The Oklahoman

BY BRIAN BUSH

July 17, 2010

Many things make Jordan a fascinating place to visit. For those with an interest in history, it's hard to deny the beauty and historical context of Wadi Rum and the ancient city of Petra. For movie buffs, there are filming locations for "Lawrence of Arabia," "Indiana Jones" and "Transformers 2." And for the spiritually minded, there is Mount Nebo, the Dead Sea and a host of other religiously significant locales.

But this area of the world is not without its challenges. One of the most difficult issues facing the region is playing out in Jordan's neighbor to the west, Israel. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians affects children, families, neighbors and communities. Lives are being lost, and the tension is growing. Over the years, some of the most celebrated diplomats in history have tried to resolve the conflict, yet no resolution has been reached.

Understanding, patience, humility, wisdom and communication — in short, leadership — are the keys to solving this issue. Current world leaders must enlist their best efforts, and we must raise up young leaders with the knowledge and perspective necessary to achieve success.

Oklahoma Christian University is focused on developing that kind of leadership, providing opportunities for people to engage the culture around them, developing the skills necessary to lead and breaking away from the status quo.

One of our most exciting programs is Four Star Debate: Developing Leaders with Gen. Tommy Franks. This partnership between the Gen. Tommy Franks Leadership Institute & Museum, the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) and Academy of Leadership & Liberty at Oklahoma Christian University is designed to develop young leaders of character who are well-informed about community issues, able to communicate a vision for a better future and able to work with people from all walks of life to change the world.

This year's program gathered 24 of the finest high school students from across the United States and took them to Jordan for the opportunity to meet and debate with 24 Middle Eastern students at King's Academy in Madaba, Jordan. The topic of the debate was whether the U.S. should support a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and Palestine.

Students also got training from NCPA's professional policy analysts, debate coaches and university debate students. Leadership development and communications training was provided by Oklahoma Christian's nationally recognized faculty, staff and academy contributors. The students also interacted with Franks, who provided invaluable lessons on leadership and insight into the complexities of foreign policy.

For these 24 students, Jordan was historical, spiritual and then some. The students left the program inspired and equipped. The staff left knowing that our future is in great hands, and we all came away with the understanding that our interests are not that different from those of our friends in Jordan. We all want peace and a better life for our children, and we all must do our part to achieve those goals together.

Bush is executive director of Academy of Leadership & Liberty at Oklahoma Christian University.

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