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ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP — Khaldieh Ali, a Syrian refugee at Zaatari camp, has taken it upon herself to show the world that Syrian children are ambitious and have their own dreams.

The 18-year-old, who arrived to the Mafraq camp, some 90km northeast of Amman, in January 2013 with her parents, grandmother and seven siblings, writes articles for The Road Magazine in order to spread her message to the world.

“I want the world to know that we, Syrian children, have our own dreams and ambitions and we are not homeless,” Ali told The Jordan Times.

Initiated in May 2014 by Japanese Emergency NGO (JEN) with the support of UNICEF, The Road Magazine, which is based in the camp, features the work of around 80 refugee volunteers between the ages of 14 and 27.

Ali said writing in the magazine has also helped "fight complicated beliefs and thoughts within my own community”.

“Since arriving, we faced many challenges, including my having to drop out of school because my father did not feel comfortable about it due to young men harassing girls in the camp,” she said.

Ali has written about problems in the camp's society, including early marriage and harassment, and she noted that “our reporting is being met with positive reactions from the refugee community”.

Zaatari camp, the largest for Syrian refugees in Jordan, is currently home to 79,357 people, according to the UNHCR's latest available figures.

“I love working for the magazine and I have a strong will to make changes and give hope to people in my own community,” Ali added.

“The Road Magazine is written by refugees for refugees at Zaatari camp,” Hada Sarhan, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, told The Jordan Times.

Sarhan said the magazine started with seven volunteers from the refugee camp producing an eight-page magazine, and after two years, the total number of contributors reached 79 — 45 men and 34 women, who are responsible for producing a 24-page magazine.

“When … the magazine started, people at the camp were hesitant because they were worried about other things, such as securing food and better living conditions,” Sarhan explained.

But when the first issue was distributed, she added, “we were surprised how many people were eager to read the magazine and later join in writing”.

Mohammad A., one of the publication's volunteers, said the magazine helped him accomplish his dream of becoming a journalist.

“I always wanted to be a journalist, but when we were forced to leave Syria and come here, I thought my dream was shattered,” the 19-year-old told The Jordan Times.

“But when I heard about the magazine via electronic means, I was extremely excited and immediately joined and started writing about the camp and even took photos to support my articles,” Mohammad said.

The distribution of the magazine in the refugee camp includes 5,000-7,500 copies in Arabic and English, according to Sarhan, who has over 30 years of experience as a reporter.

Sarhan said the magazine administration approached contributors via WhatsApp, and “people started sending their personal stories and poems”.

“At first it was only men contributing, but then women joined thanks to the many workshops we conducted,” she added. 

At first, Sarhan said, the contributors “used fake names out of fear of persecution by the regime, since some of their relatives have remained in Syria and they feared they would be harmed”.

But the magazine and the training workshops helped them “regain self-confidence and [find] a meaning for their lives", she noted.

“Most of them voiced their frustration [about] the situation. Many were bored, depressed and felt useless because they sit at home for a long time doing nothing,” Sarhan explained.

Other topics discussed in the magazine have included personal success stories, reproductive health, early marriage, gender-based violence, widows’ hardships, and harassment of school-aged girls and girls dropping out of school as a result, she said.

Wisam Mohammad, 31, who saw a rocket destroy her home in Daraa in 2013, told The Jordan Times that the magazine provided her with new hope and allowed her to see the world in a positive way.

“I got the chance to write about people in need and help them. I got the chance to see the world in a different way and to learn something new every day.” 

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday met with board members of the Queen Rania Award for Excellence in Education (QRAEE) and discussed the results of the award’s performance evaluation study for 2015.

Her Majesty highlighted the importance of building on the existing cooperation between the award and the Ministry of Education, according to a statement released by her office. 

She called for holding additional meetings to develop a more cohesive working mechanism between the two entities.

QRAEE Chairman Izzedine Katkhuda showcased the award’s success in developing teacher excellence criteria over the last 10 years. 

He also underscored the impact of celebrating distinguished teachers in improving education outcomes.

Education Ministry Secretary General Mohammad Okour said the ministry appreciates the value the award has added to the teaching process. 

He also stated that the ministry looks forward to building on the crucial experience QRAEE has accumulated over the years, according to the statement.

The meeting also reviewed the results of the QRAEE 2015 performance study. 

The award’s executive director, Lubna Touqan, explained that the study included feedback from educators from all over the Kingdom.

The annual board meeting chaired by Her Majesty also established a set of objectives for the award in the coming year. 

"QRAEE is the only association of its kind in Jordan that honours excellence in education," the statement said.

AMMAN — India’s house and embassy in Amman will commemorate the country’s 67th Republic Day on Tuesday, alongside celebrations in countries across the world, marking the day on which the constitution came into force in 1950.

Despite the expected snowstorm, celebrations will go ahead as planned, with a flag hoisting ceremony scheduled for Tuesday morning, India’s Ambassador to Jordan Anil Trigunayat said Sunday.

In an interview with The Jordan Times ahead of the occasion, Trigunayat said: "The year 2015, in my view, was the best year in our relations."

The year 2015 saw a first-time visit by India’s President Pranab Mukherjee to Jordan, which the ambassador said had opened new areas of cooperation, followed by a visit by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. 

Trigunayat , who has been India's ambassador to Jordan for a year and eight months, also pointed to the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and His Majesty King Abdullah on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session last September, where they discussed bilateral issues and cooperation in security and counterterrorism.

"We are looking forward to a visit by His Majesty King Abdullah to India at his convenience," he said. "The president of India and the prime minister have extended an invitation for the King to visit India."

The diplomat noted that Jordan and India have agreed to work more closely together in multilateral institutions such as the UN and the World Trade Organisation.

"We greatly appreciate His Majesty King Abdullah's support for India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the renovated UNSC [Security Council]," he said.

“Jordan is a very important and valued partner of India in the region," he added, noting that "we have similar approaches vis-à-vis the different challenges confronting countries all over the world."

The ambassador also highlighted opportunities to enhance economic relations and expand cooperation in education.

"During the last joint commission meeting in March 2015, we decided to set a bilateral trade target of $5 billion by 2025. To achieve this, we have offered a $100 million line of credit and we have shared all related documents and information," he said.

The ambassador noted that Jordan's exports to India substantially increased in 2015, and India remains the third-largest export market for Jordan, while India is the largest investor in Jordan.

Through the Indo-Jordan Business Forum and the reviving of the Joint Business Council, Amman and New Delhi are sharing viable projects which could be attractive for both sides, he added. 

Educational cooperation is also expected to see further expansion, as memoranda of understanding were signed between the top 10 Jordanian and Indian universities and institutions during the president’s visit to the Kingdom, Trigunayat said. 

“We have more than doubled the number of our fully funded scholarships through the ITEC programme for Jordan, to become 50 now across 200 training programmes, after the number was 20 in 2014," he elaborated. 

Building on 65 years of diplomatic relations, several joint cultural activities will continue to take place in Jordan, including a photo exhibition at the National Library Department on Thursday, which will showcase the progress of Indo-Jordanian relations.

A dance troupe from Rajasthan will be performing on February 4 at the King Hussein Cultural Centre, and there will be a Bollywood show performed on March 4 and 5.

AMMAN — The land transport sector's losses exceeded JD550 million at the end of 2015, a sector leader said Monday.

Iraq’s decision to close the border with Jordan until further notice, as of mid-2015 due to intensified fighting against Daesh, and the Kingdom’s decision to close borders with Syria, also last year, hit the sector the hardest, according to Mohammad Dawood, president of the Jordan Truck Owners Association.

“Last year was the worst year for the land transport sector. Many players in the sector went out of business due to the closure of borders and the turmoil in neighbouring countries,” he said in a phone interview with The Jordan Times.

Currently, more than 6,000 trucks are "almost idle" out of a 17,000-truck fleet, he said.

“The government should help in opening new markets for the land transport industry. The situation is intolerable and more losses are expected in 2016 if it does not improve,” said Dawood.

According to the industry leader, 300 trucks laden with commodities used to enter Iraq every day and around 250 a day went to Syria before the crisis.

“Those employed by the sector support more than 50,000 Jordanian families. There is a need for quick intervention to find suitable alternatives,” said Dawood.

AMMAN — Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez on Monday stressed his ministry's preparedness to deal with the polar front currently affecting the Kingdom through an operations room to contact tourists around the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The operations room can be reached on 117777, Fayez told Petra, adding that the ministry deals with emergencies in cooperation with the Tourism Police, whose personnel check on the conditions of tourists at airports and borders. 

He also said the ministry will help with providing alternative routes in case of snow accumulation. 

Meanwhile, Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) Chairman Mohammad Nawafleh said tourism movement is going as usual in Petra, unaffected by the current weather conditions.

The emergency committee in PDTRA, in cooperation with the concerned authorities in the region, has intensified field inspections to ensure smooth movement, especially in areas forecast to observe heavy snowfall, Petra reported.

Nawafleh said that on Sunday, PDTRA's vehicles cleared the roads between Petra and Shobak after light snowfall to avoid accumulation and slippery roads, urging the public not to go out unless if necessary.

He also urged the public to call PDTRA's emergency rooms in case of road closures or need of services on: 0799724823 or 032156889 for the main room; 0799031999 or 032150012 for the southern neighbourhood; and 0772261830 for the archaeological park. 

AMMAN — Police said Monday they arrested a man who reportedly created a bogus Facebook account impersonating a young girl to sexually exploit children.

The man was arrested following a complaint by a woman, who noticed that the Facebook user who pretended to be a young girl tried to sexually exploit her 10-year-old daughter on the social media website.

The woman filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) cyber security unit, which started an investigation, identified the suspect and arrested him, the department said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

The arrested man confessed to creating a fake Facebook account to communicate with girls and children to sexually exploit them, the CID said in the statement.

The police warned against sex predators seeking to exploit children online and said parents should be aware of their children's online activities and monitor their use of social networking sites.

“Parents should constantly warn their children against communicating with strangers online and of the risks they might face. They should also make sure that their children never send any pictures of themselves or information to anyone they do not trust,” the CID statement said.

The unit dealt with 2,300 cyber crimes in 2015, up from 8 crimes when it was first established in 2008.

The majority of the cyber crimes dealt with in 2015 were slander, threats or exploitation attempts.

Articles 9 of the Electronic Crimes Law stipulates that anyone who exploits those under 18, or people with mental disabilities, to engage them in prostitution or any pornographic act is subject to imprisonment and a fine of no less than JD5,000 and no more than JD15,000.

AMMAN —  His Majesty King Abdullah met on Monday with  Kazakhstan Defence Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov, and discussed ways to boost cooperation, especially in military areas, according to a Royal Court statement.

At the meeting, the King and Tasmagambetov reviewed the latest developments in the region, especially counterterrorism efforts. 

AMMAN — The Investment Council on Monday endorsed additional measures to boost investments in the ICT sector.

At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, the council approved a decision to reduce the income tax on the ICT sector to 5 per cent across the Kingdom and to lower the sales tax to zero, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Also, a decision was endorsed, exempting all sector input products from taxes and fees, in a bid to transform the Kingdom into a regional ICT hub. ICT Minister Majd Shweikeh stressed the importance of the decisions, noting that they will draw more investors to the sector. The Council of Ministers has also recently adopted several decisions to stimulate the sector. 

AMMAN — Thabet Al Wir was sworn in on Monday before Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour as president of Jordan Investment Commission, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

A Royal Decree was issued approving his appointment.

Wir replaces Montaser Oklah, who was appointed as ambassador with the Foreign Ministry.

AMMAN — Jordan and the US on Sunday discussed Washington’s economic assistance programme for the Kingdom.

At a meeting with Eric Meyer, deputy assistant secretary for Africa and the Middle East at the US treasury department, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury said Washington’s continued support for Jordan is testament to the advanced level of US-Jordanian ties, according to a ministry statement.

Meyer commended Jordan’s political and economic reform efforts, which have made the Kingdom a regional model. He also expressed understanding of Jordan’s growing refugee burden and its effect on host communities.