Hybrid Regional Roundtable and Action Research Launch of Report on Raising Tomorrow’s Women leaders in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt, and the Role of Family and Society in their Advancement
The Arab world today is witnessing multiple and evolving transformations, in which women and young women strive for leadership opportunities in various areas of decision-making, amid various cultural, economic, and social barriers, which underscores the importance of the role of family and society in supporting and shaping their opportunities to become future leaders, as well as the need for positive change in the region as a whole. To initiate a regional dialogue on women’s leadership and the role of family and society in its advancement, and to launch the research report “Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders: The Role of Family and Societal Norms in Shaping Young Women Leadership in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt”, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) held a regional roundtable in this context, on Monday, September 2, 2024, within the framework of the She Leads program, and in cooperation with Plan International Netherlands, Defense for Children – ECPAT Netherlands (DCI-ECPAT), African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), and Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH). The report aims to provide insights and recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders on how families can contribute to supporting young women’s leadership, inform policymakers and stakeholders on the drivers and obstacles to women’s leadership in society, and understand how shifts in social dynamics and regional trends can affect the leadership roles of girls and young women in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Sarah Al-Halawani, Regional Director of the She Leads Project at Plan International – Jordan, explained that supporting women leaders takes different forms: financial, emotional, or psychological. Hence, parents have an important role in the success of their daughters and promoting their greater participation in the public sphere, as the family can be a decisive factor in creating an enabling environment in which women can effectively assume leadership positions within financial, social, and cultural norms and standards, and beyond them. For her part, Lina Halaseh, Project Manager at ARDD, stressed the importance of preparing evidence-based research to stimulate advocacy efforts to support young women leaders, noting that the family is a key factor in preparing the new generation for effective participation in decision-making positions. On the main findings of the report, Dr. Marta Tarantino, Research Officer within Women’s Studies at the Renaissance Strategic Center, explained that initiatives that recognize and enhance the crucial role played by the family in the development of women’s leadership must be improved and funded, with the implementation of mentoring programs that would help realize the importance of women’s leadership, and ensure the inclusion of parents, especially mothers who are considered role models of leadership in their communities, and other female role models, as well as stablishing intergenerational dialogue forums to bridge the gap between parents and children regarding the aspirations and challenges of both groups, in order to enhance digital inclusion for young women and their families, by promoting digital literacy programs and ensuring equal access to technology through innovative policies and financial support. Regarding areas of advocacy for the next phase, Menna Nabil, participant in the She Leads program from Egypt, warned of the need to focus on the role of family and society as a whole, and on the emergence of signs of positive change in the social dynamics that shape the public sphere, and to adopt a contemporary approach that can effectively contributes to the inclusion of girls and women in the decision-making process. Reviewing the key recommendations, Dr. Sana Jelassi, Advisor for Women and Youth Programs at ARDD’S Renaissance Strategic Center, said that “Social, political, and economic factors will continue to pose challenges to girls and their families, which policymakers and public institutions must address, as well as making local voices heard on the regional and international arenas, as they are a key element in the advancement of their countries in the coming decades.” Going forward, TdH’s MENA Access to Justice Program Coordinator, Farah Ishaqat, recommended developing and funding initiatives that strengthen the family support system and recognize its critical role in women’s leadership development, as well as providing the necessary infrastructure and safe transportation options to ensure women’s safety, allowing them greater freedom to participate in the public sphere, and also promoting the pivotal role families play in supporting women leaders, through targeted information, education, and communication campaigns, while highlighting the positive stories of families and women, and focusing on their contribution to the development of society. She Leads aims to transform social norms in formal and informal institutions in East Africa (Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya), West Africa (Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Liberia) and the Middle East (Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt).
ARDD and the Economic Empowerment Working Group honor JARA Association on its 20th Anniversary
For twenty years, Souq JARA has been the most important destination for marketing handmade and crafts products for entrepreneurs. It is the most important bazaar in the Kingdom due to its wide popularity among local visitors and tourists looking for a unique experience of viewing and shopping, in addition to another space to encourage arts, literature and music by organizing art exhibitions and concerts. To shed light on the experience of the popular markets in Jabal Amman, learn more about the stories, opportunities, and challenges of the market participants, and celebrate the 20th anniversary of JARA Association’s founding, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and the Jabal Amman Committee hosted representatives of the United Nations Economic Empowerment Working Group on Friday, August 30, 2024, as part of an event entitled: “A Brunch at Souq Jara: Delving into the phenomenon of popular markets in Jordan”. ARDD’s Executive Director, Samar Muhareb, valued the cooperation between all parties, including the Greater Amman Municipality, representatives of Souq Jara, civil society, and the private sector, to embrace owners of initiatives and small projects in the popular markets, stressing the importance of such markets in providing and increasing economic opportunities for the people and residents of Jabal Amman, in addition to Souq Jara and the economic, social, cultural, and entertainment services it provides to the region as a whole. For his part, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MENA Hotels Company and Chairman of Jabal Amman Committee, Michel Nazzal, stressed the importance of integration and cooperation to support the old neighborhoods and unify efforts to serve this important and attractive area. He indicated that the Jabal Amman Committee includes multiple entities with diverse expertise, which contributes to developing the capabilities of initiatives and project owners and working with them in a strategic and effective manner. Stuart Kefford from the United Nations Development Programme, and member of the Economic Empowerment Working Group, spoke about the need to continue sponsoring Souq JARA as it provides a unique opportunity to network and exchange experiences between customers and market participants, in addition to display and market their distinctive products. The researcher at Renaissance Strategic Center in ARDD, Joel Alfonso, explained that this market has become a key attraction to reviving the spirit of this ancient neighborhood as a center for cultural diversity, where visitors can view contents that document the stages of the place’s development in words and pictures, which adds an aspect of listening to its contents and corners. In the same context, extensive discussions and interventions took place with local market participants from Jordanian women and refugees, during which they stressed the need to preserve the heritage and history of the area and improve services and infrastructure in it, as well as preserve the legacy inherited from fathers and grandfathers; the goal is to revive the neighborhood as it was before the migration of the original residents of the neighborhood at some point in time. One of the Market participants who comes from the Jordan Valley to sell her products at Souq Jara said that she started participating in the market many years ago, and uses trees and olive wood to make her traditional handmade products, which she recycles to become artistic products. Another market participant (of Syrian nationality) indicated that she is a semi-permanent participant in the Jara Market, “We wait for it from year to year.” She continued: “The opportunity to participate in the market gives us an attractive and real opportunity to deliver our products to visitors.” A visual artist (of Iraqi nationality) saw that the market contains a type of exhibition that is different from closed art halls, as it represents an open space for displaying artworks, and allows everyone to see this art that expresses human values in their most beautiful forms. According to the participants, the market is diverse and comprehensive, as several artists display their creations there, including paintings, sculptures, antiques, and copper. Many of its exhibits are handicrafts and accessories. It also has a stage for holding singing and popular concerts, in addition to a beautiful children’s area and an oriental café. It also attracts more than ten thousand visitors every Friday. At the end of this event, ARDD and the Economic Empowerment Working Group honored representatives of the JARA Association on its twentieth anniversary.
The Jordanian Register of Associations: A renewed determination towards digitization and development
Under the patronage of the Minister of Social Development, Wafa Bani Mustafa, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and the Jordan National NGOs Forum (JONAF) held, on Thursday, August 22, 2024, a conference titled: “The Jordanian Register of Associations: a renewed determination towards digitization and development”, to highlight the efforts and achievements of the Ministry of Development in developing and automating the transactions of the Register of Associations; and to emphasize the importance of “institutionalizing communication” to ensure continued dialogue, support the principles of transparency and accountability, and strengthen partnership between the government, civil society institutions, and the private sector. The conference, which included local and international organizations, as well as several representatives of ministries and civil society, sought to institutionalize communication between associations and stakeholders and clarify the necessary procedures, based on the recommendations of the JONAF in its latest report on the experience of dealing with the Takamul platform and the official updates associated with it. Bani Mustafa stressed the importance of the participatory role between the ministry and the Register of Associations on the one hand, and civil society and associations with their various competencies on the other, those who seek to provide the best services to local communities, and work to facilitate procedures and issue reports on the status of associations, as well as the plans and programs necessary to promote them, and to help them achieve their goals and objectives. Elaborating on Takamul platform which was launched earlier this year, Bani Mustafa said that: “the Register of Associations has built a digital platform that contains all the data of associations, and the platform has been linked to all partners to ensure the transparency and credibility of the data that has been fed to the platform so that the platform serves as a “data bank” for all associations, and is available for everyone to view, in a way that ensures achieving a high level of transparency in data disclosure. Samar Muhareb, ARDD’s Chief Executive Director, praised the cooperation with the Ministry of Development and the Register of Associations and the support of such dialogues and discussions, which seek to provide better experiences and support institutions to work on a larger scope and with more flexibility, stressing the need to institutionalize the work of civil society organizations, which in turn would reflect positively on society. Dr. Sawsan Al-Majali, Consultant at Durrat Al Manal Foundation for Development and Training, and a member of JONAF’s Steering Committee, pointed out that the idea that civil society institutions limited capacities to provide the best service and engage directly with the needs of society is a major challenge for these institutions, and that work must be done to change this image, stressing that JONAF, since it was established in 2016, has played an active role in working with institutions and official bodies to contribute to the application of localization of humanitarian work, activating the WPS agenda, and finding solutions to internal challenges, such as coordination between institutions, institutional efficiency, building specialization, project sustainability, and others. Taha Al-Maghariz, Secretary General of the Register of Association at the Ministry of Social Development, spoke about the goals and objectives of establishing the Takamul Digital platform, which aims to coordinate all efforts in the Kingdom regarding the work and activities of civil society institutions, official institutions, and the private sector. Al-Maghariz reviewed all the screens available on the platform and explained the purpose of its development, in addition to the indicators that began to appear through the use of the platform by civil society organizations, which includes the size of women’s participation in the decision-making process, and reviewed the map of the distribution of civil society organizations linked to “Google Map” to serve all segments of society, and to determine the boundaries and locations of these institutions quickly and accurately. During a review of ARDD’s report on the modern legal requirements to regulate the work of local and foreign associations in Jordan, the organization’s legal advisor, Adv.Rami Qwaider, explained that resources need to be allocated to ensure the integrity of the legal status and avoid any violations or fines that would negatively affect the work of civil society organizations, stressing the need to enhance communication and inform organizations of these updates. Regarding the challenges facing associations in dealing with legal procedures and local management systems of the association’s file, the Executive Director of Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights, Linda Kalash, pointed out that one of the most important challenges is the lack of knowledge in the associations of the need to amend the national number and register on the Takamul platform, as well as the lack of standardization of reference for the reviews and special reports made by the associations, explaining that “there is no need to request subsidiary approvals to obtain prior approvals from the competent authorities, as this hinders and delays the implementation and completion of projects.” Regarding the opportunities provided by civil society, the Director of Durrat Al Manal Company for Development and Training, and member of JONAF’s administrative board, Manal Al-Wazani, thought that we are going through difficult circumstances, and we need more cooperation and exchange of roles, noting that civil society institutions know the needs of society because they deal closely with individuals, in addition to their impact on laws and legislations, whether in times of crisis or even in normal circumstances, in addition to their important role in training, capacity development, job creation for young people, and work on entrepreneurial and professional programs. In conclusion, the participants in the conference stressed the need to develop regulations for the work of associations electronically, in addition to focusing on building specialization in the work of associations, and the importance of localization of humanitarian work by giving civil society institutions a role in policy-making, with the need to strengthen communication between associations and the Register of Associations in the ministry, as well as providing technical and financial support to local associations to ensure the application of emerging
Women, Peace, and Security Agenda: Local Perspectives to Understand Intersections with Youth and Climate Change
Over the past years, climate change has aggravated and created new challenges in the Arab world and the world, such as resource scarcity and socio-economic instability, which has clearly affected women and youth, and peace and security in general. To exchange knowledge and expertise related to the women, peace, and security agenda and climate change, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), within the framework of the New Generation project, held on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, on the occasion of International Youth Day, a roundtable entitled: “Promoting the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda through Local Perspectives: Intersections with Youth and Climate Change”, in the presence of representatives from civil society organizations, embassies, international institutes, and local associations. In turn, the participants stressed the need to understand the intersections of peace and security with youth roles and the impact of climate change on women and communities, noting the important role of civil society in building a broader concept of peace and security, which not only includes women and youth, but also recognizes and addresses the multifaceted threats posed by new crises to formulate a more inclusive and sustainable approach to peace and security. According to them, integrating climate change into the women, peace, and security agenda ensures that interventions are inclusive and address the root causes of instability, as climate change resilience must be a key element of peacebuilding efforts, recognizing that climate-induced pressures can lead to conflict. On the role of civil society organizations in exchanging views and dialogue on these intersections and placing them within the women, peace, and security agenda, participants stressed the importance of cooperation between various actors, setting priorities, strengthening the capacities of these organizations and supporting them to meaningfully participate in the formation of national and local action plans and the implementation of the women, peace, and security agenda. The participants called on governments and donors to commit to implementing the women, peace, and security agenda, and to respond more to climate change in times of crises and disasters resulting from it, while paying attention to the role of youth and women in the decision-making process, noting that the problem of climate change needs many active specialists in this field. The participants also revealed that climate change and instability are two of the most fundamental causes of asylum and displacement in many Arab countries, which exacerbate risks to host communities, stressing the importance of providing information regarding climate change in the Arab world, as there is still a need for a lot of research and information on the intersectionality between the issues of women, security, peace, climate change, and youth, especially since what we have does not provide a comprehensive view of the agendas. The participants stressed the need to provide dialogue between all security and military bodies and civil society, the sustainability of funding, and the continuation of generational dialogue on the risks of climate change, leading to a focus on agriculture, medical services, and technology, as well as paying attention to the rich local experiences and examples led by women to face climate challenges, and reflecting them to encourage the civil and political participation of youth in this aspect. In conclusion, Jordan is currently working on a new strategy for youth participation in this agenda, with remarkable progress in the security, peace, and women’s agenda, but we must now seek to unify these strategies and premises so that they feed into one comprehensive agenda that focuses on the contributions of all; women, youth, and experts.
The Minister of Investment sponsors the “Ethics in Business” Award 2024
Under the patronage of the Minister of Investment, Kholoud Al-Saqqaf, the Jordanian Businessmen Association and the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) organized The Ethics in Business Award Ceremony 2024 in its second edition, Monday, May 20, 2024, during which a group of Jordanian businessmen and women were awarded for their contribution to promoting sustainable economic development and their active role in motivating young men and women to invest in entrepreneurial projects. It is noteworthy that the 2024 Ethics in Business Award in its second edition’s theme for this year was: “Strengthening the Local Market: Toward a more Competitive, Shock-Resilient, and Sustainable Jordanian Economy”
The Ethics in Business Award in Jordan 2024
Background Document
The Ethics in Business Award The Ethics in Business Award is a civil society-led initiative in partnership between the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and the Jordanian Businessmen Association. It aims to recognize the efforts of small, medium, and large companies in Jordan to achieve excellence concerning principles of sustainable entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility. According to S. Schaltegger, sustainable entrepreneurship is “the realization of sustainability innovations aimed at the mass market and providing benefit to the larger part of society.” [1] In the context of strengthening the local market and promoting a more competitive, resilient, and sustainable Jordanian economy, innovation involves refining products or services to adapt them to market needs, reducing costs and perceived risks, and improving features to attract new investments. It also includes the introduction of features tailored to target markets that contribute to the national economic growth. Each year a theme is selected based on the Jordanian national priorities, the theme for the 2024, award is “Strengthening the local market: Towards a more competitive, Shock-resilient and Sustainable Jordanian Economy”. For more information about last year´s award follow the link The award process shall consist of three phases: 1- Information gathering and analysis: participating companies will voluntarily fill out a questionnaire as per the following link and the information will be analyzed by the ARDD team. 2- Decision by the Award Committee: ARDD will provide an analytical report to the members of the award committee who will gather and decide which companies will be awarded. The award criteria shall be aligned with the principles of corporate social responsibility and sustainable entrepreneurship and shall investigate three dimensions: Governance and Management: fundamental questions in this dimension are: Do companies have mechanisms at the governance level to support the adoption and implementation of corporate values aligned with recognized principles of sustainable entrepreneurship/corporate social responsibility? How relevant are these principles in their decision-making? Policies in place: looking at how companies meet fundamental responsibilities in the areas of labor, environment, and anti-corruption while promoting a sustainable marketplace and community. The alignment of company core values to principles of sustainable entrepreneurship. 3- The Award Ceremony: it will take place yearly, and winners will be announced by the Jordan Business Association (JBA). In agreement with the JBA, each year a specific theme for the Ethics in Business Award will be selected. The Questionnaire Each year the committee will decide on a theme according to national priorities B) Objectives of the questionnaire Instrument for selecting the yearly Ethics in Business Award. Awareness-raising instrument concerning the participating companies’ ethical and socially responsible practices. Surveying the interest of companies to formulate a Jordanian Code of Business Ethics and/or participate in international guidelines Recording and tracking the progress of companies in the field of sustainable entrepreneurship to elaborate an index. C) Questionnaire components and criteria are based on the following frameworks EU Commission awareness-raising questionnaire Unlike the next tools, this questionnaire does not aim to assess the level of corporate sustainability of participating companies. Still, it identifies policy gaps to be addressed for improving their business models in terms of profitability, sensibility, reputation, and performance. This questionnaire consists of 26 questions divided into 5 sections: 1) Workplace policies, 2) Environmental policies, 3) Market place policies, 4) Community policies, and 5) Company Values. United Nations Global Compact Implementation Survey The UN Global Compact is a UN-led voluntary initiative to promote worldwide corporate sustainability by supporting companies to do business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with key principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. Furthermore, it takes and coordinates strategic actions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Consequently, the UN Global Compact Implementation Survey intends to assess the level of accomplishment of the abovementioned goals by the participatory companies. Its survey has 79 anonymous questions divided into 8 sections: Section I: Management and Governance (11). Section II: Implementing the 10 principles along 4 thematic areas: 1) Human Rights (17), 2) Labor (5), 3) Environment (13) and 4) Anti-Corruption (5). Section III: Contribution to SDGs and Impact (12). Section IV: Local networks (1). Section V: Sustainability Reporting (1). Section VI: Assessment and Progress (6). Section VII: Basic company information (8). UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for Signatories of the Private Sector Commitment for the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism In 2011, the UNWTO designed a Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism for upholding, promoting, and implementing the values of responsible and sustainable tourism development. So, similarly to the previous one, this survey aims to help UNWTO record progress on implementing the Code of Ethics signed by private companies working in the tourist sector. Moreover, it intends to promote ethical and socially responsible practices among the signatories. The questionnaire is structured as follows: Basic company information. Code of Ethics: Adhesion, implementation, and dissemination. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies: Corporate governance and business ethics, employment quality, social equity and human rights, community well-being, and environmental sustainability. Supporting material about CSR policies by each signatory company. Please follow the link below to fill up the questionnaire: https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/AqsywBGt [1] Schaltegger, S. (2013). Sustainable Entrepreneurship. In: Idowu, S.O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L., Gupta, A.D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_742
JBA and ARDD honor businessmen and businesswomen in the Kingdom, and Sign a Memorandum of Goodwill: “Towards a Common Goal”
The Jordanian Businessmen Association and the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), in partnership with the Business and Professional Women Club, held a ceremony to honor a group of business leaders in the Kingdom, as part of an initiative entitled: “Towards a Common Goal: Equitable Economic Growth in Jordan”, on Monday, February 6, 2023. The ceremony, which began with a moment of silence for the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey, was attended by a group of business owners and representatives of the public and private sectors and local and international civil society, honoring the leaders and investors in the Jordanian economy for their role in establishing a successful, productive, and attractive business environment for work and investment in Jordan at the local and international levels, and for their contributions to building the pillars of ethical leadership in the business sector in Jordan, which contributed to its modern economy. In turn, CEO of ARDD, Samar Muhareb, expressed her appreciation for the efforts supporting this initiative, which sheds light on the foundations of ethical leadership in the business sector and its role in building a reputation that spurs local and foreign investments in the sector, as well as promoting the values of work and giving which abide by the principles of governance, integrity, and human rights. Muhareb valued the pioneering partnership with the Jordanian Businessmen Association, highlighting their leadership role through institutional work in developing and embracing this initiative to become an annual tradition that exhibits the efforts of the early Jordanian entrepreneurs, who believed in an attractive work environment for all segments of society and paved the way for it, and who, despite the challenges facing the private sector, continue to stand by their country to maintain its security and stability in this troubled region. For his part, Eng. Abdul Raheem Al-Buqai, Secretary General of the Businessmen Association, stressed the importance of the continued efforts to achieve a balance between the various groups of society, avoiding the benefit of one party at the expense of the other, and finding a balanced equation that satisfies all parties, which requires continuous cooperation between the various civil society institutions and the business community. He also praised the efforts of the Jordanian business community and its great commitment to the enforcement of international laws in various fields of human rights. Meanwhile, the panel discussion, moderated by the Coordinator of the Forum for Human and Economic Development (Hadaf), Dr. Raad Al-Tal, discussed the economic dimensions and problems and their repercussions on social and humanitarian conditions, as well as the importance of focusing on investment and exports to expand the opportunities for economic growth. Regarding the challenges facing the economic sector, Dr. Yousef Mansour, economist and former Minister of State for Economic Affairs, stressed that the biggest challenge facing small companies lies in the lack of access to funding, which hinders their development until they reach bankruptcy. He also underlined the importance of forming partnerships and building trust with them, emphasizing the need for the government to assume its responsibilities towards the economy. As for the role of the private sector in economic development, Michel Nazzal, Chairman of MENA Hotels and member of the Jordanian Businessmen Association, criticized the lack of implementation and follow-up of economic strategies, as we still encounter ill-advised decisions that result in poor investments and drive investors away, highlighting the importance of establishing an ethical business environment with fair competition. In respect to the reasons behind the weak participation of women in the economy, Taghreed Al-Nafisi, CEO of Tadawul Brokerage and Financial Investments, saw that the failure of women to make it in the labor market is mainly due to the prevailing societal culture and the lack of understanding of their priorities in society, pointing out that civil society institutions, the Jordanian National Commission for Women, and the labor community in general played a significant role in changing many legislations and laws that serve women and help them organize their lives. The meeting included signing a memorandum of goodwill, under the title: “Towards a Common Goal” for ethical leadership, improving the work and investment environment, promoting best practices to achieve economic and human development in the Kingdom, as well as building a new partnership between all state institutions, the business sector, and civil society ,in order to promote social dialogue and action that would contribute to achieving sustainable social and economic development in Jordan. This Memorandum was drafted to represent a set of basic principles, as well as an agenda that ensures joint action to achieve concrete goals on the ground, and that contributes to the creation of a political and social environment conducive to sustainable development and decent work, by providing recommendations for policies and regulatory frameworks in the field of human rights and business, especially with regard to economic development and labor market support. The ceremony honored each of the leading institutions participating in the initiative: “Jordan Phosphate Mines Company, Ernst & Young Jordan, Maltrans Shipping Agencies Co., Petra University, Marwan Al-Kurdi & Partners Co., Al-Salam International Company for Transport and Trade PLC, National Arab Motors, Tadawul Brokerage and Financial Investments Forum, Haider Murad & Sons Investment Group, Kawar Group, Al-Nayi for Informational and Communicational Consulting, Naouri Group, Marcelia for Information Technology – SkyTech, Adaa Sustainable Development Consultants, Studio R, Alfa Center for Studies, Durrat Al-Manal, Bilad Al-Atfal Nursery and Kindergarten, Dermaliscio Cosmetics, and Bloom Dead Sea Gift Enterprise”. For the Goodwill Memorandum
Al Nahda Cultural Forum holds a workshop in the frame of “New Generation” on “Youth, Content Creators, and Public Life: Motivations, Challenges, and Alternatives”
Current data confirms that the Arab world in general, and Jordan in particular, need to embrace young people and the new generation, and involve them in decision-making through various tools that would contribute to their direct integration into public life, in addition to working with them as much as needed to optimize their potential. This result is based on the political, social, and economic realities expressed by young people through social media platforms, the press, and various media outlets. The open spaces of social networks have become the tool of choice for this generation to take part in their reality, express it, and interact with it – a reality that is no different all over the Arab world, albeit hidden behind different facades. Within these contexts, and in order to understand the attitudes of young people in changing and expanding the space for meaningful expression through social networking, Al Nahda Arab Cultural Forum at the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) held a workshop entitled: “Youth, Content Creators, and Public Life: Motivations, Challenges, and Alternatives”, which took place on Monday, January 30, 2023, and included journalists, media professionals, writers, activists, digital content creators, and experts in the fields of media and social networking. Basil Al Tarawneh, head of Al Nahda Forum, stressed the need to provide the youth sector and users of social media platforms with the right foundations, as well as moral and human values, pointing out that the new generation has come to play a pivotal and significant role in the digital content industry and in expressing our issues in the Arab world. The first session was moderated by Dr. Marwan Shehadeh, a researcher specialized in communication and media sciences. During the session, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ghad newspaper Makram Al-Tarawneh, and journalist and human rights activist Nadine Al-Nimri spoke about the motives, challenges, and alternatives facing young people, the content creation industry, and traditional journalism. Shehadeh cited the spread of citizen journalism as the most important characteristic of our time, as it managed to bring into the limelight many a social figure who are actually active and influential on the ground. In regard to mixing concepts between communication tools and the content of events, Al-Nimri said that professional content remains constant as it is evidence-based, while the tools change with time, stressing our need to build the capabilities of social media pioneers in order to bring about change. She also deemed it important that people adopt public issues and promote meaningful citizenship, which requires believing in the importance of their participation, as well as access to information and the required relative content, which is matched by the existence of meaningful and influential content. In his review of the current status of traditional media, Al-Tarawneh highlighted several obstacles that are hindering the development of media and print newspapers as tools of change, especially the lack of transparency in official statements about events, and the difficulty of accessing information, which poses a challenge to analysis and impact, in addition to the lack of sufficient funding for operational costs to keep up with the current changes and developments. Al-Tarawneh saw that, if not based on accurate information, the outlets used by the new generation would contribute to propagating ignorance rather than knowledge. The second session was moderated by human rights journalist Rawan Al-Jayyousi, featuring speeches by the founder of the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists, Nidal Mansour, writer and activist Abdul Majeed Al-Majali, and activist Sanad Nawwar. The session explored the issue of “Electronic Content: Ambition and Limitations,” as well as what is accepted and required in the cyberspace. In turn, Al-Jayoussi posed the following questions: “Why do we write? Why do we engage? And where is the space available in the world of algorithms, which is now imposing its own limitations? Has getting the biggest number of “likes” become the main concern for activists at the expense of quality and meaningful content? In response to Al-Jayyousi’s questions, Mansour said that social media has given people tools to express themselves and their concerns, regardless of the manner and style of that expression, noting that technological transitions have made the impossible possible, and that social networking platforms helped us reach the freedom and ability to express ourselves that we’ve always aspired to achieve, hence, they must be protected and made available to all different points of view. As for the activists’ influence on decisions, Al-Majali said: “We do not influence the decisions we want, but the decisions that people want,” stressing that there is a “big gap” between the voice of the street and the decision-makers, which is largely due to the latter’s failure to listen earnestly to young people’s problems, ambitions, and ideas. In the same vein, activist Nawwar saw that young people have the “enthusiasm” for change, but they lack a lot of the tools and spaces necessary for that, stressing that we have a problem when it comes to concepts and the attempts to interpret them loosely, such as hate speech, considering it a no lesser restriction than the other laws limiting the freedom of expression. Today, and with the existence of different types of content creation, be that scientific, entertainment or even critical content, and between the struggle, advocacy, disregard, and ridicule, who can be the judge of it? Young people find it imperative to focus more on joint and collective action that would protect the new generation and help them advance towards their future, as well as encouraging analytical interaction and brainstorming through cultural dialogue, and attracting content creators to political and civic participation by joining parties and engaging in public life. According to their vision, the alternatives are limited by the absence of party work, so it is important that civil society institutions be attractive for content creators and supportive of them. It is also necessary to find a platform that has the ability to influence and build confidence between young people and the government, in addition to promoting the concept of pluralism in society
Dialogue of Generations series held in Zarqa ‘We do not want to migrate or abandon our language. We just want them to hear our Arabic-speaking voices and pain’
Zarqa city is the industrial capital of Jordan and Zarqa governorate is the third largest in the kingdom. But the fact that it hosts the most important factories and companies in the country does not reflect in the life of its residents. Poverty and unemployment are increasing, services are poor and there is no development. Despite that, Zarqa youth adhere reject the idea of emigration and cling to their mother tongue, perhaps because most of them are only proficient in it. English started being taught in primary classes in public schools only recently, and few families in Zarqa can afford to send their children to private schools. Zarqa’s youth stay put in their homeland and refuse to emigrate is the opinion of the majority of youth who attended the “Dialogue of Generations” series session in Zarqa. The series was organized by Al Nahda Cultural Forum and Al Nahda Youth Network of the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) in cooperation with NAYA Community Network; it included the screening of two movies, “The land is inherited as language” and “I intend to emigrate”, produced by the Cultural Committee of Al Nahda Youth Network in collaboration with artist Zuhair Al Nubani to introduce the issues of Arabic language and immigration, and open a dialogue with young people in the governorates of Jordan, starting with Karak. Zarqa was the second location for the series which will move to cover all Jordanian governorates. “We do not want to emigrate and leave our homeland; here they did not teach us how to manage our affairs, so how would we manage them in exile? We just want the decision makers to hear us and know our problems,” one of the young men participating in the discussions is heard commenting in the video “I intend to emigrate”. He may also be heard in the video “The land is inherited as a language” saying: “As for our Arabic language, we will not neglect it because no one is going to neglect his entity and identity”. ARDD wishes to communicate and discuss through the Dialogue of Generations series, is that all stakeholders, but particularly the decision makers, should listen to the youth, engage in dialogue with them, and stay attuned to reality, as only a positive engagement with issues that preoccupy the street can bridge the gap between decision makers and citizens. Dialogue is the most effective way to diagnose and solve problems. In this context, one of the young women who attended the session said that outside one’s homeland one is in exile even if one lives in prosperity, and that containment cannot be found abroad, adding that young people have a duty to improve the conditions in the homeland, just like governments have a duty, by seeking change through active political participation, making their voices heard, solidarity, and the unified efforts of young people who need to communicate their concerns and aspirations to decision makers. The participants emphasized that If a large number of young people still want to emigrate, it is because they have no hope that change will happen and because they feel they grow old without any prospect for progress in their lives. This feeling of despondency prompts ARDD to exert constant efforts to warn against the danger of migration, to embrace the youth, provide them with platforms and networks on which they can make their voices heard, and involve them in drawing up their own policies that may help prevent brain drain, especially since marginalizing the youth, keeping them unemployed, and downplaying the importance of their civic participation weakens their sense of belonging and their conviction that a renaissance of Arab societies has at the basis the promotion of the Arabic language as a common denominator. Nubani stressed that there is a cultural attack targeting the Arab heritage and history, and seeking to alienate Arabs from their culture and roots. He said that holding fast to the Arabic language is crucial to preserving the Arab identity, and stressed the need to teach students noble values such as honesty, sincerity, loyalty, and belonging. He also urged young people to work to effect positive change in society through active participation in municipal councils and parliamentary elections and electing those they see as best equipped to fulfill their aspirations and make Jordan prosperous and sophisticated. Emigrating for a better life may cross people’s minds. Nubani wrote a post on his Facebook page in which he said: “I intended to emigrate.”. This gave the idea for the video that for discussions about emigration, which was preceded by the video “Land is inherited as language”. Migration and sticking to the Arabic language intersect. The hope is that the youth, who are pillars of change, will neither emigrate nor forget their mother tongue. If they believe in themselves and their ability to change, and do change, they can change the country for the better. Decision makers must listen to the youth, hear their Arabic-speaking voices and pain, and realize that the future of the country lies in the able hands of young people who do not want to leave their country but to see it an ideal place.