increasingly convinced of the exclusive righteousness of their own beliefs.

"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously spoke of the need to bend the arc of our moral universe," Her Majesty said. "But what if that arc is unyielding not because of its weight, or our inability to hold it, but because people are pushing in opposite directions – and in the process, cancelling each other out?" In order to lift this collective weight, Her Majesty called for a greater focus on community, citing the example of volunteer-run community kitchens in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, "where the hungry feed the hungry, and the displaced care for the displaced." She also highlighted the need to cultivate discipline and humility, by intentionally incorporating friction into our lives, avoiding shortcuts, and embracing flexibility over cynicism.

"At the risk of sounding biased – though I am – I believe Jordanians consistently demonstrate the value of community, discipline, and humility," she asserted.

Noting that Jordan hosts one of the world’s highest shares of refugees per capita, Her Majesty stressed that the nation’s compassion for the displaced has not wavered despite regional challenges and limited natural resources.

"Jordanians, many themselves no strangers to scarcity, have also supported aid efforts to Gaza in droves," she said, commending medical staff volunteering at Jordanian field hospitals and local charities organizing donation drives, among others. She also highlighted Jordan’s commitment to humility and diplomacy under pressure.

Queen Rania concluded by emphasizing the importance of persevering in moments of frustration and exhaustion, and trusting that efforts will ultimately yield results.

"Some call it optimism; I call it faith – a particular type that in Islam, we refer to as tawakkul," she said. "Tawakkul is not a call for passivity or surrender. Rather, it means you do everything within your capacity, and trust in the outcome." "You lift in community, with humility, again and again and again – and then, you let go," Her Majesty said.

SXSW London 2026 is a platform for the convergence of technology and the creative industries, held from 1-6 June in the East London neighborhood of Shoreditch. Launched in 2025, SXSW London serves as the European edition of the globally renowned SXSW event established in Austin, Texas in 1987. In addition to a conference featuring over 800 speakers, its wide-ranging program includes musical performances, a screen festival, and an art exhibition.

//Petra// AF