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AMMAN — United Nations agencies and NGO partners on Tuesday released the 2018 Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), a $4.4 billion plan designed to support over five million refugees from Syria and the vulnerable host communities in neighbouring countries. 

The UNHCR said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Tuesday that despite the generosity shows by neighbouring countries, most Syrian refugee families fall below the poverty line and struggle to meet their basic needs. 

The 3RP aims to address these challenges, bringing together the efforts of some 270 humanitarian and development partners to ensure refugees and host communities receive the support they desperately need, the agency said. 

“The conflict in Syria continues to drive the largest refugee crisis in the world,” said Amin Awad, UNHCR director for the Middle East and North Africa Bureau and Regional Refugee Coordinator for Syria and Iraq. 

“While we hope that a political solution is soon on the horizon, it is vital that we continue our support for Syrian refugee families whose needs and challenges increase with every passing year in displacement,” he added.

The situation for the 1.7 million Syrian refugee school-age children remains particularly worrying. 

“While partners have worked to enroll almost one million children already, over 40 per cent of school-age Syrian refugee children remain out of school. These children are truly becoming part of a lost generation. We must collectively do better in 2018,” Awad added. 

Since its inception four years ago, the 3RP has been at the forefront of international efforts to help neighbouring countries deal with the impact of the Syria crisis, which has taken an increasingly significant social and economic toll as the conflict has continued unabated, the statement said. 

“We must recognise the tremendous efforts made by countries and communities hosting refugees from Syria, providing vital and generous support even while facing their own challenges”, said Mourad Wahba, director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, according to the e-mailed statement.

“As the Syria crisis has become more protracted, host countries have shouldered more of the responsibility for meeting the growing needs of refugees while continuing to support vulnerable communities hosting them.”

“The international community must strengthen its support for host countries in this vital effort,” Wahba said. “3RP partners are pioneers in strengthening the link between humanitarian and development interventions which meet immediate humanitarian needs, while boosting livelihoods, expanding access to critical infrastructure and fostering community development in the long term,” he added. 

“Together, the international community should continue its highest-level support for this coherent approach,” he stressed. 

The 3RP aims to help 5.3 million refugees and 3.9 million members of host communities in 2018 in various sectors, including protection for refugee populations, education, health, food security, livelihoods, and water and sanitation services. 

“In such a volatile region, there is too much at stake, and all 3RP partners look to the international community to generously support our efforts as much as possible,” Awad concluded 

AJLOUN — It is olive season in Jordan and the green areas in the north of the Kingdom are witnessing a busy harvest period. In the village of Anjara, west of Ajloun, farmer Ahmad Al Syouf picks olives with the help of his children.

“This year is worse than the previous ones since the flesh of the olives are producing a less amount of oil," Syouf told The Jordan Times recently, claiming that the lack of rain has resulted in the land becoming dry where the fruit did not grow enough to produce a sufficient amount of oil.

“The production of olive oil is low because the people started picking the fruit earlier than in previous years,” farmer Ammar Bani Salman, told The Jordan Times recently, noting that the fruit should only be picked when completely fresh.

He said that in previous years, there was a lower amount of olive fruits but the production of oil was still higher due to rain. However, farmers tend to hurry in picking the fruits even though the ones who do it later will have higher oil quality.

“They do not care about the quality as much as selling their oil," Bani Salman told The Jordan Times.

"With a good rain, an olive fruit contains 36 per cent oil with the rest being water, but it usually ranges between 18 per cent to 24," explained Sameer Al Fawaz, an olive press owner.

With 50 kilogrammes of olives, only 16 kg of olive oil are produced.

Bani Salman processes the olives he picks in the olive press run by Fawaz.

“We work on a regular basis from late November until January or February, but this year, we expect to finish by mid-December,” the olive press owner told The Jordan Times.

“The factory takes 10 per cent of the olive oil production of each farmer, but does not charge money for the service," Fawaz explained.

 “I have tried all the olive presses in Ajloun and this is the best one because of the quality of the oil and the customer service," Bani Salman said.

To facilitate the production, Fawaz has introduced some improvements in his press such as wooden pallets where the farmers lay their sacks and imported  machines that have sped up the process and improved the quality of the oil production.

The factory currently employs 15 workers in three production lines. The farmers are present during the whole production process of their harvest, from the cleaning of the fruits through the washing, the smashing, the blending and the post production stages.

Some farmers stay at the factory from early morning until midnight as the entire process for a small amount of olives takes up to two hours through what Bani Salman explained to be a "cold processing system".

 “The cold system is better because the oil is tastier and preferred by the customers," the farmer said.

At Bait Al Maqdis, all parts of the olive fruits are utilised: the dough produced from the smashed olive fruits is used for heating and the leaves as animal fodder.

“The olive tree is a holy tree, so you can use all of it," the olive press owner stressed.

This has proven beneficial for the environment and the local economy, as three to four tonnes of dough could warm a house throughout the whole winter while the leaves have replaced other animal fodder, saving large amounts of money for local farmers.

Ajloun trees are especially fertile since almost 60 per cent of the total crops are being harvested this season, while the percentage in other oil producing areas such as Jerash and Irbid is lower, explained Syouf.

Outside the factory, many customers are parking, coming from all over Jordan and other parts of the region, according to Fawaz, who said they receive clients from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, among others.

The olive press, which does not have a shipping service, only sells at the factory venue. “We do not need any marketing strategies because the oil sells itself," the owner noted.

“Ajlouni oil is the best," Moaayad Al Khatib, a customer, claimed.

After the harvest, the farmers immediately start tilling the soil for the next season, earnestly waiting for the much-delayed rain to ensure another successful olive season.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the total area planted with olives in Jordan stands at 1.26 million dunums, constituting 77 per cent of the Kingdom’s area planted with fruit trees. Figures for the current season estimate the total amount of olives at 252,000 tonnes, of which 50,000 tonnes are expected to be used for pickling and the rest to produce some 36,000 tonnes of olive oil.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received Japanese House of Councillors President Chuichi Date who is currently visiting Jordan, according to a Royal Court statement.

During the meeting, attended by Senate President Faisal Fayez, His Majesty and Date stressed the strong relations and high level of cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fight against terrorism through a holistic approach.

His Majesty expressed his appreciation for the support Japan extends to Jordan, which enables the Kingdom to implement development projects and programmes.

His Majesty and Date discussed developments related to Jerusalem in the light of the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the relocation of the US embassy to the occupied city. 

King Abdullah stressed that the Islamic summit in Turkey, slated for Wednesday, will examine challenges ensuing from the US decision, which, he said, would have serious repercussions on the security and stability of the region and efforts to achieve peace.

King Abdullah also emphasised that the international community should take a supportive stance on peace efforts and find a just solution to the Palestinian issue, which, he said, must be settled within the framework of a comprehensive solution that will lead to an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Japanese top lawmaker pointed out that the US decision is a source of concern because of the negative consequences it has on the region.

Date confirmed Japan’s commitment to the two-state solution in order for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to end, stressing that Jerusalem’s issue must be dealt with through final status negotiations based on the resolutions of international legitimacy.

As for the bilateral relations, Date highlighted Japan’s commitment to encouraging investment in Jordan and continuing economic support for Jordan. 

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King Office Director Jafar Hassan, Senator Sakher Dudin, and Date’s accompanying delegation also attended the meeting. 

Also on Monday the Senate president and Date held a meeting to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Fayez pointed out that although Jordan is a small country with limited natural resources that is surrounded by conflicts, wars and terrorist militias, it sets an example of security and stability in the region.

He said US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel violates international legitimacy and makes it difficult to resume the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Date stressed the importance of Jordan’s role in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East, despite the turmoil surrounding it, praising Jordan’s resilience and humanitarian role as a host of a large number of Syrian refugees. 

Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh also met with Date on Monday, emphasizing during talks that Jordan has greatly suffered from the repercussions of the regional situation, mainly due to the refugee waves over the past decades.

Tarawneh pointed out that the recent US decision on Jerusalem has provoked the feelings of Arab and Islamic communities.

The speaker praised Japan for its assistance and pro-peace stance on the Mideast conflict. 

AMMAN — As the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Monday it would refer Jordan to the UN Security Council for not arresting Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir when he visited the Kingdom earlier this year, the government said Monday it was looking into all legal and political options to deal with the decision.

The Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Mohammad Kayed said the government was studying the decision and that it did not take into account the immunity given to presidents, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The decision was a form of discrimination against Jordan, he added, claiming that it had legal loopholes.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010 over his alleged role in war crimes including genocide in Sudan's Darfur province. 

Jordan, as a member of the ICC, is obliged to carry out its arrest warrants, Reuters reported on Monday.

A source, who preferred not to be named, said Jordan did not receive anything officially from the ICC.

"Presidents have immunity according to international law," the source told The Jordan Times on Monday, adding that "the Arab League charter stipulates that we invite all presidents," the source added.

In March this year, Bashir attended the 28th Arab summit that was held on the eastern shores of the Dead Sea. He was invited by Jordan for the annual gathering of Arab leaders. Jordan then announced its abidance of the Arab Charter regarding the attendance of the Arab summit.

Sudan is not a member of the Hague-based permanent international war crimes court, and the ICC therefore does not have automatic jurisdiction to investigate alleged war crimes there, according to
Reuters.

However, the UN Security Council referred the case to the international court in March 2005. The Security Council has the power to impose sanctions for a failure to cooperate with the ICC, but has so far not acted on court referrals.

Bashir is accused by ICC prosecutors of five counts of crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, forcible transfer torture and rape, as well as two counts of war crimes for attacking civilians and pillaging. He faces three counts of genocide allegedly committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in Darfur, Sudan, from 2003 to 2008. Sudan rejected such allegations as groundless. 

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Monday reiterated that Jordan sees the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as illegal, in breach of the international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

During a press conference with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi, Safadi said that he and Marsudi discussed Jerusalem issue, which both reject, and would coordinate efforts to respond to the decision.

He noted that Jordan is working with Arab and Muslim countries to coordinate with international community to ensure that the two-state solution is implemented, leading to the emergence of an independent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 lines.

The minister quoted His Majesty King Abdullah as saying  that Jerusalem is the key to peace, and as long as it is occupied, the region will not live in peace and security.

For her part, Marsudi and Safadi discussed preparations for the upcoming Islamic summit in Istanbul, adding that they outlined developments related to the holy city.

She stressed that her country stands by Jordan in refusing the decision, adding the importance of communication with all countries in order to spread awareness of the issue.

On Wednesday, the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) plans to hold an emergency summit in Istanbul to discuss recent regional developments, especially as they pertain to Jerusalem.

AMMAN — The US is planning to announce a new peace plan for the Middle East, especially between Israelis and Palestinians, early next year, according to Acting Assistant Secretary for the US Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield.

The US does not plan to reverse its decision recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but continues to be committed to peace making between the two sides, he told reporters during a telephonic press call late on Sunday.

He stressed that the sole way for peace between the two sides was direct talks under the supervision and assistance of the US.

"We hope to move forward with that initiative at a point in the new year…  As to the details of the plan, that will await its rollout.  We are not prepared to announce those details at this time," the US official said.

The initiative, he explained, seeks to help create a process in which the region as a whole, Israelis and Palestinians in specific, can look to a better future, "one not marked by conflict, by isolation, by inclusion, and instead one of work on shared hopes, shared objectives against common problems."

When asked if the US will reverse the decision, he said: "The answer is no.  The president's decision stands.  It is what the president believes was the right step, at the right moment".

However, he stressed that the US is committed to peacemaking between the Palestinians and the Israelis, expressing hope that Arab and world leaders would "understand
what was said".

"The words were very carefully chosen.  We would hope that the rhetoric used by those leaders is rhetoric that is designed to recognise, we with them, are committed to moving forward, to moving forward in the new year, on a peace process, which we hope offers the region a chance to move from the decades, the years of conflict in the past, to a better future, to realise the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians for peace," he said.

Recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was not a resolution of a negotiating process, nor is it a resolution of any issues involving geographic boundaries or specific aspects, specific boundaries with sovereignty in Israel or in Jerusalem, he said.

“This step was recognition of simple reality.  Jerusalem without a specific definition of boundaries or geographic borders is the capital of the state of Israel.  There must be final status negotiations between Israelis and the Palestinians, direct negotiations to resolve all of those specific aspects, all of the questions which have been raised over the course of the last years,” said the US official.

“Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel, has been, is now, and will remain.  But the specific mentions of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem have to be resolved through the negotiating process.  The president believes that is the right step to take and this is the right moment to do it,” he added.

When asked about the timing of the decision, he said Trump has been studying this issue since he took office.  He had to make a decision on the waiver of the Jerusalem Embassy Act on December 4th or by December 4th, and he was required to report to the US Congress on this.  

“The president made a decision that this was the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, the right decision to make, the specific timing was related to the congressional reporting and waiver requirements,” he added.

On whether the decision affects the US status as a fair broker of peace, he said: “…I think it is well understood by all parties that the only path forward to peace in the Middle East, to peace between Israeli and the Palestinians is through direct negotiations between those two parties under the supervision and with the assistance of the United States. That remains the reality.”

 He stressed that the step that was taken by Trump was discussed and presented to key friends and allies to keep parties around the world.  

“We had a very frank, a very detailed discussion with them.  In the time before the decision was announced, we have continued those discussions afterwards,” he added.

AMMAN — Deputising for Her Majesty Queen Rania, Education Minister Omar Razzaz on Monday honoured the winners of the 2017 Queen Rania Award for Distinguished Teachers and Distinguished Principals.

Razzaz commended the teachers’ efforts and the “great job” they are doing in educating the new generations in light of the “less than perfect” circumstances faced by the schools in Jordan.

“What I have seen in the last year are limitless efforts from teachers in a difficult environment and dealing with circumstances going from overcrowding to environmental issues… Teachers today are indeed doing a great job,” Razzaz said at the ceremony held at the Royal Cultural Palace.

Out of the 1,770 teachers and 253 school principals who applied for the awards this year, 48 teachers and 22 principals were honoured in the ceremony.

Held under the motto “Building generations through educator excellence”, the award’s 12th edition focused on teachers’ abilities to adapt to the changing world. 

The ceremony started out with a theatrical performance highlighting the evolution of technology throughout time, the gap between the younger and older generations in terms of job opportunities and skills needed, and how education should prepare students for a new world.

Executive Director of The Association of Queen Rania Award for Excellence (QRAEE) in Education Lubna Touqan expressed her pride in today’s educators, who are “preparing our children for a world different from their own”.

“Now more than ever, our children need a teacher who believes that the future to come is better. Today, we look to teachers who realise that the change is a reality that must be accompanied with restless efforts in self improvement,” Touqan said.

Citing a study conducted this year by QRAEE and the Ministry of Education to measure the influence of distinguished educators on students’ performances, Touqan said that a plan will be drawn from the research’s findings, in order to make the best use of the educators’ skills. 

Razzaz stressed that the ministry “believes in the important role of the distinguished educators” and wants to spread this culture of excellence by investing in these teachers and adopting their success stories as a model for all the schools in Jordan.

The first prize for distinguished school principal was awarded to Hanaa Abdallat from the Marka Directorate in the category of schools with 300 students or less, while Abdullah Al Oudat from the Military Cultural Directorate received the second category’s award, for schools with more than 300 students.

Top winners in the distinguished teacher categories included Manar Qatrawi (Zarqa first directorate), Shadyah Rashid (Aqaba directorate) and Mahmoud Hammash (Marka directorate).

Launched in 2005 by Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania in partnership with the Education Ministry, the award seeks to set a national standard of excellence in teaching and to celebrate, encourage and honour those who reach it.

AMMAN — For the fifth consecutive year, The Boulevard in Abdali is spreading the Christmas spirit with celebrations featuring an open market and several activities held throughout the holiday season.

The festivities kicked off on Thursday with the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and are slated to continue through January 6. 

 “This year, we planned for more magnificent decorations that celebrate the beauty of an authentic Christmas with bells, cottage style kiosks, twinkling garlands — and, of course, our beautifully adorned Christmas tree,” said Lama Al Khatib, head of the marketing section at The Boulevard.

“Christmas at The Boulevard goes beyond decorations,” Khatib told The Jordan Times, noting that “we also focus on satisfying the needs of different age groups by offering a range of entertainment activities.”

A Santa’s Closet area with seven occasion-themed games, an ice skating rink, workshops for children and adults, carousel rides, school choirs and cooking workshops are some of the activities present at The Boulevard this year.

Taeyon Kim, a tourist from South Korea, told The Jordan Times that “this place [the decked walkway] makes you feel like you just walked in a fairytale,” adding that “it is wonderful to see all the people from different backgrounds coming together to celebrate the magic of the season.”

Katherine Smith, an American residing in Jordan, said that she is “grateful for the Christmas spirit at The Boulevard, which brings you a little bit closer to home despite the distance.”

“As I go through this walkway, the Christmas tree and the lights bring all these happy memories from my childhood back to me,” Smith added.

Balqees Awwad, a Jordanian mother of four, said that “this is a wonderful place to come with the family because there are options for everyone, and the children are so happy,” noting that she has been attending the celebrations for the past three years.

On the economic impact of the festivities, Khatib said: “Our partners are always anticipating the Christmas season at The Boulevard due to the popularity of the event among Jordanians,” adding that “it is one of the top destinations to celebrate Christmas in Amman and it is also gaining exposure at a regional level.”

“Whether retail shops or food and beverage outlets, our partners find this season to be a true boost to their businesses, and they even jump into the festivities by customising special products or offering in-store discounts in celebration of this lovely time of the year,” she added, highlighting that the celebrations attract up to 300,000 visitors throughout the month.

AMMAN — “Transformation relies heavily on innovation, and, even though Jordan excels in several areas, it is not enough, and we shall remain open-minded if we want to resolve our issues,” ICT Minister Majd Shweikeh said on Sunday, stressing that “we can not digitise what is already not working”.

The remarks came at the second edition of the Entrepreneur of the Year Forum organised by Ernst & Young (EY) Jordan, which aims to provide a platform for the Kingdom’s entrepreneurs, thinkers and business leaders to engage in a discussion on entrepreneurship. 

“Innovation realised” was the theme of this year’s edition, which saw the participation of local, regional and international speakers who offered their perspectives on the issues related to the cultivation of a pro-innovation environment in Jordan.

The minister thanked all partners for organising “a platform for the transformation of our future”, noting that “innovation should be understood as the mindset of the people willing to create new ideas, and as a way of survival that needs to be at the core of every entity both in the private and the public sectors.”

“Connectivity is power and digital justice is what we are trying to achieve,” Shweikeh continued, stressing that Jordan has a “powerful and resilient infrastructure with all institutions connected, and what we need to find out is how we are going to use that to change the future of our youth”.

When asked about the government’s ability to keep up with the pace of innovation, the minister said that “technology moves faster than the regulations, and it is because of this that the impact of the regulations should be assessed in order to understand its effects at all levels and prevent any constraints to innovation.”

For his part, partner at EY Jordan Waddah Barkawi said that “building on the resounding success of last year’s Entrepreneur of the Year forum, we are delighted to bring it back for a second consecutive year, thus playing a major part in the conversation about innovation, which has taken the region by storm,” noting that “today, the term ‘innovation’ reflects the region’s collective efforts to bring and sustain positive change in all areas and sectors.”

Guest speakers from the public and the private sectors exchanged thoughts through two panel discussions titled “The DNA of Innovation” and “Superfluid Industries”, where participants spoke about ways to thrive and contribute to the overall development of the region.

Partner at Wamda Capital Fares Ghandour was one of the guest speakers in the first panel, where he stressed that “the issue with Jordan is that 40 per cent of its workforce within the state, and that will not work in the long term.”

“What the Kingdom needs is a transformation from a state dependence to a private organisations dependence, and fintech [financial technology] is the tool that will enable the country to build a digital environment away from the state sponsorship,” the expert added. 

CEO of the Queen Rania Foundation Haifa Al Attia highlighted the need to pay attention to the youth, stressing that “around 35 per cent of the skills that we are looking for nowadays will not be relevant by 2020”.

“The first-graders of our time will be working at jobs that don’t even exist today, and that is why we should stop educating them to be factory labourers and start looking at the skills that they can bring to the table,” Attia continued.

Chairman of the Board of Jordan Ahli Bank Saad Mouasher also stressed the need to change the mindset, noting that “innovation is starting to happen in sectors such as agriculture and it is not about the product anymore, but about the business model and the customer engagement.”

The discussion took place one day before the announcement of this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year award winners. Created to recognise the accomplishments of the most successful entrepreneurs around the world, the global Entrepreneur of the Year programme celebrates its 31st edition this year, having grown to encompass more than 145 cities from 60 countries. 

AMMAN — Amman was recently ranked second in an index rating the startup ecosystem friendliness of emerging markets, right below Tunis, a statement by the Berlin NGO enpact said.

Upon the launch of its startup meter, which is an interactive indicator-based analysis platform measuring startup-friendliness of cities’ ecosystems, enpact rated seven of the world’s emerging markets, including Tunis, Cairo, Nairobi, Beirut, Accra and Rabat. 

Amman came second with a score of 54.7 out of 100, far ahead of its direct followers Cairo and Nairobi which were respectively granted scores of 46 and 45.2.

Based on almost 100 indicators, the Startup Friendliness Index  measured the framework conditions for entrepreneurship in urban metropolises of growing markets, the statement read, noting that the analysis framework was developed in cooperation with a number of researchers and scientific institutions.

“After collecting the data, we presented them on an interactive online platform to allow comparisons,” said Jan Lachenmayer, director of the startup meter, noting that Amman was found to have the strongest ICT infrastructure out of the seven cities.

Among other findings, Jordan’s capital was also considered as having the “most favourable macro-conditions including political framework, legal framework and prevalence of crime”, along with Tunis.

The startup meter was launched earlier this year by enpact, as an answer to the “gap in relevant data on entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging and lower-income markets”, its website said.

“The startup meter seeks to provide data-driven advice for investors, donors and other implementing bodies in the field of economic and development cooperation,” Lachenmayer said, noting that the index encompasses criteria of human capital, finance, infrastructure, among others.

Launched in 2013, the non-governmental organisation enpact seeks to support young entrepreneurs through mentoring programmes, the creation of entrepreneur spaces in the MENA region and the organisation of delegation trips to explore ecosystems throughout MENA and Berlin, according to its website.

A delegation of 12 startups from Cairo and Berlin is scheduled to arrive in Jordan on Wednesday for a visit during which they will expore the local ecosystem through workshops, tours and networking events, Brandi Zavala, enpact marketing manager told The Jordan Times. 

The event will be co-hosted by partners such as the Queen Rania Centre for Entrepreneurship, as Oasis500, Beyond Capital and Zain.