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AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury has chaired a meeting of the World Bank Group  and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at their annual meetings for 2017 in Washington, where he delivered an opening speech at the 71st plenary session of the board of governors as chairperson of the Boards of Governors of the bank and the fund.

Choosing Jordan to chair the Board of Governors is “recognition of Jordan’s pivotal role” under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah to achieve security, peace and stability in the region in addition to the Kingdom’s outstanding response to the refugee issue, a Planning Ministry statement said on Sunday.

Fakhoury noted that the global economy is still recovering as economic growth continues in both developed and developing countries with a balanced mix of fiscal, monetary and structural policies for overall growth and job creation. 

While global development continues, the world faces increasing challenges, natural disasters, man-made disasters, geopolitical tensions, forced displacement, deep political divisions in some countries and the risk of greater global financial hardship.

He stressed that the meeting was a “reminder” that the world cannot meet the enormous needs of large numbers of immigrants and refugees, prepare for the permanent threat of natural disasters and achieve the ambitious goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda unless it works collaboratively hard together.

Regarding challenges facing the region, he said that these cannot be addressed without effective intervention by multilateral organisations such as the WB and the IMF in partnership with the UN.

Fakhoury added that Jordan is a “model for the world” when faced with several external shocks, including one of the largest exodus of refugees and humanitarian crises of modern history. 

Jordan currently hosts 2.9 million refugees registered with the UN, representing 13 per cent of the world’s refugees, which makes the Kingdom the largest host country for registered refugees globally, the statement said.

“We have redefined the moral challenge of hosting refugees with the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund and the multilateral cooperation of the international community,” said the minister.

The minister emphasised the importance of linking the volume of aid to the sustainability and capability of the host country.

Fakhoury concluded by addressing the bank’s governors, saying that recent global economic developments have shown that conditions are evolving rapidly with new risks emerging, stressing his confidence in Director General of the IMF Christine Lagarde and WB President Jim Yong Kim and urging the two institutions to meet and adapt together to support member states. 

On the sidelines of the meetings, the minister met separately with Lagarde and Kim in the presence of Finance Minister Omar Malhas.

Fakhoury also met with Hafez Ghanem, World Bank vice president for the Middle East and North Africa. 

The minister also met with Soma Chakrabarty, president of the in European Bank for Reconstructionand Development, and Bertie Patil, the British minister of international development.

The indicative value of the allocations of Jordan in the country partnership programme with the World Bank for the years 2017-2022 is $1.4 billion, of which about $60 million have been committed to support the budget, municipal services, the health sector, economic opportunities, small and medium enterprises, and technical support provided by the bank in a number of areas, according to the statement.

AMMAN — “My dream was to see my country clean,” explained Amal Madanat, the founder of the “Towards Zero Waste” initiative implemented at the Dahiyat Al Hussein School in Amman.

“When I retired, I started taking long walks, mostly early in the morning. This is when I realised how dirty our country is,” Madanat recalled, noting that she also began noticing the sweepers and municipal cleaners working from dawn.

“As I began chatting with them, I understood how much we harm them by our daily behaviours such as littering,” she continued, adding that, although she always thought of herself as “a clean person” because she did not litter, she came to the conclusion that she was also harming the environment in her own way. 

“I didn’t recycle at home, and when I met Abu Ali who collected garbage to recycle it and sell it, I understood that there was a lot more to be done to preserve our environment.”  

As of 2017, Jordan still does not have a nationwide household recycling programme; the practice has largely been carried out by informal collectors, who sift through dumpsters and landfill sites.

Madanat faced a lot of resistance as she tried to convince her family and friends to start recycling. “They would tell me ‘you are only one person, you are not going to make any change,’” she recounted. 

However, she persisted and after two years of teaching herself about recycling through books, online resources and interviews, she reached out to Aida Arar, the principal at the school in her neighbourhood.

Aiming to raise awareness on the importance of recycling, Madanat started teaching school students about ways to improve their daily habits to reduce waste.

“Because I used local examples from the area they know, the students were very receptive. They were touched by the story of Abu Ali because they knew who he was and I think that the human side really that pushed them to act,” the newfound teacher said.

Student Asaia Khterat, 12, said: “For the first time, I learned that garbage was not a waste and that it had a price because Abu Ali, whom we used to see often around our school, is selling it and making a living from it.”

Towards Zero Waste started with students collecting recyclable items from their homes and their friends, which they then sorted and gave back to “the recycling expert” Abu Ali.

“This way, we not only help a man earn a decent income through reselling recycled material, we also clean up the local environment,” Madanat said. 

The project was made into a permanent exhibition held in the basement of the school, which seeks to raise awareness about ecology and environment preservation.

In partnership with the Green Generation Foundation, the school students and Madanat established the exhibition, designed by Khaled Homsi, to educate the public about the importance of recycling, reusing and disposing waste.

“One of the rooms contain what we called ‘a tsunami of trash’ with litters that we found around the school,” Madanat said, noting that 90 per cent of the waste was plastic.

“I liked designing the exhibition because we created everything from garbage. I learned that design can be a tool to raise awareness about the environment,” 14-year-old Tasneem Mehyar said.

The project was entirely recorded by filmmaker Elie Nimri in a documentary titled “With Myself I Started”, which was screened on October 9 and 14 at the Amman Design Week.

Madanat has a nationwide vision for her programme, which she is currently discussing with the Ministry of Education with the aim of implementing similar initiatives in all schools across the Kingdom. 

AMMAN — The rising number of car accidents involving cyclists and other challenges faced by bikers in Jordan have encouraged Ahmed Al Hiari to come up with a map that indicates the main routes cyclists take in Amman. 

Hiari said that after witnessing several young cyclists collide into cars, he was sparked with the idea of this map, which was displayed at Amman Design Week. 

“Some of the accidents were just horrible, some cyclists leave with injuries while others are rushed to hospital. During Ramadan, cyclist Sahem Jreidi was run over by a speeding car on the Airport Highway, and he was just one of the many people who lost their lives while cycling on highways,” he told The Jordan Times from London where he is currently residing. 

The map was put together using routes that most cyclists take, while factoring the incline of the street, traffic hotspots, and availability of roadside space for bike lanes. 

 “It is both a reflection of common cycling routes and a result of a study on how Amman can provide a safe environment for cyclists,” he said. 

 Hiari said it took him one month to finish the design, following months of observation and data collection, which he voluntarily undertook due to his interest in safeguarding the rights of pedestrians in Amman.

“At the moment, no route is safe enough for cyclists to use without being vulnerable to possible collisions with cars. Unless the routes are in protected places or facilities like Al Hussein Youth City or Al Hussein Public Parks, the cyclist is constantly vulnerable to accidents,” he added.  

Throughout their research, Hiari and his partner Yassin have driven back and forth along every suggested route. 

“We’ve also talked with Cycling Jordan about the suggestions and they had a great input on the final proposal,” he recounted. 

It is a well-known fact that Amman is not a bike-friendly city, Hiari said, adding that the plan came out of necessity, not desire. 

“Cycling has become a growing phenomenon in Amman and not just for sport, many foreign workers have been seen riding bikes around downtown to get to their workplaces,” he said. 

Therefore, Hiari said the idea of bike lanes has become more and more accepted in the public’s mentality due to the increasing traffic jams and the decline in physical activities. 

“Fear of accidents is still what deters many away from the idea of riding a bike across Amman. If the safety factor was provided, we would witness a large increase in the number of people ditching their cars to ride a bike,” he added.

He described the map as a “big step” towards encouraging the government to look after cyclists. 

“But it isn’t enough, it needs public support and awareness, the project should be promoted and made public on social media. People need to know that having a cycle-friendly city is very feasible,” Hiari stressed, adding “as soon as the idea spreads among the general public and grows to a point where people start demanding its implementation, officials will be obligated to seriously consider applying the proposal.” 

Hiari said the map does not depict the locations of previous collisions, but it shows the suggested solutions to prevent accidents.

The map also highlights dangerous routes on highways that require either establishing separate parallel roads or using existing parallel roads to host the cycling lane, he said. 

“For this project to become reality, we need public participation and media outlets to raise awareness of this idea so that Amman’s citizens embrace it as a mandatory step towards a better future for our city,” he concluded.

AMMAN — Public schools students learn science experiments through a13-day science film festival that started last Thursday. 

Organised by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation (AHSF) in cooperation with the Goethe Institute, the festival includes the screening of a number of science movies at a number of venues across Amman and in other governorates. 

Roa Halisi, a supervisor of AHSF’s Darb Al Marafa Library, said the festival is being held for the fifth consecutive year, this time under the theme “the impact of human being on land”.

“Activities are held either at Darb Al Marafa Library or at the Children Museum. We also approached public schools located in the governorates,” she told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

 Halisi stressed the festival’s importance in exposing children to science, especially in public schools. 

“Around 8,000 students benefited from last year’s activities. This year, schools from Amman, Salt, Jerash, Irbid, Ajloun and Karak will be attending the activities,” she added. 

Noor Nassar, the head of the festival, said she witnessed a “positive impact” on students.

 “Children generally do not like the idea of science but such activities make them attached to science because it is presented in an entertaining way,” she told The Jordan Times. 

Nassar said children aged between 3 and 16 will be attending the festival, which will run through October 24. 

“This event also inspires other schools and students to implement similar experiments at their schools. Every year, we hold trainings for children to help them organise such activities,” she concluded. 

AMMAN — The total assets of the Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) went up to JD9,046 million by the end of the third quarter of 2017, increasing by 9 per cent from the JD8,325 million recorded at the beginning of the year, SSIF announced on Sunday. 

By the end of September, the fund achieved investment income totalling JD286.5 million, compared to the JD234.6 million at the end of September 2016, marking a growth rate of 22 per cent, according to a SSIF statement emailed to The Jordan Times.

As for the comprehensive income, which takes into consideration profits or losses of the evaluation and selling of strategic shares and reflects the price change at the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE), it stood at JD264 million at the end of September 2017.

The comprehensive income in the same period of 2016 stood at only JD24 million due to evaluation losses worth JD153.6 million, in addition to losses worth JD56.6 million caused by reducing the capital of the Jordan Telecommunications Company by 25 per cent.

The item related to evaluation profits or losses is an accounting evaluation that directly depends on the performance of the ASE, especially as the fund investments constitute some 11 per cent of the market value of the ASE, according to the statement.

Thus, SSIF comprehensive income registers profits whenever ASE’s performance is high and it may incur losses when ASE’s performance declines.

ASE index in the January-September period of 2017 dropped by 1.47 per cent, compared with a drop of 6.83 per cent in the same period of 2016.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday sent a cable of congratulations to Audrey Azoulay on her election as director-general of UNESCO, according to a Royal Court statement. 

In the cable, His Majesty stressed Jordan's keenness to continue cooperation with UNESCO, to preserve the cultural heritage of humanity, promote the right of all to receive a quality education and help member states combat extremism and violence. His Majesty wished Azoulay success in her new tasks.

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Sunday, accepting the resignation of Nazih Ammarin from his post as member of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), according to a Royal Court statement.

The IEC is tasked with the supervision and administration of all phases of parliamentary elections and other elections called for by the Cabinet.

The IEC takes all necessary measures to administer fair, impartial and transparent elections based on the principles of justice, equal opportunity and the rule of law, the statement said.

AMMAN — The government on Sunday condemned the Mogadishu bombings that left hundreds dead  and injured, the Jordanian News Agency, Petra, reported. Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani described the bombings as "a cowardly terrorist act" that violates all moral and humanitarian values.

The minister said Jordan stands with the Somali government in its fight against terrorist organisations and fundamentalism that targets innocent people, urging the international community to follow suit. Momani offered the government’s condolences to the Somali government and the victims' families, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

More than 200 people were killed by twin bomb blasts that struck busy junctions in the heart of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, Reuters reported quoting officials. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the militant group Al Shabab, which is allied to Al Qaeda, stages regular attacks in the capital and other parts of the country.

AMMAN — Residents of Merad Municipality in Jerash Governorate on Sunday urged the government to consider an alternative location for a solid waste transfer and segregation plant scheduled to be built in the area.

The residents said that the waste plant will harm Merad Municipality’s tourism, environment and economy, by deterring tourists and investors since they described the area as “the gate to Jerash”, located 48 kilometres north of Amman.

During a press conference held at the Jordan Agricultural Engineers Association, representatives of Merad local community said they collected 500 signatures of citizens who oppose the location of the project.

Hala Murad, president of Dibeen Association for Environmental Development, said that the project will be built in Merad without consulting local residents.

“Let me be very clear about one thing, the residents of Merad don’t oppose the project itself; on the contrary, they are in favour of uplifting the waste services in the north. What they oppose is the location of the waste plant,” Murad told reporters during the presser.

Murad claimed that around 20 centennial trees of deciduous oaks were uprooted in the process of preparing the land for construction of the plant, which will be located in the heart of a forest area.

“The project was approved in April last year and preparation for construction recently started. The local community was not present when the location was chosen, nor  were they informed about the results of the project’s environmental impact assessment,” Murad said.

She noted that the public sector project could be relocated to an area off the eastern part of Jerash, where there is no green land, businesses or residential areas.

Wajdi Rawashdeh, a lawyer and resident of Merad, said that the location of the plant is only 500 metres away from the main street, a forest, a residential area and a tourist area.

“We demand to be informed with the results of the environmental impact assessment study,” Rawashdeh stressed.

The lawyer said that the local community is in favour of a plant, but that it opposes the chosen location.

“If the project continues on the current location, it will be a disaster for the environment and the socioeconomic development of Merad,” Rawashdeh warned.

Meanwhile, President of the Jordan Agricultural Engineers Association Mahmoud Abu Ghneimeh, said that since forest lands are receding, the country cannot afford to lose any more of its trees.

“Any development project that seeks the common good of the people is welcomed, but not when it affects the environment nor when there are many options to explore,” Abu Ghneimeh said at the presser.

Despite attempts made by The Jordan Times, the Greater Jerash Municipality officials were not available for comment on Sunday.

AMMAN — Al Hussein Technical University (HTU), which was established by the Crown Prince Foundation, on Sunday received the first batch of students at its headquarters in the King Hussein Business Park.

The reception ceremony, held in the presence of French Ambassador to Jordan David Bertolotti and students’ families, included guidance sessions on the university’s policy and its values, educational system and plans, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

University President Labib Khadra said that the university is a “turning point” in the Kingdom’s higher education sector, due to the fact that its syllabi include more practical accredited hours. Bertolotti noted that the educational institution has recently signed a cooperation agreement with a French association of technical university institutes to help it establish the energy engineering department.