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AMMAN — Amro Al Wir has taken a giant stroke towards the Youth Olympic Games qualification whilst winning two golds at the Thailand Age Group Swimming Championships, a Jordan Olympic Committee statement said on Tuesday.

Al Wir clinched breaststroke gold in both the 100m and 200m, with his winning time of two minutes 17.68 seconds in the latter race an A-qualification time for the Youth Olympics, which will be held in Buenos Aires later this year.

He won the 100m in a time of 1:04.10, according to the statement. Al Wir and teammate Mohammad Al Bdour, who has swam A times for the 50m and 100m freestyle, are now awaiting FINA confirmation that they will be competing at the Youth Olympics from October 6.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Tuesday announced that the chamber would hold a general session to discuss the asset management of the Social Security Corporation (SSC).

The House on Sunday endorsed an amended version of the SSC Law proposed by MP Abdul Karim Doughmi.

During the session, Doughmi, a lawyer and former justice minister, said that the proposed amendment to the law seeks to protect the assets of the SSC, adding that the amendments he suggested to the law would oblige the SSC Investment Fund (SSIF) to obtain the approval of the corporation’s board of directors for any investment it endorses.

MP Khalil Atiyyeh warned against “touching the SSC’s money”,  while his colleague Fawaz Zoubi charged that he had submitted a memo to the House stating SSIF’s losses. 

Labour Minister Samir Murad on Sunday stressed that there was “no change” to the decision making mechanism related to the fund, whose total assets reached around JD9.274 billion at the end of last year, compared with around JD8.3 billion in 2016, with an increase of JD984.1 million, representing 11.4 per cent, according to the SSIF’s annual report.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Murad, who is also the chairman of the SSC’s board of directors, added that cheques and balances are in place as part of an institutionalised oversight. 

The House later passed the 2018 amendments to the National Building Code aimed to enhance the role of oversight agencies and stiffen penalties on violations of the technical construction standards.

MPs also endorsed a law ratifying the 2016 Energy Charter Treaty, the only legally binding international treaty, which establishes a multilateral framework for cross-border cooperation in the energy industry. The pact covers all aspects of commercial energy activities including trade, transit, investments and energy efficiency.

AMMAN — There are no plans to amend the Social Security Corporation Law and any possible changes to the law will have to go through the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and undergo thorough scrutiny, the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFJTU) said on Tuesday.

Mahmoud Al Btoush, representative of the 200,000-strong union and board member of the Social Security Corporation (SSC), denied the existence of any plan to change the law.

His remarks came in response to “groundless” reports circulated by some media which went viral on various social media platforms.

“There have been some suggestions that have not been heeded. That’s all,” the unionist said, adding: “The ILO assessment is necessary to protect the rights of all” subscribers to the corporation.

Founded in 1954, the federation is the sole trade union centre in the country, serving as an umbrella for 17 affiliated unions.

In a statement posted on its website last week, the SSC said: “Any discussions about any amendments will be made public…There will be no surprises nor sudden changes to the law,” noting that in case changes are suggested, the board, which comprises representatives of workers and employers, will discuss them before engaging all other stakeholders. After that, the amendments will be forwarded to the Prime Ministry and then to the Parliament.

AMMAN — Eco-tourism in Jordan’s 11 nature reserves opened for a new adventure season, with the numbers of visitors expected to increase this year, according to the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

With new services, hiking trails and picnicking areas introduced to its nature reserves over the past year, the RSCN said they expect the number of tourists seeking outdoor activities at its sites to further increase in 2018.

RSCN Director General Yehya Khaled said that RSCN-run eco-tourism sites close down during winter for safety purposes but are now all open to adventure-seekers.

The Mujib Biosphere Reserve and the Rummana Campsite in Dana Biosphere Reserve, both of which close during winter, are now open while a new picnicking site in Dibbeen Forest Reserve and new guest rooms in Dana Guesthouse were launched in the middle of the tourist season last year.

“Last year, the society’s sites and nature reserves witnessed the highest number of visitors ever in the history of the RSCN,” Khaled told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

The RSCN is in the process of preparing its annual report released in May, which provides data on the number of visitors to its sites and reserves and the profits generated to the benefit of local communities, among other information.

The society’s 2016 annual report indicated that its eight nature reserves and one special conservation area received 141,847 visitors.

“It is true that eco-tourism was affected by the regional political instability over the past years, but recently, the number of local and foreign visitors to our sites is picking up,” Khaled highlighted.

He attributed the increase in the number of visitors to the fact that the RSCN increased the number of guestrooms, eco-lodges and chalets while expanding its tourist services at the nature reserves, which stretch all across the Kingdom.

The RSCN was established in 1966 as an independent non-profit organisation and mandated in 1973 by the government to regulate hunting and protect the Kingdom’s wildlife.

AMMAN — By the end of 2018, a total of 38 nurseries benefitting more than 1,500 children of working mothers will be built in various public and private institutions across the country, Mohammed Miqdadi, acting secretary general of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), said on Tuesday.

The move is part of a JD3.5 million nationwide project to build 80 nurseries in all governorates by 2020, he told The Jordan Times, adding that they are expected to encourage more women to join the labour market while creating some 700 jobs.

Some agreements were signed, while others are in the pipelines and soon to be signed, he added.

The project, implemented in cooperation with the NCFA and the Labour Ministry, is financed by the Employment, Technical and Vocational Education Training (E-TVET) Fund.

"The project aims to make working mothers feel better when at their workplace… Many women quit their jobs when they have kids as they cannot afford sending their children to nurseries," Miqdadi said, adding "This aims to increase women labour participation and productivity as when women are comfortable at the workplace and not worried about who will take of their kids, they become more motivated…the long term impact of this project is very positive on the whole society."

Each nursery will receive a JD22,000 support, while employers will cover any remaining cost if needed.

"The nurseries will be built in line with international standards, furnished with necessary equipment and provided with well-trained staff to ensure a safe environment for children," he said.

Working mothers expressed their joy with the decision, which they said was a step all institutions should follow.

Rana Mohammad, an employee at one of the professional associations, said that she thought about quitting her job when she had her first child three years ago as there was no nursery at her workplace.

She said she resorted to sending her son to his grandparents' house every day so she can go to work. "I kept doing that for a year and a half, but my mother and my mother-in-law were unable to continue taking care of my son… I reached a point where I could either quit a job that I like or send him to a private nursery," she told The Jordan Times, adding "I wish there were free nurseries or nurseries for nominal fees at my workplace. I earn around JD500 per month and my husband and I pay for the private nursery, some JD180 monthly, which is a lot of money but I do not want to quit my job," she added.

Hala Musa, a bank employee, echoed similar remarks.

"I have one son who is two years old now. I keep him with my mother when I am at work but I am always worried and anxious to finish my job and go home," she said.

"If there was a nursery at the bank, I would feel more comfortable. It is important to have nurseries at workplace as not all people can afford sending their kids to private nurseries which are expensive," she concluded. 

AMMAN — Thirty-two black and white photographs depicting the lives of Christians across the Middle East are covering the walls of the Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Jabal Luweibdeh, as part of the “Nostalghia — Journey among the Christians of the Middle East” exhibition.

Inaugurated on Tuesday by Italian Ambassador Giovanni Brauzzi and the Apostolic Nuntius Alberto Ortega, the show is organised by the Italian embassy in Amman,  within the framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s (MAECI) cultural programme “Italy, Culture, Mediterranean” running through 2018.

“The annual integrated programme, which combines tradition, innovation and creativity, seeks to highlight cultural and social identities as instruments through which to consolidate and strengthen the dialogue between Italy and countries bordering the two shores of the Mediterranean,” according to MAECI.   

Based on listening, dialogue and co–creation, the programme promotes a cooperative approach by encouraging the exchange of ideas between Italian institutions and local players, the representative continued.

“As Italians living in a country where Christians are the majority, we wanted to better understand the lives of Christians living in other parts of the world, especially the Middle East,” photographer Linda Dorigo said when asked about the idea behind hers and journalist Andrea Milluzzi’s project.

“I remember sitting together in Rome on New Year’s 2011, right after hearing about the terrorist attack that took place in Alexandria, Egypt. That really triggered something in us, as we started wondering what life is like for these communities once the media attention vanishes a few days after such attacks,” Dorigo told The Jordan Times ahead of the exhibition.

The pair decided to embark on a journey across the Middle East, cradle of Christianity, where they went on a search of one of the world’s most ancient communities.

Starting from Iran, they spent two years and a half crossing the borders of Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and Jordan, aiming to find a key for reading the present of these communities by questioning their past.

“These artists went on a journey back in the centuries that separates us from our oldest history, marked by meetings, silences, confessions and confidences, which leads us to look into the eyes of the witnesses,” an embassy statement said. 

“We are often told that Middle Eastern Christians are persecuted and victims and we wanted to have a first-hand look at the way they live, see part of the reality by ourselves,” Dorigo said, noting that the team sometimes faced difficulties in accessing certain communities.

“However, what struck us most was the co-existence of these groups with other communities in their country. There was truly a peaceful soul to the shared lives of those people,” she recalled, adding that they received “a lot from help from locals, whatever their religion was”, and were greeted with warmth and generosity.

“Held in the Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, a symbolic place of dialogue between faiths and confessions, this exhibition points out the attention on a page of extraordinary relevance for the Middle Eastern area,” the embassy statement said.

“Nostalghia” is the last chapter of the duo’s book “Rifugio” (or “refuge”), which was published after five years of work. “The set of photographs we chose explores the idea of a psychological state of sadness and regret for the distance from people and loved places, which is what these communities live as they were forced to flee from their land,” said Dorigo, adding: “It also expresses the fear and feeling of danger lying over their identity as they are constantly faced with the unknown of the future.” 

The exhibition, which will run through April 17, is part of the Image Festival Amman’s 8th edition, directed by Linda Khoury with the contribution of the European Union National Institutes for Culture.

AMMAN — The Tourism Ministry is working on a project to link Jerash's archaeological site with the modern city in a bid to extend tourists' stay, Tourism Minister Lina Annab said on Tuesday.

The project aims to give an opportunity to tourists to visit the city centre and lengthen their stay, which would have a positive impact on the city's economy and the local community, Annab told The Jordan Times.

She said that the ministry's efforts to improve the city centre began with the implementation of a project in 2004 that included the rehabilitation of shops and houses' facades in the Shwam neighbourhood and the Eastern Bath's square.

In 2009, another project helped improve the city's roads, pavements, squares and riversides, the minister added.

These projects have laid the groundwork for further organisational measures to create tourism products and services encouraging tourists to include the modern part of the town in their visit, according to Annab, who noted that the ministry has began floating tenders to improve a number of heritage landmarks such as the Roman bridge, Shwam neighbourhood and the Eastern Bath.

The organisational measures, which will be taken in partnership with Jerash Greater Municipality, include removing arbitrary stalls, changing the licences of shops at the baths and the Shwam neighbourhood to be better adapted to touristic purposes, setting standards for the shops' facades and ensuring the cleanliness of the city, the minister said. 

In 2017, the number of visitors reached 250,000, according to the ministry, which stressed that tourists' expenditures are expected to rise with the implementation of the new project.

The local community's economic situation will benefit from such increase, as tourists will have the chance to explore the urban part of the city and get introduced to local foodstuff products and handicrafts.  

According to archaeologists, the modern city of Jerash lies on top of the eastern side of the ancient Roman city, which means that the archaeological park usually visited by tourists is restricted to the western part. 

However, the eastern side offers some surviving Roman monuments, such as the Great Eastern Bath and several attractions from various eras.

AMMAN — Minister of Justice Awad Abu Jarad on Tuesday stressed the Kingdom’s commitment to ensure just treatment for women and children victims of domestic violence.

The minister’s remarks came during a two-day workshop on the “Judicial treatment of violence against women and children” held by the Jordanian Judicial Institute (JJI) in cooperation with the French embassy and the French Judicial Institute.

“Jordan is committed to ensuring equal opportunities, social justice and total respect to human rights values, including safeguarding the legal rights of women and children,” Abu Jarad said, noting that many people who commit violations against women and children “do so claiming it is part of religion or culture”.

“This is neither right nor true. That is why we insist on protecting women and children in our society through good justice practice and procedures,” he added.

Since 2008, and with support from Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, the judiciary sector took several steps to introduce laws and procedures that protect the rights of women and children, the minister pointed out.

President of the JJI Thaer Udwan stressed Jordan's "deep interest in gender rights", noting that the Kingdom has introduced several laws that protect the rights of families in recent years.

“Jordan was one of the leading countries that signed several international conventions related to women and children and has been abiding by their rulings in Jordanian courts,” Udwan stressed.

French Ambassador to Jordan David Bertolotti stressed the importance of the event as “justice is a reflection of society in every problem. It is therefore important that we address such issues without fearing any taboos or social restrictions”.

He highlighted the need “to tackle judicial reforms and exchange experiences with the French judiciary”, saying “We have always encouraged a justice free of discrimination to ensure equality for all Jordanian people.” 

The Regional Attache of Justice Cooperation at the French embassy,  Fabrice Durand, told The Jordan Times that the event is "an important opportunity to develop judicial training in specific areas and find ways to improve the treatment of violence within the family".

Durand, who has served for 15 years in the French judiciary, said there is great interest from the Jordanian judicial and legal experts attending the event, adding “we want this training to be interactive by bringing the elements of both the Jordanian and French systems."

He voiced hope to see exchanges of good and effective practices in tackling violence against women and children.

“Although there are great differences in the family system and values between the two countries, I think that, beyond those differences, the basic issues of violence are the same in all countries and the basic approach has to be similar because we aim to help vulnerable people,” Durand explained.

Vice Prosecutor at the Paris Court of First Instance Judge Aude Duret said France has gone a long way in terms of protecting victims of domestic violence.

“In the 1960s, the judiciary considered violence acts as only the physical type that left traces on the victim’s body,” Duret told the gathering.

But today, she added, “France has expanded its understanding of violence against women and children and adopted laws that the people voted on. They are laws that protect individuals without taking into consideration religion or social value.”

AMMAN — Jordan’s Ambassador to Egypt and its Permanent Representative at the Arab League Ali Ayed on Tuesday said that the Kingdom supports the decisions and initiatives taken by the 22-member organisation, as part of a preparatory meeting of the 29th Arab Summit, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Ayed expressed his hope that the upcoming Summit will be a sequel to previous events in tackling challenges facing Arabs, and that it will help find suitable solutions to protect national security and the generations’ future. 

He stressed that the Palestinian issue is “still a priority” and that Jordan, in coordination with other Arab countries, has been exerting all efforts to reject the American decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy City.

Ayed underlined that the Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, the Custodian of Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem, has taken diplomatic action with the international community to urge Israel to start negotiations with Palestinians in order to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the pre-1967 borders.

He emphasised Jordan’s condemnation of all terrorist acts, including missiles fired on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthi militias, stressing Jordan’s full support to Saudi in its response to these repeated attacks.

During the meeting, the presidency was handed over from Jordan to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Prince Khalid Bin Faisal expressed his appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah for his achievements during Jordan’s presidency in the previous summit, according to Petra. 

AMMAN — Some 80 “little volunteers” aged from three to 12 years old last week took part in a solidarity cooking event aimed at helping to empower single women from the Hussein refugee camp.

“It had been a while since I was looking for a way to empower local vulnerable women through my initiative and, after finding out that a number of single mothers living in Hussein camp had no source of income to provide for their household, the idea of the cooking session started,” recalled Zeina Asfour, who founded Little Volunteers (LV) in 2014, out of the desire to engage her three-year-old daughter in a volunteering initiative suitable for young children.

Organised by LV in collaboration with Playground, Oui Chef and Prime Fresh Food, the activity saw the participation of over 80 children and their parents through two cooking sessions.

Danah Al Taji, whose kids have been with Little Volunteers for one and a half years, said: “It’s a great way to teach kids the values we want to raise them with and instill them in a practical way rather than by giving lectures. I truly noticed a change in my children in terms of empathy, selflessness and feeling with others.”

“Kids really get involved by themselves and know where the money they raise is going,” she said, noting that 12-year-old Awn and eight-year-old Jouri now take money out of their own savings to participate in events that “they never want to miss despite anything they have on their schedule”.

Though two cooking stations, overseen by 11-year-old chef Maya from Oui Chef, groups of children learned to bake pizzas while learning about the purpose of volunteering. 

“As they start making pizzas, kids learn about the aim of the activity, the importance of solidarity and financial independence for underprivileged communities,” Asfour told The Jordan Times, stressing the importance of interacting on the concept of volunteering with the young participants.

“I believe that children are extremely smart, and that they understand very well what volunteering is all about. I think they understand better than adults as they start discussing and exchanging among one another. Children are very passionate and genuine, which a key element in volunteering,” the mother of two said. 

Citing the examples of underprivileged neighbourhoods she has witnessed, seven-year-old participant Alma Dado said that she loved taking part in the fun activities as “it let her help other people who don’t have enough money to put their children in good schools, not really good houses and not enough food to feed their families”. 

The little volunteers then turned to the dessert station, where they baked cookies to be handed out to the event’s beneficiaries.

“At that station, the kids move on to the ‘giving part’ as they bake food that will be given to the women supported by the activity. With each batch of cookies they make, they include a personalised card for the recipient,” Asfour explained, highlighting that “this is where the true essence of giving comes in as children are asked to create a note where they can write or draw anything they want to say to support the person receiving their gift”.

“I was amazed by the kindness and generosity displayed in these cards, with messages reading ‘we love you’, ‘we support you’ which is really when the connection between the kids and the women is created. Through this direct link, the kids get to understand the aim of their action and this is for me the most important part,” she explained.

“Since my three children took part in their first cleaning and tree planting event with LV in 2015, they have gained self control and a sense of goodwill,” Maramawni Al Said told The Jordan Times, also adding “I believe that we should always teach our children to do good things not for the rewards whether verbal or material, but for themselves and for others.”

By partnering with local organisations which provided full sponsorship and cooking products for free, Asfour was able to direct all proceeds from the entrance fee to support three single mothers in developing a sustainable income making project.  

“We gathered data... on the situation of some of the women living in Hussein refugee camp and we chose three ladies whose status was deemed as ‘very vulnerable’. We carefully looked at the project these women could implement and provided them support to establish a long term initiative that will help them create a revenue for themselves and their families,” Asfour said.

“We do not want to just hand out money as charity, but rather help empower these women in becoming self sustainable, which is something we strive to explain to our kids,” she continued, noting that children are taught the importance of supporting their peers in a solidary rather than “money donating way”.