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German democracy foundation celebrates 60th anniversary

By Ana V. Ibáñez Prieto - Nov 15,2018 - Last updated at Nov 15,2018

AMMAN — “Jordan has been a pioneer in the introduction of political reforms and laws aimed at achieving progress, and that is maybe the reason why the Kingdom has remained stable in the hot region that surrounds us,” Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah said on Tuesday, celebrating the fact that “Jordan has been one of the first countries to protect the fundamental human right to life before any other right, and to respect the dignity of its people”. 

“Democracy should be about much more than elections,” the minister continued, stressing that “a civil, national state is the one that grants its people the freedom to differ”. 

Maaytah’s remarks came during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), which was marked in Amman with a symposium on the theme of “innovation as a path towards Jordan’s future”. 

Attending the ceremony as a guest of honour, Maaytah said that “German institutions have been among the first ones to be present in Jordan”, expressing his pride “to see such organisations working hand in hand with the Jordanian government, regardless of the drawbacks the Kingdom may face”.  

The celebration also served to bid farewell to former FNF Regional Director René Klaff, who is now taking over the position of Head of the International Department at the foundation.

“I was lucky enough to be assigned to Jordan and to enjoy all the things that the country and its people have to offer,” Klaff said during his farewell speech, noting that FNF has been able to establish partnerships with liberal minds, the state, universities, industrial chambers, the media, entrepreneurs and NGOs from across the country. 

Present in Jordan since the early 80s, the foundation has been implementing projects in areas such as decentralisation, civic education for young activists, entrepreneurship, and tolerance. 

But it was not until 2016 when the FNF Amman office became the regional office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, boosting coordination with a large variety of partners on the promotion of free market and political reform in the region.

Elaborating on the move of the MENA Regional Office from Cairo to Amman, Klaff thanked the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs for their assistance to the foundation in the process, expressing gratefulness for the “rare, yet extremely valuable culture of welcoming” that the foundation was able to experience in Amman. 

Speaking on the history of the foundation, FNF CEO Steffen Saebisch reminisced on the day of May 19 of 1958, when Germany’s Federal President Theodor Heuss brought together friends and lifetime companions at his official residence the Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn to found FNF. 

“In its 60 year history, FNF has always read its founder’s intention as an injuction, an obligation and a mission,” Saebisch said, stressing that the foundation’s activities would not have been possible without its many partners, both in Germany and abroad. 

“But we will not be resting on our laurels,” the CEO continued, noting that, with the return of the Free Democrats to the German parliament in 2017, “FNF once again has a long term perspective as a political foundation”.

“The task now at hand is to continue building on our achievements and guiding the foundation towards a new future,” he added, highlighting that the strategic objectives for 2022 are aimed at expanding the educational offers in terms of both themes and organisation. 

The ceremony concluded with a panel discussion on the topic of social entrepreneurship in Jordan, which saw the presence of Chairman of Arabian Business Consultants for Development Laith Al Qassem, Regional Director of Ruwwad Al Tanmeya Samar Dudin and  Director of the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies Wajih Kanso. 

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