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AMMAN — The Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit 2018 concluded on Tuesday at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre in the Dead Sea, with participants stressing the need for more international efforts to ensure to education, protection, nutrition and physical and mental health for children.

“You're meeting today at the lowest point on earth and the only way to go is up," said HRH Prince Ali during the closing session of the summit, thanking the Laureates and Leaders for Children movement for their unwavering efforts to deliver a brighter future for children around the world. The Prince also called upon all attendees to continue in their march for children’s rights.  

Participants had called on the international community and the United Nations to reinforce efforts to secure peace and reduce global military expenditures by 10 per cent annually in order to allocate more funding towards sustainable development and services geared towards children, according to a statement from Prince Ali office.

Participants also called urged governments and international organisations to continue safeguarding children’s rights, particularly refugees, and to continue working toward safeguarding their access to education, protection, nutrition and physical and mental health.  

Laureates and children movements' leaders also stressed the importance of expanding the global database at Interpol to monitor child trafficking more effectively and to continue developing policies governing child labour. They also called for signing of a binding agreement against the sexual exploitation of children on the internet in order to better combat child pornography and other forms of online exploitation, the statement said.

A focal issue during the event was the establishment of a framework to guarantee that governments and international organisations honour their commitments towards child protection and ensure the prosecution of crimes against children. 

Participants also demanded more expedited decision making when tackling child protection given that 152 million children today are enslaved by child labour so that others can profit at the expense of their freedom, education and childhood. "Two hundred three million children have no access to formal education and 50 million around the globe are displaced due to war, violence, climate change and lack of opportunities. Annually, 3 million children die by the age of five due to malnutrition, while 7500 die daily due to preventable diseases."

"The summit had made history, while Jordanians have won the hearts of all by generously hosting refugees," Nobel Laureate and Founder of the Laureates and Leaders for Children movement, Kailash Satyarthi, was quoted in the statement as saying. 

AMMAN — Deputy Amman Mayor Hazem Neimat on Tuesday honoured Jordanian photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize during his time as a photographer for the National Geographic Channel.

Neimat highlighted the importance of photographs in tourism media, as they constitute a strong tool to encourage tourist to visit sites, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He noted that Amman has dozens of archaeological and tourist sites, which require more global promotion in cooperation with all stakeholders.

Muheisen, who has received several Arab and international prizes throughout his career, expressed his readiness to cooperate with the Greater Amman Municipality to organise a photo exhibition highlighting the urban development of the capital.

AMMAN — Finance Minister Omar Malhas said that the government may consider issuing $1-billion eurobonds in the fourth quarter of the year, if it was deemed necessary.

Malhas' remarks came during Tuesday's Lower House oversight session in which he added that the lending limits are set in the 2018 State Budget Law, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Jordan issued $500-million worth of eurobonds on international markets in April 2017. The bond was sold with a yield rate of 5.875 per cent.

Citigroup and J.P. Morgan managed the issuance.

More than 150 major global investment funds in the US, the UK and Asia, as well as some funds from the Arab Gulf, were part of the oversubscription.

In 2016, Jordan issued $1-billion eurobonds on international markets. 

Education Minister Omar Razzaz said that the ministry has decreased the number of the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) halls form 1,600 to 600, noting that a "big change" is awaiting the examination, which will include computerising Tawjihi to overcome shortcomings. 

The government, in response to questions by MPs on the size of state-owned lands exchanged with companies and individuals, said that the total area stood at 7.62 million square metres, most of them were forest lands and for "military or security" reasons, adding that the lands were given away under the 1974 State Property Law.

Meanwhile, deputy Mahmoud Neimat said he would refer to the attorney general's office for a suspected corruption case in the lands given to the National Poultry Company (NPC). The MP inquired about lands' area, price and duration of renting. 

Neimat called on the Lower House's integrity committee to start an investigation on renting Treasury lands to the company. 

Malhas said that the total area authorised to NPC is 3,645 dunums, where the authorisation was made to the company to establish poultry slaughterhouse and barracks in 1994, 1999, 2005 and 2007 under Cabinet decisions.

The minister noted that the price for each dunum of land in Qatraneh that the company paid for the government ranged between JD50 and JD250. 

MP Nabil Ghishan described the government's decision to deduct 10 per cent off employees' salaries as "arbitrary" and not based on legal grounds, wondering about the number of employees who were included in the decision and the number of workers who benefitted from amending basic salaries. 

Malhas answered by saying that the 10 per cent deduction decision included 861 public employees, with the collected amounts reaching JD68,000, before the decision was suspended in the beginning of 2018.

AMMAN — Some 450 people on Saturday attended the launch event of the “Empowering Women through Cooking (EWC) — Jordan Cookbook”, a book celebrating the success stories of women in Jordan and creating a platform for sustainable economic growth by bringing together civil society, public and private sector, academia, impact funds, and aid agencies.

The first of its kind, the cookbook gathers 54 Middle Eastern recipes shared by women living in Jordan who shared their stories of empowerment through cooking.

“I grew up around very influential and powerful women like my mother, sisters and grandmothers. I saw the great effects they have on people’s lives. I believe we should encourage empowering women in our society so that incredible things can happen,” said Abdul Majeed Shoman, co-founder of Seven Circles, the company behind the initiative Empowering Through.

“Each recipe captures the personality and background including the struggles and perseverance of these strong women,” said Seven Circles co-founder Dina Saoudi, citing that “these stories will help others share and build a community of engagement and growth”.

Women included in the cookbook, which was developed, printed and published in Jordan as well as endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, include Jordanians, a Swede, an American, a Briton and a Palestinian, all part of the fabric of Jordan.  

Contributing partners include the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Cozmo, Readers, MedLabs, Landmark, among others. “It is critical for us to support local business here in Jordan,” Saoudi told The Jordan Times.

According to Chef Jacques Rossel, director of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, it is still challenging for Jordanian women to enter a professional kitchen environment. “This is why the Royal Academy has made a point to provide the necessary education for these women to leave an imprint on this male-dominated industry,” he said, noting that 40 per cent of the Academy students are now women.

Participating in one of the panel discussions at the event, MedLabs representative Zeina Sahyoun said: “Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives; Women make a house a home. Women are sisters in arms who must love one another, support and boost one another, as women are almost always the first victim of war, anger, slavery and prejudice.”

MedLabs supported the initiative by providing health information including informative icons for each recipe as well as information on allergies and preventative health.  

“As food and cooking is a lifeline of our society, it is crucial to ensure we are all aware of their nutritional aspects, so we enable a healthy society,” Saoudi commented. 

The EWC Jordan Cookbook was launched as part of a global campaign expanding in 17 countries such as South Africa and Peru, which aims to create a global movement and platform connecting and empowering through collaborative partnerships.  

“This is the beginning of a foundational effort ‘Empowering Through’ that will set a new standard of engagement across multiple domains to provide women a platform to learn, be heard, build communities and develop new ways of self-sustaining business,” said Kate Krukiel, who joined the Empowering Through team to design the scalable impact models and approach.

“Partnership across multiple domains is necessary but not always easy. When we come together, listen to the needs of the beneficiary and keep our north star constant the pathway for success opens,” she told The Jordan Times.

Saoudi stressed that an aspect of each “Empowering Through” effort will give back to the community to bring the next generation forward. In the case of the cookbook, part of the proceeds will be donated to the UN World Food Programme and Tkyiet Um Ali, she added.

“It is very important to reinvest back into the central programmes that support these women and advance their progress by providing education and resources as well as the fundamental understanding and awareness of the global agenda surrounding Sustainable Development Goals,” Krukiel noted.

The cookbook designer Rula Khatib-Yanis said: “It’s been such a great honour to work on this project while also being able to commemorate my late mother’s recipe to the cookbook.”

For Saoudi, who voiced her joy to see so many people gathered at the launch, “EWC — Jordan is merely the foundation and beginning of creating a movement to empower women in Jordan and globally.”

AMMAN — The Jordanian team "Robo Ibdaa" will represent the Arab world at the international championship First Lego League (FLL) in Houston, US, after they seized first place at the 11th Arab Robotics Championship in Egypt on Sunday.

Competing against 38 teams from 15 Arab countries, the team excelled in the three main aspects of the FLL Arab championship challenge, including the Robot Game, the Project, and the Core Values, according to Mohammad Abu Fares, one of the Jordanian trainers.

"The robot game requires programming an autonomous robot, while the project entails developing a solution to a real-world problem under a particular theme — water for this edition — all guided by the FLL core values such as teamwork, discovery and team spirit," Abu Fares explained.

The "Robo Ibdaa" (or "Robot Creativity" in Arabic) team members have been receiving their training at Ammar Malhas Technology Centre, a robotics training centre for disadvantaged school students established by the Ibdaa Foundation and funded by Jordanian businessman Ammar Malhas.

The victories achieved by the team are "a real worthwhile investment", according to Malhas, who told The Jordan Times "these young people are the future of Jordan and, with such support, we are building our country, which is not only the land, but also the people and their minds".

For Maha Darwish, the Ibdaa Foundation President, "the collective efforts of the civil society organisations and the private sector funders are what create opportunities, generate hopes, and achieve dreams."

"These young people had great minds and potentials but limited resources. As soon as they were supported and trained, they achieved great success" Darwish recalled.

Raed Ghanem, a senior trainer of the team said: "I have worked as a robotics trainer for years, including outside of Jordan, but I can undoubtedly say that these young people have a unique sense of creativity, passion for learning, patience and determination."

"When we first enrolled in the training, we had very limited knowledge of physics, maths, programming and even English, but the people at the centre from the trainers, coaches, and our fellow colleagues, have taught us so many things and we earned life-long skills," team leader Abdullah Jarwan told The Jordan Times.

"We are all very happy with what we achieved and we hope to raise the name of our country in the international championship as well," said Rahaf Zorba, another team member, adding "we won something that is more valuable than the prize itself. We won great relationships, new lessons and lovely memories."

For her father, Jamal Zorba, "my daughter came back a completely different person. She is now ambitious, independent, and strong."

The Robo Ibdaa team works on rotation, whereby team members are renewed every year since 2014. 

Previous teams won the first place at the 2014's FLL in the US and four trophies in the 2015's season.

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat on Tuesday received US 5th Fleet Commander Vice Admiral John Aquilino and his accompanying delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The two sides discussed joint cooperation and ways of enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries' armed forces.

AMMAN — More than 14 per cent of employees in the Kingdom are not subscribed to the Social Security Corporation (SSC), corporation spokesperson Musa Sbeihi said on Tuesday.

During a meeting with Tafileh's imams and preachers, Sbeihi called for raising awareness among workers on their social security rights and for promoting SSC campaigns that aim to acquaint employees with their rights, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He called on employees to notify the SSC if their employers refuse to register them with the corporation, warning against the dangerous repercussions of such practices on individuals and the society. 

AMMAN — The Italian Government has announced the increase of the number of scholarships to be offered to foreign and Italian students residing abroad to 15 starting from academic year 2018-2019, an embassy statement said.

The scholarships, worth 900 Euros per month, are offered to carry out study, training and/or research programmes in Italian state institutions or university-level institutions.

“This is an opportunity that aims to strengthen cooperation in the cultural, scientific and technological fields between Italy and Jordan, in addition to projecting Italy’s economic model worldwide and disseminating the Italian language and culture,” the statement read. More information can be found about the applications, which are set to close on April 30, at https://studyinitaly.esteri.it 

DEAD SEA — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday attended the opening ceremony of the Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit 2018 that will address the challenges facing children impacted by forced migration.

President of Panamá Juan Carlos Varela, Panamanian First Lady Lorena Castillo de Varela and a number of former presidents of different nations, Nobel Laureates, and 250 government officials, leaders, academics and representatives of civil society organisations from around the world took part in the event, held at King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre on the shores of the Dead Sea.

HRH Prince Ali, who is a member of the Steering Committee for the summit, delivered a keynote speech during the opening ceremony.

“Around the world, in countries and regions affected by conflict, or poverty, triggered by human-made or natural disasters, or even by… climate change, children are bearing the brunt of the suffering,” Prince Ali said.

The summit, he added, is a gathering of people from different backgrounds who all share a strong commitment “to work for a better future for children that is worthy of them” and to put together a collective effort towards ensuring that these children live the lives that they should be living.

Jordan, “in its time-honoured tradition of hospitality no matter how challenging”, has put the protection of refugee communities and children at the top of its priorities, Prince Ali said, noting that the Kingdom “is the largest registered and non-registered refugee-hosting country in the world when compared to the size of its population”.

“Nearly half of all refugees today are children,” the Prince added.

The prince called on participants in the summit to take action on the ground to make a difference in the lives of children.

“Let us utilise this summit to help open the world’s eyes to our children’s dreams and aspirations, because they are today’s hope for a better future,” he said.

In his speech during the opening session, President Varela said: “As a head of state and leader, I feel a special commitment to guarantee every child in my country a fair opportunity and environment to develop, free of any exploitation, abuse, violence and discrimination.”

The president praised Jordan’s efforts to protect “refugees that have fled a horrendous ongoing war in Syria and a still unstable regional situation”, noting that “more international resources are needed in Jordan and the Middle East region for humanitarian aid and to offer hope to the victims of war”.

In a televised message at the ceremony, HRH Princess Haya noted that there are more than 15 million displaced children around the globe due to conflict, violence, climate change and poverty.

She emphasised the importance of working towards addressing the challenges faced by children worldwide, all of whom have the right to live in safety and freedom and to have access to education and protection.

Meanwhile, Founder of Laureates and Leaders for Children, Kailash Satyarthi, delivered an emotional speech in which he stated: “I dream of a world where no child needs to carry a passport or a visa. If technology, knowledge and money can flow freely through borders without having to seek refuge anywhere, why can’t children have the same privilege?”

“I dream of a world where all borders and hearts are open to every child. I dream of a world where childhood is not a charity issue, but where the essence of childhood — innocence, purity and forgiveness — are forces that drive everyday life.”

In remarks in a televised message, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres stressed the importance of holding the summit to address the challenges facing children worldwide, such as violence, poverty and climate change.

The opening ceremony also included an opera-style performance by Jordanian child singer and Arabs Got Talent winner Emanne Beasha.

Launched in 2014 by children’s rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Satyarthi, Laureates and Leaders for Children is a movement that mobilises Nobel Laureates, youth, celebrities and other leading thinkers and influencers across disciplines and generations who are champions for children.

The movement was conceived as an engaging platform to establish the groundwork for a more sustainable and forward-thinking leadership capable of safeguarding the future of the world’s children, particularly in the face of global challenges and chronic social predicaments impacting communities worldwide.

The summit is headed by José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of East Timor.

The summit’s steering committee includes Prince Ali, Panamanian First Lady Lorena Castillo de Varela, Satyarthi, human rights activist and President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Kerry Kennedy, and American economist and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University Jeffery Sachs.

The opening ceremony of the summit was also attended by TRH Prince Feisal, Prince Hashem and Princess Rym Ali.

Senate President Faisal Fayez, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas and a number of ministers and senior officials were also in attendance.

International attendees included former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, as well as current and former officials from various nations, Arab and foreign ambassadors to Jordan and representatives of several international organisations and institutions that have received the Nobel Prize.

AMMAN — The Cabinet, in its meeting on Monday chaired by Prime Minister Hani Mulki, reviewed the monthly agenda related to the Economic Growth Plan to (EGP) for 2018-2022, which was prepared by the government's economic team, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During a press conference at the Prime Ministry on Monday, State Minster for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani told reporters that the government has set a monthly agenda for all sectors to ensure substantial progress in the implementation of the EGP, in a transparent manner and within a fixed timeframe.

Momani said that the agenda comprises two parts, the first of which is the monthly executive programmes of each ministry and public institutions, listing all activities that have to be implemented, while the second part covers the annual evaluation of each sector.

The minister referred to Sunday’s meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Jafar Hassan with editors-in-chief of local newspapers and media outlets to publicise the plan and announce the action schedule and the measures that will be taken by concerned institutions.

The calendar has been posted on www.egp.jo to allow all concerned parties to access information related to the progress in projects in the pipeline on a monthly and a yearly basis.

Momani noted that specific procedures would be taken to follow up on progress in the executive measures associated with the plan, stressing that the implementation of EGP will go simultaneously with the ongoing plan to reform public finance and stimulate the economy.