'Youth must be empowered, well-informed to face this world — Ghunaimat

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat and a group of senior officials on Monday visited the Nusaibah Al Maziniyyeh Girls School in Ruseifa, Zarqa.

The minister’s visit focused on the school’s media and information literacy (MIL) club, according to a statement that was sent to The Jordan Times.

Fifteen girls, in grades seven to nine, are part of the school club, led by teachers Haniah Dajah and Huda Naserallah, who welcomed the minister and introduced the students.

Ghunaimat thanked the students for their contributions and opened the discussion.

“As youth, we look to you to lead as you represent the future. This is why we have chosen to target youth with MIL training. We live in a huge world of continuously flowing information,” she said.

The minister highlighted to the students the importance of their work.

“As young people, you need to be aware and informed on how to navigate in this world. You need to be empowered to face this world and utilise all content offered by the media and other sources of information,” Ghunaimat added.

Sirpa Tulla and Ines Alves, representing the EU, Dean of the Jordan Media Institute (JMI) Bassim Tweissi and UNESCO Representative to Jordan Constanza Farina accompanied the minister, alongside the head of the Ruseifa education directorate, Rasmy Hudrob.

Elaborating on the youth’s future, Tweisi underlined the vitality of the young citizen’s engagement and responsible contribution in the media sphere.

“We are expecting you all to be active, productive and responsible citizens in your communities, using technology in a positive manner, in conjunction with your newfound skills,” he noted.

This year, the MIL clubs have been focusing on freedom of expression, digital media literacy, visual media creation, authenticity of news, ethical reporting and online privacy and security, among other topics, the statement highlighted.

Tulla expressed her satisfaction with the level of participation in the MIL clubs project.

Addressing the students, she said: “It makes me very happy to see how engaged all of you are and the way you feel comfortable discussing these issues with your teachers. When I was younger, the format dictated that we sit, listen and absorb information.”

UNESCO Project Officer Hanadi Gharaibeh underscored that Jordan is well progressed in the effort to institutionalise MIL, compared with projects in the region.

She explained that it is because of “the engagement of key players and the strong government commitment”.

“We hope that in the near future, we might see some of you sharing your experience with youth in the region,” Gharaibeh said.

Following opening remarks by Headmistress Fayrouz Awad, Naserallah said: “Students participating in the MIL club... are encouraged to take the lead and to contribute and collaborate… We don’t teach this class in the traditional way and it is highly interactive; we often feel that we are also learning from our students.”

Active in 15 schools across Jordan, media clubs are part of the EU-funded “Youth Empowerment” project, implemented by UNESCO.

The statement explains that the project aims to advance MIL as “a holistic response to fostering the informed use, consumption and production of media and Internet among youth in Jordan”.

It is being carried out in cooperation with the media and education ministries, alongside the media and civil society communities in Jordan.

Among its key supporting partners are the Media Diversity Institute and the JMI, the statement said.

The objectives of the project align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically targeting Sustainable Development Goal 16, which strives to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.