Exhibition, exchange programme bring Petra, Appalachian cultures together

AMMAN — Deputsing for HH Princess Dana Firas, president of the Petra National Trust (PNT) and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Infrastructure Commissioner at the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) Majed Hasanat has attended an exhibition and graduation ceremony for a cultural exchange programme between Jordan and the US.

The programme, started in December, envisions building partnerships among communities and empowering youth worldwide through a virtual cultural exchange experience, which included music and traditional and contemporary heritage, among students from Petra district and their peers from the Appalachian culture in North Carolina.

The ceremony, concluded on Thursday, included cultural events associated with traditional musical instruments from Petra and similar instruments from the Appalachian culture, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Commenting on the event, Princess Dana told Petra: "We believe in the ability of the musical cultural heritage to bring civilisations closer and showcase their harmony. We are proud of making Jordan a spot for such experiments."

Hasanat highlighted the importance of cultural heritage, adding that art is a vital element in cultural development.

CEO of PNT Abdullah Abu Rumman expressed his appreciation for the participating students' commitment to finishing the programme despite the difficult circumstances in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abu Rumman said that the PNT had embarked on activating virtual cultural exchange experiments before the emergence of the pandemic as part of its efforts to use technology as a means to enhance cultural exchange among various civilisations. 

He added that the programme is the “first of its kind” in Jordan and there will be similar events in the future.