Local

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”.

AMMAN — British Secretary of State of International Development Secretary for the United Kingdom Penny Mordaunt on Tuesday met with women leaders to discuss means of supporting the demands of the women’s movement in Jordan.

During her one-day visit to the Kingdom, Mordaunt met with representatives from the women’s movement at the British Ambassador Edward Oakden’s residence where she launched the UK’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

The British official praised Jordan for being one of the first countries to launch its own plan, and discussed how to further prevent violence against women and girls in the country.

She pointed to the need to support and enable all sectors of society, including women, stressing the UK's keenness “to support gender rights in Jordan in the best manner”.

Mordaunt confirmed that Jordan will receive £110 million of UK aid funding for 2018/19, and announced that her country will provide up to double its current funding for economic resilience in Jordan.

“The UK’s aid will boost the resilience and inclusivity of Jordan’s economy and harness the power of the private sector to create thousands of jobs,” Mordaunt stated, noting that the support is part of the UK’s long-term partnership with Jordan, which was discussed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May and King Abdullah in November.

“Jordan is a beacon of hope and security in the Middle East. We are committed to transforming the country’s economy and helping the government deliver on its commitment to create 200,000 jobs and give every child an education," Mordaunt said.

She stated that her country will stand by the government of Jordan in creating a more resilient and inclusive economy and society so that “all Jordanians and refugees get the opportunities they deserve, regardless of gender or disability”. 

By empowering vulnerable people to provide for themselves and their families, “we are reducing Jordan’s reliance on traditional forms of aid”, Mordaunt stressed, adding that this will build on the UK’s existing support for inclusive schools for children with disabilities so that all Jordanian and Syrian refugee children of all abilities can have the opportunities they deserve.   

For her part, Minister of Social Development Hala Lattouf praised the women’s movement’s achievements over the years. 

“I see here all walks of women who have greatly contributed to the advancement of women in Jordan,” Lattouf told the gathering, adding that "this is why we will continue to prosper because everyone here loves this country and is willing to work on human issues”.

As part of her official visit, Mordaunt went to Om Amaar inclusive school in Amman, where she outlined the UK’s commitment to help Jordan provide an inclusive educational system. 

She then toured the rehabilitation service in Zarqa where she was briefed on how the British aid is helping transform the lives of Jordanian and refugee children, regardless of gender or disability, according to an embassy statement.

Mordaunt also held a roundtable with business leaders at the Jordan Strategy Forum to discuss how the power of the private sector can help deliver growth and jobs in Jordan.

The press release outlined the UK aid to Jordan, which included helping to bring over £150 million investment from other donors to support the education reform, as well as providing grants to create jobs, boost productivity and increase economic resilience. It also entails helping construct critical infrastructure benefitting millions of people and creating thousands of jobs, such as a landfill site in Amman currently under construction that will help 4 million people in the local area.

The support also secured giving live-saving support to 60,000 of some of the most vulnerable Jordanians and refugees, including healthcare and rehabilitation for people with disabilities, the press release said.

AMMAN — A group of MPs on Tuesday called on the government to reactivate the recently-suspended Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey.

In a memorandum they submitted to the Lower House permanent office to be forwarded to the government, a total of 20 deputies called for reactivating the FTA with Turkey, citing Jordan's needs of such an agreement in light of the border closures as a result of turbulent surrounding.

The government in March suspended the FTA with Turkey, citing Ankara's failure to meet its commitments under the partnership agreement that went into effect in 2011. 

The government at the time said that the decision came came to “support the industrial, agricultural and productive sectors in Jordan and render them more competitive locally and overseas”.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the government's justifications to cancel the FTA with Turkey "because not based on real evaluation", signatories of the memo, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times, said that the decision "came abruptly and without prior warning".

They also said that the validating reasons for signing the FTA with Turkey were the "exact opposite" of the validating reasons for cancelling it. 

In recent remarks to The Jordan Times, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah said Jordan is willing to reactivate the free trade agreement with Turkey if Ankara agrees to meet certain conditions.

The terms, he said, include the Turkish side’s consent to protection measures Jordan will design to protect local industries, increasing Turkish technical assistance to Jordan as stipulated by the FTA and reconsidering the "strict" rules of origin specifications applied by Turkey.

Jordan wants Ankara to adopt the same relaxed rules of origin Jordan enjoys under a deal signed with the EU, the minister said.

AMMAN — Head of the Lower House's Economy and Investment Committee Khair Abu Saileik on Tuesday said that Jordan will host an international economic forum on May 2-3 on the shores of the Dead Sea.

During a press conference at the Lower House, Abu Saileik said that the high-profile forum will be under a Royal patronage. 

The MP said that more than 500 economic figures will be participating in the conference, which will discuss a number of issues related to public-private sectors partnerships,  public administration, human capital, geopolitics and geoeconomics and innovation and scientific research. 

He also said that the forum is part of the House's roles to enhance economic and investment opportunities in the country and its endeavour to translate economic plans and strategies into facts on the ground. 

Abu Saileik added that the forum will discuss ways to stimulate and facilitate local and international investments in Jordan and ways to utilise the strategic location of the country.

The MP said that the forum will also discuss ways to accelerate the implementation of the Jordan Document 2025, the National Financial and Economic Reform Programme and the Jordan Economic Growth Stimulation Plan, which aim to immunise Jordan economically and financially from external shocks.

Mechanisms and strategies to improve the performance of public executive, legislative and judicial agencies,  with the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable economic growth, will be also among the major topics of the two-day forum, he added. 

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hamzah on Tuesday inaugurated the first international conference on modern nanotechnology and its applications at the Jordan University for Science and Technology (JUST).

University President Saeb Khreisat said that establishing the Nanotechnology Institute aims at encouraging scientific and cognitive investment in advanced entrepreneur fields, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Head of the three-day conference Mohammad Omari said that the event will address several applications of nanotechnology, including sciences of energy effective material, environment and sustainable development, and magnetic materials, among others.

Prince Hamzah and Khreisat toured the institute which was established in 2010 under a Royal initiative as the first facility to provide a proper environment for nanotechnology research. 

AMMAN — Minister of Public Works and Housing Sami Halasa on Tuesday called on Jordanian contractors to merge in alliances and unions to be able to compete with foreign firms.

During a visit to the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association (JCCA), Halasa said that tenders for medium-size and big projects will be floated soon in various governorates to build schools and health centres and to rehabilitate roads with a value of JD200 million.

He added that other four tenders with a value of JD100 million will be floated under the Bus Rapid Transit project, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He added that Finance Minister Omar Malhas pledged to provide necessary money to pay government's debts to contractors, noting that JD10 million, out of JD54 million, will be paid in April and May for contractors.

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat and Commander of Special Operations at the US Command Central Maj. Gen. Darsie D. Rogers on Tuesday discussed the latest developments at the regional and international levels.

They also discussed means of cooperation and coordination in issues of mutual interest to the armed forces of both countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.