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AMMAN — A team of youth leaders and activists is scheduled to meet in Amman this week to discuss how global citizenship education could combat extremism, violence, bullying, exclusion and discrimination, according to a statement released by the UN Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) on Saturday.

The four-day regional youth advocacy workshop is organised by GEFI in partnership with Generations For Peace and Educate a Child. During the workshop, young participants and facilitators will analyse common approaches to building peace and tolerance, and establish a clear set of messages and actions, according to the statement.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday said  the Arab world and Europe are so connected that they “rise or fall together”.

He cited in his keynote speech at the Rome-hosted Mediterranean Dialogue conference (MED) 2015 centuries of interaction between the peoples of the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, which have “engaged with each other through trade, cooperation and learning”. 

“We communicate through the arts and culture of a common past, through ancient heritage sites and vibrant modern cities on both sides of the Mediterranean," he added.

Representatives from 40 countries attended the gathering, as well as Her Majesty Queen Rania.

His Majesty said: "We speak many languages, but shared values give us a common voice: for tolerance, for peace, and for mutual respect."

The King also clarified: "The fact is, we will rise or fall together. Our regions are connected in virtually every way. When individual economies or political systems fail, when refugees flee, when violent groups find havens, when climate change dries wells and farmland, when millions of young people cannot find jobs, the impact cannot simply be contained and ignored. What once seemed national challenges are today global challenges."

Following is the official translation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s Speech, delivered at the MED 2015:

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

[Presidente Napolitano,]

[Premier Renzi,]

[Ministro Gentiloni,]

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you all. It is an honour to help open the premiere conference of the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues. I know I speak for everyone here in thanking our Italian hosts for bringing us together at a critical moment.

My friends,

This gathering carries forward a living dialogue. For centuries, the people of the Middle East, Europe and North Africa have engaged with each other through trade, cooperation and learning. We communicate through the arts and culture of a common past; through ancient heritage sites and vibrant modern cities on both sides of the Mediterranean. We speak many languages, but shared values give us a common voice: for tolerance, for peace, and for mutual respect.

In our generation, this living dialogue has come under assault. The terrorists who struck Paris in November, or those who bombed Amman ten years ago, or those who are operating worldwide today, seek more than violent destruction. They seek to silence the voices of tolerance and cooperation and divide us from each other.

The fact is, we will rise or fall together. Our regions are connected in virtually every way. When individual economies or political systems fail, when refugees flee, when violent groups find havens, when climate change dries wells and farmland, when millions of young people cannot find jobs, the impact cannot simply be contained and ignored. What once seemed national challenges are today global challenges.

Yet it is this interdependence that also gives us power to respond. Within our broad Mediterranean region, partnership unleashes tremendous capabilities to shape the future we need: by economic, diplomatic and security action and above all, by protecting the core values that will sustain our future.

No where is the need for partnership clearer than in the regional refugee crisis we face today. In recent years, Italy and other European countries have experienced an inflow of desperate people. Jordanians understand the fortitude and humanity that is being demanded of you — because our own country has been coping with an even larger refugee burden, for even longer.  Jordan currently hosts 1.4 million Syrian refugees, one for every five Jordanians. One-quarter of our national budget is being consumed by refugee-related costs.

For Jordanians, compassionate action is a moral duty. But the reality is that we and a few other regional host countries are carrying this refugee burden on behalf of the entire international community. The answer cannot simply be emergency aid, as vital as that is. There must be comprehensive, global engagement to address a crisis that realistically will not end soon.

In economic terms, this means sustainable development support, especially in creating jobs and income. By partnering with us, enhancing trade arrangements and supporting our development infrastructure, Europe can help build a stronger Mediterranean neighbourhood. This creates opportunity in both regions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Jordan has worked actively with the global community for a comprehensive approach to the challenges that terrorist groups pose today. I have said from the outset that we are fighting a war within Islam against the outlaws of Islam, the Khawarej. Yet, as is painfully seen, these terrorists and outlaws threaten the entire world. They spare no peoples; they respect no boundaries, moral or geographic. The Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas have all been targets. This is a war we have to fight, and win, as a united global community.

Our efforts must be framed within a broader strategy of military, diplomatic and human development policies. In Syria, a political process is the only way forward to a credible, inclusive, non-sectarian future, one that will preserve Syria’s unity and independence. I am hopeful that we can now grab the opportunity that has emerged in the Vienna talks to move this process forward.

Everywhere, we must stand behind the principles that unite our world. Today is International Human Rights Day, but until the Palestinian people achieve their rights, millions of people around the world will be cynical about the reality of global justice. Terror propaganda and recruitment thrive on this conflict, and we all pay the price.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Mutual respect is the rockbed of partnership. We need to understand how critically linked we are. Muslims in Europe are part of the fabric of history and society, just as Arab Christians are part of the fabric of the Middle East. Europe’s Muslim-majority countries in the Balkans are part of its regional future, just as our regions are part of a shared global future. No hatred, no persecution of minorities can ever be justified or tolerated. This is the message we must give the next generation.

Islam commands mercy and compassion, and upholds the equal dignity of every person. The Prophet Mohammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “None of you has faith until you love for your neighbour what you love for yourself.” This Golden Rule is found in Christianity, Judaism, and other religions. This is the message we must give the next generation.

My friends,

At the heart of our partnership are the values of cooperation and mutual aid. Our regions will only move forward by moving forward together. This is a pragmatic reality, but it is more. It reflects the moral strength that will sustain us. This is the message we must give the next generation, not only through what we teach but what we do.

Here, at the Rome-Med Dialogues, your voices will help send these messages and more. To preserve and advance the shared moral values on which tolerant, inclusive, stable societies are built.

I wish all of you the greatest success.

Thank you.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday stressed the need for boosting coordination and cooperation among the various countries and stakeholders in confronting terrorism and radicalism, which, they said, have become the main threat to regional and global security. 

During their talks at the presidential palace in Rome, the King asserted that combating terrorism must be in accordance with a comprehensive vision that covers all the hot spots of terrorism and extremism worldwide, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The two leaders stressed the need to arrive at a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would end the suffering of the Syrian people, preserve Syria's sovereignty and eliminate the repercussions of the crisis.

King Abdullah highlighted the heavy burdens Jordan is shouldering as it struggles with the crisis of the Syrian refugees, pointing out the ensuing security challenges and pressures placed on the country’s healthcare, education and infrastructure. 

The meeting, which continued over a lunch banquet hosted by the Italian president in honour of Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, and the accompanying delegation, also addressed developments in Libya and ways to deal with them, in a manner that safeguards the security and stability of Libya and North Africa. 

The two leaders expressed their commitment to developing political and economic relations, especially in light of Jordan’s “advanced status” with the EU. 

Mattarella expressed his appreciation of His Majesty’s visit, which, he said, reflects Jordan’s commitment to strengthening the Italian-Jordanian relations, noting that Italy is looking forward for furthering its cooperation with the Kingdom, in a manner that positively reflects on the two countries and their shared interests. 

The president noted that Jordan plays an important regional role, not only in dealing with Middle East issues, but also with Mediterranean and global issues.  

The Italian president expressed his appreciation of the King’s vision in dealing with the phenomenon of global terrorism and the need to combat it everywhere.

 He also expressed his appreciation of the Kingdom’s efforts in shouldering the burdens of Syrian refugees, noting that the international community should shoulder its responsibilities in this regard. He noted that the two leaders see eye-to-eye on ways to deal with the challenges facing the region. 

Moreover, Mattarella lauded Jordan’s efforts, led by His Majesty, in supporting interfaith dialogue and highlighting the true tenets of Islam and its tolerance. 

His Majesty arrived back home later in the day, after taking part in the Mediterranean Dialogue conference in Rome, where he also met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi over regional and bilateral issues.

AMMAN — The land transport sector has suffered hundreds of millions in losses due to the regional unrest, a repercussion that could have been avoided if the government were "farsighted enough", a sector leader said Thursday.

"The turmoil in Iraq and Syria has caused us around JD535 million in losses. Before 2003, a total of 400 trucks laden with commodities used to enter Iraq every day and around the same to Syria before the crisis. The situation now is really bad," said Mohammad Dawood, president of the Jordan Truck Owners Association. 

Currently, more than 6,000 trucks are "almost idle" out of the 17,000-truck fleet, he told The Jordan Times.

"Many trucks have been sold at auction because they were mortgaged to banks and their owners could not pay. A sector whose total investment exceeds JD1.5 billion is now almost doomed," Dawood said, adding that more than 50,000 Jordanian households have been affected by the damages.

"Closing the Trebil border with Iraq is alone causing losses to more than 2,000 trucks a month," he added.  

Although the association understands  government measures to close borders of troubled countries to Jordanian trucks, it blames it for not introducing alternatives, according to Dawood. 

"We know that Jordanian trucks could not enter Syria and Iraq due to the armed groups there, but halting trade movement was not the answer," the syndicate president said, demanding that the Transport Ministry  works towards opening new markets. 

"The ministry could have entered agreements with the Gulf states to facilitate the entry of our commodities, which sometimes remain stranded at the borders for three days before being granted entry," he noted. 

He added that the "shortsightedness" of the ministry has "deepened the losses of the sector". 

The Jordan Times could not reach officials from the Transport Ministry for comment on the issue despite several attempts to contact them.  

AMMAN — A depression is expected to start affecting the Kingdom on Saturday, bringing rain and thunderstorms to different parts of the country, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said on Thursday.

The expected depression will end a week-long frost spell, during which temperatures dipped to a low of -5ºC in the Jordan Valley, damaging thousands of dunums of vegetables.

Relatively cold weather is forecast on Friday, when winds will be southwesterly moderate, JMD meteorologist Abdul Munem Qaralleh said, noting that frost formation is forecast in the badia, mountainous areas and northern parts of the Jordan Valley.

Temperatures on Friday will be 15ºC during the day, dropping to 4ºC at night in the capital, according to the department.

A slight drop in mercury levels is expected on Saturday, when the weather will be relatively cold, Qaralleh said.

"The depression is expected to start affecting the Kingdom starting Saturday night, when the weather will become cloudy," he told The Jordan Times.

Rain and thunderstorms are forecast on Saturday night, when winds will be southwesterly moderate to brisk at times, the meteorologist said.

Daytime temperatures will be 14ºC, dropping to 6ºC at night in Amman, the weather forecaster said.

"During the expected depression, the public is urged to avoid low lying areas due to the possibility of floods, while motorists are urged to exercise caution while driving due to expected fog formation," Qaralleh said.

Another slight drop in temperatures is expected on Sunday, when the weather will be cold and cloudy, with rain and thunder expected, particularly in the morning, he added.

"Temperatures on Sunday will be four degrees below their annual average for this time of the year. Daytime temperatures will be 11ºC, dropping to a low of 4ºC, while winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk," Qaralleh said.

AMMAN — Verbal and physical violence in the country’s schools dropped between 2009 and 2014 following the implementation of a nationwide campaign that seeks to reduce violence against children.

The "Ma’An" ("Together") campaign, launched in 2009 by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, helped reduce the incidence of verbal violence from 44.8 per cent in 2009 to 25.4 per cent in 2014, according to the UN agency.

Figures sent to The Jordan Times this week also demonstrated that the incidence of physical violence dropped from 40.3 per cent in 2009 to 15.8 per cent in 2014.

In 2007, a survey showed that 71 per cent of children were subjected to verbal abuse by teachers and school principals, 70 per cent by their parents/legal guardians, and 38 per cent by adults in the community.

The study also revealed wide acceptance of corporal punishment among families, who saw it as an effective tool for disciplining children.

These survey findings prompted UNICEF and the Ministry of Education to embark on a national campaign in 2009 to reduce violence against children in all schools in Jordan, including schools managed by UNRWA and the Military Education Directorate.

During the 2014-15 school year, several initiatives are being implemented to accelerate the Ma’An Campaign, according to UNICEF.

The UN agency added that over 16,000 advocacy group members are receiving training in 2,000 schools in the northern and central regions, where there is a higher concentration of Syrian refugees.

However, in order for the Ma’An campaign to achieve its desired results, its activities should be continuous, UNICEF said, adding that it requires an estimated $1 million per year to effectively support the initiative.

The Ministry of Education has committed its support to Ma’An Campaign until 2017 and further with the aim of ending violence against children in schools in Jordan, according to UNICEF.

AMMAN — The Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) on Thursday arrested 12 suspected Jordanian drug traffickers in Central Badia and in Irbid, official sources said.

“No one was injured in the raids although some defendants showed resistance in the beginning but all operations went as planned,” a senior official source told The Jordan Times.

The Central Badia raid targeted eight houses and nine people were arrested, according to a statement by the Public Security Department (PSD).

“Police seized two kilogrammes of hashish, some firearms, and three vehicles that were wanted and were not registered with the traffic department,” the statement said.

The second raid was in a neighbourhood in Irbid, where AND agents arrested three suspects, according to the PSD statement.

The suspects were allegedly in possession of hashish, illegal pills and other illegal narcotic substances, the statement added.

“Thursday’s raids are part of our ongoing campaign to target drug traffic dealers in various governorates in Jordan and our efforts are paying off,” the senior official said.

Speaking at a lecture in September, Deputy PSD Director for Criminal Investigation Affairs Maj. Gen. Tahsin Momani said 5,490 drug cases were registered in the first six months of 2015, 468 of which were related to trafficking, 36 to addiction and 4,986 to possession.

In November, AND said it destroyed illegal drugs seized in 71 cases, valued at around JD180 million. 

The destroyed drugs included 1,000 kilogrammes of marijuana, 848 kilogrammes of hashish, 314 kilogrammes of cocaine, 149 kilogrammes of heroin, 174 kilogrammes of synthetic hashish, 4,000 bags of synthetic cannabis (locally known as “joker”) and 28,268,560 Captagon pills.

AMMAN — While the Kingdom was once a leading country in the field of education, recent results have been “disappointing”, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat said Wednesday. 

“[Jordan was] one of the best countries for education, but then the country witnessed a decline, causing it to decline on [international] lists for more than 15 years, a phenomenon that needs to be studied thoroughly,” he said at a seminar held at Al Asriyya Schools.

Many private entities took advantage of this decline and started investing in education, causing it to become profit-oriented and not beneficial to some students, according to the minister.

“As a society, we paid a very high price for the backslide in education and many problems in our education system were overlooked,” Thneibat said.

“It was a must to evaluate the education system as it is, and the results were saddening and disastrous," he added. “We found out that a huge proportion of school students in both sectors cannot read and write in grade 12.” 

“The tragedy was that when we conducted a study, we found that 130,000 students in the first three grades did not know how to read and write,” Thneibat recalled. “I, myself, have experienced this. I saw eighth, ninth and even 12th graders who could not read or write.” 

The minister said there are two methods to reform education: improving the curricula and enhancing teachers' skills. 

"We started with the curricula, despite the unfair, illogical campaign against us by people who have nothing to do with education,” Thneibat added. “No one should discuss the curricula unless they are specialists in curricula and education.”

He said the ministry started by improving curricula for the first three grades of elementary schools, causing the number of students who read and write in those grades to show an increase compared to previous years. 

Thneibat also emphasised the importance of the school environment in regards to the quality of the education provided. 

“The environment paves the way for development in educational sectors,” the minister said.

DUBAI — Digitisation and fostering entrepreneurship can greatly help drive economic growth in Jordan and enable the Kingdom to cope with pressing challenges imposed by the influx of refugees and demand for jobs, according to John Chambers, executive chairman of Cisco.

Jordan, which has limited natural resources, enjoys a “pretty good educational system,” which plays an important role in digitisation plans, Chambers recently told The Jordan Times.

“Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania get it very well when it comes to the importance of ICT…They understand what it means to focus on ICT and the benefits in this regard,” Chambers said during a media gathering on the sidelines of the three-day Internet of Things World Forum, which was recently held in Dubai.

“The leadership in Jordan is aware of how ICT is important for driving economic growth,” he added.

Commending the talent in the Kingdom in the sector, Chambers said: “Jordan does not have resources when compared to regional countries but it has a pretty good educational system and its people are its resources.”

He stressed the need to focus on educating people on jobs and skills needed in the Internet of Things industry, which offers great potential for developing solutions and businesses, especially with the number of devices connected to the Internet estimated to reach 50 billion by 2020.

By supporting entrepreneurs in ICT, Jordan can create jobs for young people, the chairman of the network giant said, adding that the majority of jobs in the future will come from small- and medium-sized projects.

Chambers added that Jordan is one of the first countries in the region to implement projects in the field of e-education and e-health.

At the media gathering, Chambers noted that countries that do not focus on digitisation and transformation towards adopting Internet of Things apps and solutions will be left behind.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Thursday received an honorary doctorate in “Science Development and International Cooperation” from Sapienza University in Rome.

The Queen received the degree, during an official visit with His Majesty King Abdullah to Rome, in recognition of her activities in promoting peace and cross-cultural dialogue, and her efforts against discrimination based on gender or religion, according to a statement from her office.

At the award ceremony — attended by more than 300 scholars, students, and influencers — the Queen gave a speech that emphasised the need to unite against a common enemy of “irreligious terrorists whose sole aim is to destroy the civilised world”.

She pointed to extremist groups’ efforts in destroying ancient monuments and obliterating grand archaeological landmarks, thousands of years’ worth of archaeological heritage and human coexistence. 

She cited examples such as the ancient city of Palmyra, the 12th century Khudr Mosque in Mosul, and the 7th century St Ahoadamah Church in Tikrit.

“They’re targeting our collective history…the foundations of our civilisation… In essence — humanity’s very memory.”

Her Majesty described the ugliness of the world that Daesh has painted; a world which has brought only displacement, death, and “entire nations on edge.” 

“We’ve been haunted by scenes from Syria and Iraq… communities robbed of life, livelihoods destroyed, childhoods lost, schools and hospitals deserted, torture and mass murder,” she added.

Her Majesty said the images of extremists’ inhumane actions and their consequences are a “glimpse” of what their dark world would look like.

“They’re deluded enough to think that they can author a new era, AD, After Daesh,” she added, and underlined the urgent need for a response to this multifaceted attack.

“It must be a turning point for humanity,” the Queen urged, explaining that this is every country’s war. 

Queen Rania called for a concerted response, “because for the first time in history, the civilised world has a common enemy” — one which is destroying the past and threatening the future.

Further, Her Majesty called for “a can-do coalition” of political and religious leaders, as well as populations all over the world uniting against extremist groups. 

She said this alliance will require courage to do things different, “to work with people of whom we were once suspicious”, and form “new coalitions between lapsed friends, old foes and untapped resources”.

“This is more than just a physical war,” she added. “We have to fight on many fronts, and defeating Daesh depends on understanding their tactics and twisted mindsets.” 

Her Majesty pointed to the group’s use of psychological warfare, with fear as its designated weapon, “the ultimate weapon of mass destruction”, and a most contagious one.

She went on to note that courage is just as contagious, adding that ordinary acts, from going to the cinema and bazaars, to making beautiful art, are in defiance to the group’s attempted intimidations.

The Queen also touched on the extremist group’s invocation of Islam and reaffirmed: “There is nothing Islamic about these terrorists.” 

“The more they attribute their actions to Islam,” Her Majesty said, “the more they provoke intolerance against all peace-loving Muslims”. 

Ultimately, what this leads to is an increased and misplaced fear of one another, rather than of the terrorists, she added.

The moment suspicion takes grip, Her Majesty said, the battle is lost. 

“Please, let’s continue to treat each other with respect and openness. As you’re doing today by honouring an Arab…Muslim… woman,” she urged the audience.

Queen Rania stressed the need to adopt respect and openness as guides while moving forward. 

“Let that be the final irony,” she added, “The extremists who sought to tear apart our social fabric and turn us against each other, actually bring us closer together.”

To conclude, Queen Rania referred to Rome, the “eternal” city — “a city where scholarship and science, culture and creativity, art and architecture, have endured and thrived for centuries”, as an exemplary blueprint of hope. 

She ended her speech by affirming that “together, we can ensure that the future that passes here, and everywhere, is a safe, and secure and beautiful one for all of us and for our children.”

Receiving the honorary doctorate from Sapienza University places Her Majesty among a community of notable alumni that include Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori method of education; Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank; Sergio Balanzino, deputy secretary general of NATO; and Federica Mogherini, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

Past recipients of honorary doctorates from the university have included Mohammed Yunus, Bolivian President Evo Morales, Pope John Paul II, and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, head of the African Union Commission.

Sapienza University was founded in 1303 and is the oldest university in Rome as well as one of the largest today, with over 120,000 students, 8,000 of whom are international students.