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AMMAN — The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has provided treatment for a Jordanian youth Orwa Qawabaa at the Jordan University Hospital under the directives of the prime minister, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Thursday.

The JFDA said in a statement that the patient is suffering from the rare “Wilson” disease, for which the treatment is neither registered in Jordan nor in the region.

The administration noted that the treatment costs up to $80,000 and lasts for four months. The JFDA added that it has been in contact with the US manufacturer’s regional office, which provided the necessary treatment through an association affiliated with the manufacturer.

On Thursday, JFDA Director General Hayel Obeidat handed the treatment over to the hospital’s Director General Abdel-Aziz Ziadat and the patient’s family.

AMMAN — The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Thursday hosted the Deputy Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy Jim Barnhart, who is also the country’s USAID programme director, according to an IEC official.

During discussions held with the commission’s officials and personnel, Barnhart reviewed the USAID strategy and work mechanisms in Jordan, which cover the areas of education, water, economic development, energy, democracy, governance, health, gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

He reiterated the US’s support to Jordan’s efforts in meeting its challenges, especially in the development fields. 

AMMAN — In celebration of National Women’s History Month, the Jordanian American Association of Washington, DC (JAADC) on Wednesday hosted Jordanian ambassador Dina Kawar as part of its Leadership Series (LS), a JAADC statement said.

Through these series, JAADC brings leaders from Jordan and the US to discuss issues of concern for both countries’ longstanding partnership.

The discussion tackled women’s rights and empowerment in Jordan; challenges and opportunities facing the Jordanian government as well as the private sector and civil society’s efforts to close the gender gap.

Kawar also discussed US-Jordan bilateral relations and the latest regional developments, including the Syria refugee crisis.

She commended the work of JAADC in strengthening the Jordanian-American community while emphasising the importance for Jordanian expatriate communities to organise and be civically engaged in their area.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita on Wednesday discussed ways to boost economic cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During talks held at the Foreign Ministry, Safadi and Bourita agreed to set up a taskforce to recommend, within a 10-day deadline, practical measures to implement the already agreed-upon plans to bolster economic cooperation in various fields including trade, investment, pharmaceuticals and tourism. 

The two diplomats said that the legislative frameworks and agreements are already in place; however, much more has to be done to activate these deals and increase trade exchange and mutual investments.

The two ministers also discussed several regional issues including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Syrian war and refugee crisis.

They went over the issue of Western Sahara, with Safadi stressing Jordan’s “absolute” support of the territorial integrity of Moroccan lands and the efforts to solve the issue under the Moroccan Autonomy Proposal.

For his part, Bourita said that the Jordanian-Moroccan ties are “very special” and based on everlasting solidarity and cooperation.

He acknowledged, however, that the two countries need to boost economic relations, given the existence of legal frameworks governing more than 115 agreements.

Also on Wednesday, Safadi met with the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

During the meeting, Safadi and Hahn discussed efforts to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.

Safadi outlined the burdens that Jordan is shouldering due to hosting 1.3 million Syrian refugees, of whom 90 per cent live outside to Camps.

For his part, Hahn stressed the EU’s appreciation for Jordan’s role as a “cornerstone of stability and security in the region”.

AMMAN — Despite the Daesh terror group's  military retreat in the Arab region, many of the drivers that pushed individuals to join the violent extremist group have not been addressed, leading ultra-radical groups to adjust their recruitment techniques accordingly, a recent report by the West Asia-North Africa (WANA) Institute showed.

While most Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) efforts have focused on the symptoms of radicalisation, few have tried to address the root grievances that encourage vulnerable and marginalised individuals to turn to violent extremism, said researcher at WANA Alethea Osborne.

Driven by an ideal

Although socio-economic frustrations are often cited as the main drivers for radicalisation, they cannot alone explain the attraction towards violent extremism, the report underscored.

“Since violent extremist groups offer a new worldview and purpose, they can be seen as an opportunity by these individuals,” Osborne told The Jordan Times.

She warned against the widespread idea that people joining extremist groups are doing so only out of despair. “For many young people, the feeling of ‘having been let down’ by the state which ‘does not meet their needs’ is a more important driver to enrolling in such groups,” she claimed, noting that “despite exerting their best efforts in achieving a certain status, some of these youth feel like they will never be able to reach a certain position as they do not have the connections needed by a system ruled by nepotist tendencies.”

Osborne stressed the importance to understand the nuances involved in such allegiances to extremist groups. “It is not only because someone is poor that they will join a terrorist group; instead, they will see it as an opportunity that will bring them more economic and social gains, in addition to providing them with a purpose.”

In the UN’s 2018 World Happiness Report published earlier this month, Jordanians were shown to be “less happy” than in the previous years, ranking 90th out of 156 nations.

Austerity measures fueling growing frustrations

However, socio-economic frustrations such as price hikes, unemployment, nepotism, government inefficiencies and lack of political representation do play a great part in leading individuals to violent extremism, the researcher explained. 

For Hussein Khuzai, professor of sociology at Balqa Applied University, Jordan’s 16-place drop in the UN report can largely be attributed to socio-economic reasons including high rates of unemployment among the youth, price and tax hikes, rise in crime rates, in addition to Amman being classified among the top most expensive Arab cities.

Since the introduction of several price hikes and austerity measures by the government in February 2018, Jordanians have voiced an increasing sentiment of resentment towards the authorities. 

A number of protests have spread across the country, denouncing the dangers looming from such decisions.

A protester who took part in a demonstration calling for the dissolution of the Parliament, Zeyad Jibril, said: “The government’s policies make people hungry...  More than half of the people live under the poverty line and the rise of these prices will result in crimes, and many other problems.” 

The government has refuted such claims and the 2018 draft state budget included, for the first time, a social safety network/cash subsidy with a value of JD171 million to make up for rising cost of living brought by lifting subsidies on bread and other commodities.  

According to Osborne, “a quiet majority of the population is close to breaking point as a result of the increased living costs, high unemployment rates, and economic stagnation”.

“It is especially prevalent in areas outside of the capital, where most individuals feel like they have been marginalised from the development process which is [perceived to be exclusive to]…. the capital,” she continued.

Focus on human security measures 

Highlighting the intricacy of the reasons accounting for such allegiances, Osborne pointed to the need to reconceptualise the human security paradigm to increase the resilience of marginalised groups and help communities resist the appeals of violent extremism in the future

“Focusing on tight security measures including arrests, curfews and so on will not help in solving the grassroots factors causing this phenomenon. Instead, it is crucial to understand the context-specific triggers and develop softer approaches such as civic engagement and the establishment of youth centres, where vulnerable people will have a space to cultivate critical thinking and out-of-the-box attitudes,” the researcher explained, noting that this will help them in developing inventive economic opportunities.

She suggested that more focus should be put on rehabilitation programmes for returnees in order to learn more about the reasons that pushed them to join these violent groups.

“This will help in drafting the best policies to mitigate the rise of a new generation of fighters,” she explained, noting that Jordan counted one of the highest numbers of foreign fighters in terms of per capita in the past, along with Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. 

“Ultimately, it is impossible to say x plus y equals terrorist and we need to keep in mind that radicalisation is a process which cannot be tackled by an arrest which just comes at the end of the process. Instead, policies need to identify and tackle the roots,” Osborne said.

AMMAN­ — Establishing a Jordanian-Kenyan free zone in Aqaba would boost trade exchange with many African countries; however, the project has to be well studied to avoid unfavourable fallouts, Jordanian economists said.

During the recent meeting of the Jordanian-Kenyan Business Forum, the government announced that a study was under way to create a free zone in Aqaba, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday.

State Minister for Investment Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh said that the zone aims to create Kenyan and joint investments to boost trade exchange with Kenya and other African countries.

Shehadeh said that the two countries were negotiating customs incentives agreements to increase the trade volume, which is still low at $14 million a year.

The agreement would help the Kingdom enter Kenya, which, in turn, would be a gateway to other African countries, the minister was quoted by Petra as saying.

During the forum, Shehadeh urged Jordanian businesspeople to establish a logistics company in Mombasa, Kenya’s main seaport, to facilitate procedures for marketing Jordanian products in the African nation, which opened its embassy in Amman last year.   

In light of the closure of several markets such as Syria, Iraq and Libya, the Kingdom needs to open new markets to increase exports and support the industrial sector, Yousef Damra, an economist, said Wednesday.

The zone would also attract international investors to establish manufacturing facilities to export to Africa, which would create more jobs for Jordanians, Damra told The Jordan Times.

“Yet, the government should take into consideration the competitive features of Jordanian products destined for the Kenyan market to avoid the repetition of previous experiences that were not in favour of the Jordanian industrial sector,” said Damra.

Veteran economist and banker, Mifleh Aqel, said that establishing the zone should be preceded by other measures such as evaluating the trade volume on a longer term to ensure that the Jordanian economy would benefit from the new project.

“As Kenya has access to far-eastern countries, its market should be well examined in terms of how competitive Jordanian products would be,” Aqel said.

For Mazen Irsheid, another pundit, the plan would provide new destinations for the Kingdom’s exports and the industrial sector.

Kenya could be a promising gateway to African consumers when the trade balance tilts in favour of Jordan, according to Irsheid.

He agreed with the recent government’s decision to freeze the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey as it had harmed the Jordanian industry.

The trade volume stood at JD600 million, of which JD500 million were imports from Turkey, he said.

Meanwhile, the Jordan-US FTA is a fruitful deal, he said, as the Kingdom’s exports to the American market reach JD1 billion, while the imports are around JD950 million.

Reaching out to African trade partners has been part of a plan to open new markets after Jordan’s traditional markets and trade routes have become almost blocked due to regional political instability. 

Also in 2017, Jordan and Kenya agreed to establish a joint business council to exchange economic information and feasibility studies, in addition to launching the Jordanian-Kenyan business forum.

Chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kiprono Kittony said Kenya is open to investment and ranks fourth in the world as an investment-attracting destination adding that Kenya serve as an entry point for Jordan to reach the markets of East Africa, which has a population of 150 million people, according to Petra.

Jordan can also benefit from the markets of the COMESA countries, or  “Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa”, according to Kittony.

AMMAN — Jordan has agreed to the Israeli government’s  nomination of Amir Weissbrod as its new ambassador to the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, citing an official source.

This came as a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a letter from Israel after all formalities had been completed, he said. 

Jordan last year told Israel to “hold on” with regard to the return of the former envoy, Einat Schlein, to Amman after an embassy guard shot dead two Jordanians in a nearby residential building rented by the embassy for its staff. 

On July 23rd, 16-year-old Mohammad Jawawdeh was killed, along with the landlord, Bashar Hamarneh, a doctor. The killer left Jordan to Israel protected by his diplomatic immunity, a matter which triggered widespread public outrage in Jordan. 

Later, Amman was angered when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a hero’s welcome to the man and sent a letter to Israel stating that it would not allow the return of the Israeli mission until it received guarantees of a serious investigation into the case, stressing that Jordan wanted proper legal action to be taken against the suspect first.

Earlier in January, Israel officially apologised for the incident and compensated the families of the two victims, and for the family of Raed Zuaiter, a judge at the Amman Court of First Instance who was killed at King Hussein Bridge during an argument with an Israeli soldier in March 2014.

AMMAN — The government on Wednesday pledged to implement a three-year national strategy and action plan to reduce physical violence against children in Jordan.

The pledges were made during the launch of the Multi-Sectoral National Plan of Action to End Physical Violence in Jordan that was organised by the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) and UNICEF.

The national plan, developed jointly by government line ministries, institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations, media and the UN, aims at significantly reducing physical violence against children in all settings in Jordan by transforming social norms and practices.

Several relevant ministers attended the launch event to discuss the problem of violence against children in Jordan and at the same time pledge to implement the three-year blueprints.

Minister of Education Omar Razzaz told the gathering that violence at schools is “a reality and is one of the challenges we face in public and private schools”.

“The ministry works in cooperation with the concerned partners to implement a comprehensive plan of action that includes structural, preventive and treatment programs to protect students from violence and reduce it to a minimum,” the minister said.

Minister of Social Development Hala Lattouf added that the elimination of violence against children in all its forms is a priority that requires the concerted efforts of all concerned institutions using a scientific method in the diagnosis, assessment and intervention regarding violence against children. 

Minister of Health Mahmoud Sheyyab pointed out that violent forms of discipline can lead to physical pain, injury and even mutilation, and have serious and long-term consequences on children's lives. 

“Wounds and bruises may disappear, but mental and psychological scars will not. Corporal punishment hampers the child's growth, learning abilities and academic performance, and leads to a decline in self-esteem in the child, psychological stress and depression, and sometimes leads to risk of self-harm and hostile behaviour,” Sheyyab said.

In addition, Sheyyab continued, violence entails significant economic costs for Jordanian society.

Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdul Nasser Abul Bassal said Islam does not tolerate violence against children, adding that “Sharia is clear about perpetrators: they will be punished”.

Abul Bassal added that scholars, imams and men and women preachers have an important role to play in communicating that to all segments of the society.

“The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is planning activities that seek to develop and deepen a common understanding among members of society aimed at condemning physical violence against children and spreading messages based on religious texts and societal values on parental care and effective educational practices promoted by Islam,” Abul Bassal stressed.

Meanwhile, Director of the Public Security Department (PSD) Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud, stressed that the PSD is committed to introducing new mechanisms to reduce physical violence against children. 

The Family Protection Department strives towards expanding its geographical reach across all governorates, through improved services and opening of additional family protection units to guarantee that children and families continue receiving the best protection services, Hmoud added.

Acting Secretary General at the NCFA Mohammad Miqdadi also addressed the gathering, saying that the council works to promote a set of principles to provide protection for children. 

“These principles include strengthening partnership and coordination among all concerned institutions, and follow-up to ensure provision of high quality child protection services,” Miqdadi said. 

Speaking as a private sector representative, Zain Jordan’s Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Hanandeh said that being part of the local community, “Zain strongly believes in the significance of creating awareness among the society to contribute in eliminating violence in its various types and substituting these unacceptable acts with positivity, care and compassion needed to create a brighter future for our leaders of tomorrow”.

UNICEF Jordan representative Robert Jenkins told the gathering that the inter-sectoral strategy and action plan is a tremendous achievement by the government of Jordan, civil society, media and the private sector. 

“UNICEF is committed to striving with you and providing all support possible in ending violence against children — which will also contribute greatly towards Jordan achieving its Vision 2025 and the Sustainable development Goals,” Jenkins stressed.

Jordan made significant progress in addressing violence against children, especially in schools and classrooms, said chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Maha Homsi. 

But violence against children continues to persist at homes and other settings, according to Homsi. 

“Whether at home, work or school, and in any form, whether the violence is physical, psychological or sexual, and by anyone, whether a guardian, caregiver, teacher or peer – combating violence against children requires a comprehensive and multifaceted response to address underlying causes,” Homsi told The Jordan Times.

Homsi pointed to alarming figures by the Department of Statistics Family Health Study for 2012 which indicated that “nine out of ten children were subjected to violent discipline practices at home”.

“We believe that the numbers will not change. This is a very high rate,” Homsi added.

Homsi said the plan from the meeting today and the subsequent application of the three-year plan is to hopefully reduce by 50 per cent the physical violence from parents against children, physical violence from teachers against  children and bullying between children”.

“This is an ambitious plan and we hope we will be able to achieve it when all these ministries commit to the plan and give us priority to implement it,” Homsi explained.

The national plan will be implemented in a collaborative manner, drawing upon strengths and resources of all potential partners, according to a press release by UNICEF. 

As part of the Strategy, UNICEF and NCFA have also assisted partners in developing integrated action plans and providing them with resources and platforms to jointly contribute towards ending violence against children in Jordan, the press release stated.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Wednesday stressed Jordan's support for the efforts of “the legitimate Palestinian leadership, represented by President Mahmoud Abbas”, to restore the rights of Palestinian people.

The remarks came during a meeting with Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Saeb Erekat, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The meeting aimed to discuss developments on resuming efforts to solve the Palestinians-Israelis conflict on the basis of the two-state solution prior to the upcoming Arab summit that will be hosted by Saudi Arabia next month.

Safadi stressed the importance of Arab collective endeavours to work with the international community to address the consequences of the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as capital of Israel and assert that the status of Jerusalem is a final status issue that has to be determined through direct negotiations, according to relevant UN resolutions. 

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hamzah celebrates his birthday on Thursday.

Born in Amman on March 29, 1980, Prince Hamzah received his elementary education in the capital before completing his secondary studies at Harrow School in England.

He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, graduating as a commissioned officer on December 10, 1999, with several awards including the Sandhurst Sword of Honour, granted to the best overseas cadet and the Prince Saud Abdullah Prize, presented to the cadet with the best aggregate mark in academic subjects.

His Majesty King Abdullah officially named him as crown prince on February 7, 1999, until November 28, 2004.

Serving as an officer in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army’s 40th Armoured Brigade, Prince Hamzah, who currently holds the rank of colonel, attended several military courses and attachments in Jordan, the UK, Poland, Germany and the US.

He served with the Jordan-United Arab Emirates force operating in the former Yugoslavia under the umbrella of international peacekeepers.

The prince graduated from Harvard University in 2006. He obtained his master’s degree in defence studies from King’s College, London, in July 2011.

He was sworn in as Regent on numerous occasions and deputised for King Abdullah on a number of missions in the Kingdom and abroad.

Prince Hamzah chaired the Royal Advisory Committee on the Energy Sector and was also honourary president of the Jordan Basketball Federation.

The recipient of several decorations from Jordan and other countries including Bahrain, Italy and The Netherlands, the prince is also chairman of the board of trustees of the Royal Automobile Museum, president of the Royal Aero Sports Club of Jordan and president of Al Shajarah (Tree) Protection Society. He is also the honourary president of the Arab Robotics Association

The prince’s daughter, HRH Princess Haya, was born on April 18, 2007.

He married Princess Basmah on January 12, 2012, and on November 3, 2012 they welcomed a baby girl who they named HRH Princess Zein. On July 5, 2014, they had HRH Princess Noor. In April 8, 2016, they had another baby girl, HRH Princess Badeah.

The prince is a qualified rotor and fixed-wing aircraft pilot, and enjoys other sports such as free-fall diving, target shooting and horseback riding.