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AMMAN — The Human Rights Film Festival “Karama” is holding its 10th edition under the slogan “Think Forward” from December 5-12 at the Royal Cultural Centre in Amman.

The international event is screening three types of films ­— documentary, fiction and animation ­— with the aim of building bridges to exchange expertise and promote the concept of dignity, according to a statement by the festival’s organisers.

The event began with director Omar Shargawi showing the film “Western Arabs”, which sheds light on human rights issues such as freedom of opinion and expression, children’s rights, women’s rights, gender equality and youth empowerment.

“Karama, which means dignity.. lies at the heart and soul of human rights,” film director Sawsan Darwaza told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

Darwaza, who is also the festival’s director, said films and cinema have an impact in generating societal awareness, as they portray social issues, adding that cinematography is an “innovative tool” that helps convey human rights, “influencing the entire world”.

The festival, organised by MA3MAL612-Think Factory, a collaborative pool of thinkers from diverse backgrounds who have been the organisers and initiators of Karama festival since its inception in 2010, aims at addressing political, cultural and social issues by offering a platform for artists and the community, according to the director, who added that films will be screened in 10 different Jordanian cities.

The festival’s slogan this year, “Think Forward”, aims to unite artists, thinkers and advocates to “transform society for the better” by eliminating the sufferings of humans around the world.

Every year, Karama celebrates International Human Rights Day on December 10; so this year’s edition is in cooperation with the UNHCR and Jordan’s UN Office, in addition to the Greater Amman Municipality and the Royal Cultural Centre.

The festival, which opened its doors on December 5, is bringing together 100 films from 36 different countries and includes art shows under the heading “Karama Generation”, according to the statement.

Meetings will also be convened to bring film experts together in one place for the exchange of expertise, in addition to workshops to support movie-makers with low budgets.

Karama ponders new ways to bring up a “morally healthy generation” familiar with cinematographic culture, promoting human rights through cinema during a week of story sharing, the statement said.

“The thing that makes this festival special is that it is qualitative and specialises in human rights, freedom and minority issues,” Azza Elhosseiny, one of the short fiction category judges at the festival told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

“I am proud to be part of making a change in this world through film,” she said, adding that she hopes to “repel narrow-minded thoughts and stop violations and abuses.”

AMMAN — Deputising for HRH Crown Prince Hussein, Youth Minister Faris Breizat on Thursday launched the Jordan Volunteer Days’ event.

The event is being implemented by the Youth Ministry in partnership with the Bader and Sahem Voluntary Corporation (Bader), “Naua”, an initiative of the Crown Prince Foundation and UNICEF, in cooperation with the UN Volunteers Programme, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Breizat said that, in response to Royal directives, the ministry is working on outlining plans and programmes that can meet the needs and aspirations of young people through creativity and innovation, in addition to providing youth and sports facilities to support Jordanian youth.

Executive Manager of “Naua” Ahmad Zu’bi said that the Jordan Volunteer Days is a national event that aims at celebrating the achievements of Jordanian youth in community service, and allows all participants an opportunity to speak and exchange expertise in voluntary work with stakeholders from across the Kingdom.

Malek Abu Ghneimeh, head of Bader, said that the event was the idea of volunteer youth who wanted it to be a project that would contribute to boosting voluntary and community work in society, in accordance with strategic national plans.

UNICEF Representative in Jordan Tanya Chapuisat said that voluntary work provides youth with an opportunity to improve their capabilities as individuals and develop their skills to start their own initiatives.

Chapuisat added that the increasing participation of youth highlights the need to continue encouraging and supporting voluntary work in a systematic manner and expressed the agency's readiness to support Jordanian youth and provide them with the tools and opportunities necessary to make them contributors of positive change in their communities. 

AMMAN — The Amman Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced the Momenoun (believers) Without Borders (MWB) secretary general and his relative to two years in prison after convicting them of instigating sectarianism and inciting conflicts within the society.

MWB Secretary General Younis Qandil was reported missing by his family in November 2018 in the Tareq area and was later found in a forested area with torture and burn marks on different parts of his body.

Qandil then claimed that three hooded men abducted and tortured him because his organisation planned to hold a controversial religious seminar that was later cancelled by the government.

However, police investigations and a forensic report exposed his claims as false, after which Qandil confessed that he had staged the attack with the help of his relative to "gain sympathy from the public and to prevent any possible assaults against him".  

Qandil was one of the organisers of a conference on contemporary religious narratives, which was cancelled by the Interior Ministry after receiving a complaint by Amman Third District Islamist MP Dima Tahboub and MP Khalil Attyyeh, who said one of the papers scheduled to be discussed was "offensive to God and the Islamic religion".

The Masarat Centre conference for ideological enlightenment was scheduled to be held in early November of 2018 after securing the necessary official approvals, with the participation of 50 religious scholars and researchers from Jordan and abroad.

The papers the conference sought to discuss covered several topics, including contemporary religious narratives, modernised ideological models and religious media discourse, according to Masarat’s Facebook page.

Instead, the organisers said at a press conference that was held following the cancellation decision that they began “receiving death threats following the news of the cancellation of the conference”.

During the press conference held in front of the Writer’s Association’s headquarters in Jabal Luweibdeh, Qandil stressed that the content of the conference was “in accordance with our religious fundamentals and values while maintaining the right for the participants to express their opinions and thoughts in a scientific manner”, adding that it aimed “to allow thinkers and researchers to express their ideas and explore the religion in a manner that ensures the safety and security of all”.

Qandil then charged that the cancellation amounted to “politicising the Islamic religion in Jordan in order to control our lives, although the Islamic religion is supposed to encourage discussions and allow us to express our opinions freely”.

Following news of the alleged attack on Qandil, the conference organisers filed a lawsuit against dozens of people in Jordan who sent them threatening messages via social media and accused them of being “apostates and infidels”.

The verdict is subject to appeal at a higher court in the next 30 days.

AMMAN — The government on Thursday announced salary hikes for public servants, military personnel and pension increase for civil and military retirees.

The announcement came during a panel discussion held at the Royal Cultural Centre that hosted Secretary General of the Prime Ministry Sami Dawood, Finance Minister Mohamad Al-Ississ, Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh, President of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) Sameh Nasser and Director of the Retirement and Pensions Department at the Finance Ministry Ali Masri. 

The increase in the salaries of public servants will range between 15 and 20 per cent based on technical bonuses for first-, second- and third-tier employees, in addition to bonuses related to vocational fields, according to the CSB president. 

The increase will range between JD24 and JD76, covering 100,000 employees; 30,000 for the first tier, 23,000 for the second and 47,000 for the third, according to Nasser. 

The CSB president added that the salaries of Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) personnel will increase by a unified amount for all ranks.

As for public sector retirees, they will receive a minimum pension of JD300, while those whose pensions are over JD300 will receive a JD10 increase, Masri said, adding that monthly pensions have been increased by a minimum of JD10 and a maximum of JD80, benefitting around 81,000 public sector retirees. 

As for JAF retirees, Masri noted that the first round of pension increases was implemented under Royal directives on October 1 of this year, while the second round announced on Thursday will include all JAF retirees ranked lieutenant colonel and below, who retired after June 1, 2010. 

He added that the pension increase will also be passed on to heirs as well.

The first round benefitted 180,000 military retirees, Masri said, noting that in the second round, 70 per cent of the increased salaries are going to lower-paid retirees and only 30 per cent to higher-paid retirees, as the second round benefitted 177,000 JAF retirees, according to Masri. 

The increased salaries and pensions will be effective as of next month, Masri noted.

Regarding vocational employment, the government has reached an agreement with professional associations on all details related to bonuses for each profession.

Masri also said that, as of 2021, the increase in pensions will be directly tied to inflation rates.

On a related note, Dawood noted that the government will unify the salaries of all employees hired as of January 1, 2020.

A modern civil service by-law

The new civil service by-law draws on the best international practices and results in a modernised system based on performance, according to Bataineh. 

The national committee consists not only of government members, but also of human resources specialists and experts from professional associations who have helped upgrade the by-law in a way that increases benefits based on performance.

He noted that employee evaluations will focus on achievement of job targets, adding that evaluations will be “transparent”, and employees will be able to contest their evaluations if they feel that they were unjust. 

In regards to the number of days off, Bataineh said that they will be unified for all public servants at 30 days per year, as of 2020.

Better salaries, balanced budget

Al-Ississ said that while drafting the budget, the government ensured that citizens' livelihoods are improved without affecting financial stability, which was achieved by controlling spending, combatting tax and customs evasions and reducing the initial deficit in the budget. 

The minister said that "there is compromising when it comes to achieving financial stability while ensuring a secure livelihood for people", reiterating that, as part of this equation, in the 2020 budget there will be no increase in taxes.

Reducing the government's spending, increasing salaries and keeping taxes without increase are components of the formula to achieve financial stability, the minister said, citing His Majesty King Abdullah's Royal directives. 

Updates and future visions 

For his part, Dawood said that the government's measures, especially in regards to the mergers in the second package, would not affect the rights of employees who still work in merged institutions. 

The Legislation and Opinion Bureau has finished preparing the necessary regulations to implement the government's latest packages, which are now proceeding in line with constitutional channels, according to Dawood. 

He said that some companies and commissions in the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority will be suspended.

Also in the Jordan Securities Commission, the number of members on the board of commissioners was reduced to only two members — the president and vice president — according to Dawood.

AMMAN — A completion ceremony for the "Project for Rehabilitation and Expansion of the Water Networks in Balqa Governorate", funded by a $32.6 million grant from the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), was held at Maadi Reservoir in Deir Alla in Balqa Governorate on Thursday.

Attending the ceremony was Water Minister Raed Abul Saud, Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Hidenao Yanagi, Water Ministry Secretary General Ali Sobah and Chief Representative of the JICA Jordan Office Chie Miyahara, as well as a number of parliament members and mayors, according to a statement from the Water Ministry.

Saud said that phases 1 and 2 of the project will improve water supply and quality for citizens, especially in the Ain Al Basha and Deir Alla Maadi areas, expressing his appreciation for the continued Japanese support to the Kingdom's water sector.

At the completion ceremony, Yanagi expressed his gratitude to all the members involved in the project, stating: "The Government of Japan has long and continuously supported the water sector of Jordan. This project is one example of this long-standing cooperation between JICA and the Water Authority of Jordan." 

He added that the total amount of Japanese grant assistance in the water sector until today is approximately $250 million, which includes funding for the "Improvement and Expansion of the Water Supply Networks in North/Middle Jordan Valley" project in Irbid and Balqa, which was completed in 2008, the statement said.

A number of mayors and community representatives also voiced their appreciation for the efforts of the Water Ministry as well as their appreciation for Japanese support and cooperation, read the statement.

The project aims to improve the state of water supply, to reduce water losses in the network and to decrease electricity consumption in Deir Alla and Ain Al Basha, where the water is supplied from the Zai Treatment Plant, which was expanded with a Japanese Grant Aid project totalling approximately $70 million in 2001.

This project installed 35.24 kilometres of pipes, constructed three reservoirs with a total capacity of 5,300 cubic metres and a pumping station and carried out related works. The expected number of beneficiaries of this project is around 264,000 people, the statement concluded.

AMMAN — Darat Al Funun is accepting applications until December 31 from creative practitioners for its 2020 programme at its Lab in Amman.

The Lab offers a space for creatives from all disciplines (including artists, curators, architects, performers, filmmakers and designers) to experiment, develop their own practice and cultivate new ideas in projects that should run for 4-6 weeks, according to the Darat Al Funun website.

“I have several objectives with the programme at The Lab and this influences the selection process. One of them is the production of critical knowledge and critical discourses, the idea of decolonising artistic practice and discourse,” said Joud Halawani, the curator of The Lab, in an interview with The Jordan Times on Wednesday. 

The curator said another objective is “locating conversations within a Global South context” to move away from a conversation that is “Eurocentric and dominated by the West” and to make the space as inclusive and as diverse as possible.

“I am very much inspired by the ideas of African-American writers like Audre Lorde, who spoke about ‘no hierarchy of oppressions’ and about intersectionality, or bell hooks and her ideas on the pedagogy of freedom,” the curator noted.

She added that she tries to include a mix of artists from Amman and from outside Amman, including from Europe, Asia and Africa.

Halawani said that she is especially interested in projects that are socially and politically engaged and in cross-disciplinary exchange. 

“So, for example this year we had one talk between a sound artist and an architect and it was really interesting seeing how both introduce different perspectives on the same thing,” she explained.

The space has a glass facade and is directly in front of the street, functioning “almost like an extension of the street itself”, Halawani explained, noting: “The encounters not just amongst artists, but also with the people that happen to be passing by, are very interesting.”

Applications should be sent via e-mail in English or Arabic. More details can be found on the website daratalfunun.org, according to the organisers.

AMMAN — The UNHCR’s #WithRefugees Winter Bazaar, showcasing handmade  products by refugees, opened at Galleria Mall in Amman on Thursday.

The bazaar’s products include arts, accessories, food, handicrafts, home decorations, paintings and more, according to the organisers.

“There are around 14 refugee artisans from a variety of nationalities; Syrians and Iraqis mainly,” Lilly Carlisle, UNHCR Jordan spokesperson, told The Jordan Times on Thursday. 

This is the UNHCR’s third annual Winter Bazaar, being held for the first time at Galleria Mall, according to Carlisle.

“At UNHCR we often have refugees approaching us who are making things at home or have ideas for businesses they want to start, but they just don’t have that many opportunities to sell them. It’s difficult,” she explained. 

“We thought that creating these bazaars would help, and the response has been amazing,” the spokesperson said, adding that in addition to the winter bazaars, the UNHCR also organises summer bazaars and similar events for other occasions.

“The bazaar is a really good opportunity for everyone to come together to showcase what they do and an opportunity for them to make an income,” the spokesperson noted, adding: “It is great to see the interest in what the refugees are doing here.”

The Bazaar is open this Friday between 2pm and 10pm and Saturday between 10am and 10pm

HRH Crown Prince Hussein, accompanied by a number of Royal Air Force personnel, on Thursday donated blood at the King Hussein Medical Centre.

The Crown Prince's visit on International Volunteer Day, which falls on December 5, coincided with military drills attended by Crown Prince Hussein at the King Abdullah Airbase.

The military drills are part of the Royal Air Force's Special Operations Squadron No. 30

AMMAN — The civil society consortium Motivators, CRISP and the Centre for Development Services (CDS) on Wednesday hosted the closing ceremony of the Jordan Youth Vision 2030 project in Amman to celebrate its achievements. 

The event opened with welcoming speeches by Director of Motivators for Training Bady Baqain, CEO of the Centre for Development Services Ali Mokhtar, Director of CRISP Andreas Muckenfuß and project participants, representative of the German embassy in Amman Bernd Kuzmits and Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of State Musa Maaytah gave keynote speeches, according to a statement from the CDS. 

During ceremony, the participants outlined their achievements over the past months and presented the primary result of the project, the Jordan Youth Vision 2030. 

The project’s "innovative approach" lies in the use of informal education tools, particularly the method of simulation gaming, an experienced-based learning tool that was implemented for the first time in the Kingdom.

Together with the participants, project organisers developed the simulation game "Ard El Azm", which is designed to equip members of civil society with skills to recognise the various challenges in their societies and provide practical solutions that could be implemented in real life. The main objective of the game is to develop a Jordanian society that is more cohesive, united and harmonious, according to the statement.

Within the simulation game, players find themselves in the fictitious city of El-MaamouIa (the Desired One in Arabic), where they discuss social challenges of unemployment, poor education and lack of social participation, taking on the roles of local stakeholders and developing inclusive projects in order to find ways to improve their life conditions, the statement said.

The statement noted that the project enabled Jordanian youth to demonstrate their commitment towards local development through social engagement within and beyond their communities, serving as an innovative platform to inspire constructive participation in decision-making processes and empower youth to drive local development through community-based social enterprise. 

It is hoped that the developed Youth Vision 2030 will serve as a “point of reference” for key actors from different sectors to join forces and collectively work on positive social change, the statement said.

Taking into account the outcomes of several international youth policy reviews, the organisers continued this dialogue with youth from different governorates through a series of workshops.

The simulation game was implemented in four different governorates and reached more than 100 youth. Afterwards, the results of the simulation games were gathered and eventually formed the Jordan Youth Vision 2030, the statement said.

The youth vision focuses on the most urgent challenges among youth in Jordan, including unemployment, education and participation. The corresponding roadmap, as part of the youth vision, outlines how the youth vision can be realised and describes the objectives to be reached over the coming years to create a more youth-friendly environment, the statement said. 

The roadmap employs a cross-sectoral approach and is in line with the Jordan National Youth Strategy 2019-2025 (NYS), said the statement. 

The Youth Vision includes stakeholders from various sectors, including business, media and civil society sectors to support the implementation of the NYS until 2025. 

AMMAN — On the occasion of International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 2019 (#IVD2019), which falls on Thursday, several Jordanian volunteers expressed the benefits of voluntary work.

Suhaib Rasmi, a 23-year-old volunteer who works a start-up that collects and resells recyclable waste, said that his personal experience in volunteering helped him develop public speaking skills, noting that now he does not mind standing in front of an audience to deliver a presentation, whether in Arabic or English.

“I even learned about feasibility studies and cash flow, and I had the chance to learn research skills, because we need to learn about certain types of plastics, their impact on the environment and a lot more,” the volunteer told The Jordan Times.

Volunteering helped Rasmi not only build skills and expand on his studies in civil engineering; he said it also helped him develop connections through his work that he feels he can rely on in the future.

He added that he graduated recently and was involved in volunteer work even as a student, mainly working at a rest home for the elderly. 

For her part, Dima Imresih, who is currently a senior HR officer at a company, said that when she was a student at the University of Jordan, she volunteered with an organisation called “Bil Arabic” (un Arabic).

“Volunteering is a great way to dedicate your time to doing something useful while sharpening your skills and making connections. To me, there is a distinction between students who volunteer and those who do not, especially in communication skills,” Imreish said.

She added that sometimes, volunteering opens opportunities for jobs, allowing those who volunteered in a certain field to continue working in it because of the exposure they got during their volunteer time. 

“I believe all the skills I learned while volunteering are still helping me to this day in HR, especially in regards to basic skills of time management and even leadership,” she said, adding that any volunteer work in any field boosts a person’s communication skills as well.

Afnan Hammad, who studied at the Hashemite University, said that even at a campus far from services, she still found it easy to find volunteer opportunities and “enjoyed doing a variety of tasks”.

“My personal favourite part about volunteering is the socialising it involves. I enjoy talking to all kinds of people and learning from them and about them; everyone has a part and a role to perform” she said.

Hammad added that a simple search of “volunteering opportunities in Jordan” in Arabic would bring tonnes of results of places a person can apply to.

UN Volunteer is marking #IVD2019 with the theme ‘Volunteer for an inclusive future’, highlighting SDG 10 and the pursuit of equality – including inclusion – through volunteerism, according to the UN Volunteer website. 

Volunteering, it said, provides opportunities for people to “concretely impact” their own lives and play a constructive role in their communities.