On Monday, April 14, the American University of Madaba (AUM) welcomed Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Mr. Omar Barzanji. During the visit he delivered a lecture titled, "The Importance of Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue" which was attended by a number of faculty members, administrators, and students.

At the outset of the meeting, AUM President Professor Mamoun Akroush delivered a welcoming speech during which he praised the deep and distinguished fraternal relations between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Iraq. He also stressed that this lecture complies with the values ​​advocated by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and serves as an AUM adopted policy relevant most to dialogue, openness, and acceptance of others, as well as to promoting the values ​​of love, tolerance, mutual understanding, and peaceful common living among different cultures and religions.

In his lecture, Ambassador Barzanji addressed the importance of entrenching a culture of dialogue and understanding among peoples. He also emphasized that dialogue constitutes the cornerstone of building a genuine and lasting peace, especially in light of the global challenges that call for the promotion of shared human values. He also underlined the role of academic institutions in building bridges of communication between religions and cultures through education and intellectual openness, as they serve as beacons of knowledge as well as the dissemination of a culture of peace.

At the end of the visit, the two sides exchanged shields symbolizing mutual respect as well as  the deep historical and cultural ties between the Jordanian and Iraqi peoples.