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AMMAN — Offering a more expansive and varied programme, Amman Design Week (ADW) on Friday opened its doors to the public, marking the beginning of a nine-day event of exhibitions, workshops, talks, discussions, cultural activities and networking opportunities.

ADW 2017 explores the theme of “movement” under the 2017 slogan “Design Moves Life Moves Design”, according to a statement by the organisers.

“By focusing on the theme of movement, the week has had a unique kinetic element, offering visitors an all-encompassing exploration of Jordan’s design landscape as well as a wide array of events that elevate the appreciation of principles of design and its ability to shape the future,” ADW co-founder Rana Beiruti was quoted in the statement as saying.

Starting Sunday, Arabic typographist Huda Abi Fares will lead a two-day workshop at the Ras El Ain Gallery titled “Nomadic Traces: The Craft of Type Design Research”, the statement said.

Also on Sunday, editor of Crafts Magazine Grant Gibson will also moderate a discussion panel on crafts’ ability to move communities at the Al Hussein Cultural Centre, inviting speakers from Disarming Design from Palestine, the Jordan River Foundation, and the Princess Taghrid Foundation. 

Renowned architect Faysal Tabbarah will also host a talk titled “Making Almost Natural Things”, according to the statement.

On Monday, Italian fashion designer Caterina Filice will discuss socially-responsible design in a talk at Al Hussein Cultural Centre.

Meanwhile, as part of ADW 2017’s tour programme, street-style photographer Yvan Rodic, from the online portal Facehunter, will accompany participants of Darat Al Tasweer’s “Capturing Moments” tour to explore combining design and photography in order to create truly memorable results, the statement said.

AMMAN — A Jordan Tourism Board’s (JTB) promotion ad in Lebanon triggered outrage among Jordanians on social media over its language, with people claiming that the campaign depicted them as “begging” the Lebanese to visit Jordan.

The billboard contained a photo of the Baptism Site, which is a Christian pilgrimage site, with the slogan:”For God’s sake…come”.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times on Saturday, JTB said that it has launched a biblical tourism promotion campaign in Lebanon that targets Lebanese Christians using the slogan “for God’s sake…come”.

The motto focuses on the goal of the visit, which is to “get closer to God”, the statement said, adding that it does not equal to begging.

The campaign, which is part of a wider strategy that targets various kinds of tourists, received mixed reactions. 

Suleiman Abu Dalou, who was born in Lebanon, told The Jordan Times on Saturday that the ad was “clearly a way of begging” people to visit Jordan.

Aseel Nimat, a Facebook user, wrote that the ad has “no other meaning than begging”.

Radwan Faraj, another Facebook user, commented, saying that, although it is a way to promote “ getting closer to God” or “doing something for God”, there are many better ways to say it.

For BQ Aljanabi, who also commented on the social media platform, tourism stakeholders should instead lower their prices and clean the site in order to attract tourists.

Jordan Tourist Guides Association President Hassan Ababneh said that the association has to be part of the efforts exerted to promote tourism and should be consulted for such campaigns.

The baptism site is an important holy site that is “not properly promoted”, and deserves more attention, Ababneh said.

He added that JTB should consult the association and other experts before launching promotional campaigns, to avoid such misconceptions.

Ababneh called for holding a national conference on the Baptism Site to discuss its promotion, facilities at the site and trips organisation.

The Baptism Site is the place of John the Baptist’s settlement at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where Jesus was baptised, has long been known from the Bible and the Byzantine and medieval texts, according to JTB website.

The Bethany area sites formed part of the early Christian pilgrimage route between Jerusalem, the Jordan River and Mount Nebo, according to JTB website.

AMMAN — Alarmed by the realisation of how much waste people throw out in the street of Amman, Alaa Ziadeh decided to take action and beautify the city by turning the garbage into unique home-made furniture at his Ziadat4recycling workshop.

In a promotional video that calls for more citizen awareness towards the environment, the young man and his team expose their recycling ideas as part of Amman Design Week 2017. 

“People have this relation to trash thinking that it is something bad. By creating Ziadat4recycling , we wanted to change that misconception,” Marianne Sievers, a member of the Ziadat4recycling team told The Jordan Times. 

A grassroots business started four years ago, Ziadat4recycling seeks to show people that wastes are not always “dirt and useless pieces”, but can instead be turned into beautiful pieces of furniture, according to the founder. 

An innovative business, Ziadat uses objects that were thrown out to create unconventional home furniture with nearly 100 per cent recycled material. Beds and benches made out of pallets, plastic spoons lamps are some of the company’s signature creations.

More interested in preserving the environment than making profits, Ziadeh stated that Ziadat “doesn’t aim to produce to sell but rather aim to produce to last”, focusing on creating long lasting environment-friendly pieces.

By focusing on upcycling — a process of transforming by-products, waste materials into new products of better quality and better environmental value — the company seeks to reach out to three fields: saving the environment, creating job opportunities and economic growth for Jordan, and raising environmental awareness, he explained.

“We target three of the most crucial challenges the world, and especially the Middle East, is facing: huge environmental pollution due to almost no legal framework or national strategy for solid waste management, low economic growth and low environmental education,” Alaa Ziadeh told The Jordan Times.

“There is a lack of national waste management and of a waste separation system in Jordan,” the creator explained, noting that “it is aggravated by a lack of awareness and understanding of the idea of recycling”.

Entering its fourth year of activity, the local enterprise aims to promote public awareness to “save nature in addition to making cities cleaner and safer for all their inhabitants” through creative reuse.

Based on the idea that upcycling can lead to a more responsible and respectful ecological lifestyle, Ziadat also aims to spread knowledge on daily ways to avoid waste. 

“Big restaurant chains throw huge quantities of plastic spoons every day,” Ziadeh said, adding, “We want them to understand the importance of giving these away to create beautiful lamps shades rather than having them burnt.”

Besides collecting garbage tossed out in the streets, Ziadat also welcomes donations of objects that people no longer require to avoid public littering.

“With just a little bit of fixing, long-lasting good objects and pieces be given a new life and aesthetic,” Ziadat concluded.

AMMAN — The office of the government coordinator for human rights, in coordination with the Public Security Department (PSD), is organising a visit to Swaqa Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre (SCRC) by 35 local and international organisations, as well as diplomats and journalists on Monday.

The visit by the local and international community comes almost two weeks following alleged riots and arson by dozens of SCRC inmates that turned the attention towards the situation in the Kingdom’s 16 correctional facilities, Basel Tarawneh, the government’s coordinator for human rights, said on Saturday.

Several video clips purportedly showing riots and inmates harming themselves with sharp objects at SCRC circulated on social media on September 22 causing outrage among many Jordanians.

Dozens of inmates were referred to the State Security Court (SSC) on terror related charges as a result of the incident at the correctional facility, and over 20 police officers were referred to the police prosecutor for questioning  for allegedly violating duties in addition to charges of smuggling illegal substances to the inmates.

In addition, over 100 police officers from various correctional facilities were relocated to serve in other PSD offices following the SCRC incident.

“The Swaqa incident was an important lesson to us and we will build on it to tackle all the negative practices and aspects that are present in our correctional facilities,” Tarawneh told The Jordan Times

A coalition of human rights delegation visited the facility shortly after the incident occurred and were informed by prison officials about the nature of the events and the “swift actions” taken to deal with it by the SCRC administration.

Following the delegation’s visit, images were released to the media showing two dormitories entirely destroyed by fire as well as photos of dozens of sharp objects, iron bars, ropes and other light objects, that were reportedly found with some inmates.

“The aim of our visit is to monitor the latest procedures that are being adopted by the prison administration to deal with inmates and also allow the visiting delegation to meet with inmates themselves in person to learn more about the nature of the services provided to them,” Tarawneh explained.

The delegation, according to Tarawneh, will get a first-hand look at the services provided including “health, food, recreational activities, education and the facility’s environment in general”.

“We want to ensure a long-term and sustainable programmes that would serve the inmates in the best manner and would ensure securing their human rights while serving their time,” Tarawneh added.

The government coordinator added that the focus will also be on reintroducing Islamic and Christian religious teachings at the facilities, as well as “ensuring interactive programmes and providing academic opportunities via the Internet for inmates who desire to purse higher degrees”.

He added that his office and other “organisations who work on programmes related to inmates and correctional facilities in specific will visit the facilities on a monthly basis to follow up on the situation, the environment and the inmates”.

The alleged riots reportedly started two days after a decision by the prison administration to move a few inmates to different dormitories and to conduct inspection campaigns. This move resulted in the alleged seizure of illegal substances and sharp objects.

The prisoners had previously complained during meetings with representatives from human rights organisations of “overcrowding, bad food quality and refusals to their demands to move to different dormitories”.

AMMAN — Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury, who is also the chairman of the board of directors of the Higher Council for Population (HPC), has chaired the periodic meeting of the council members.

Ministers and representatives of the relevant national bodies attended the meeting, where the members outlined the population opportunity policy document that was prepared on the basis of the 2000 Census of Population and Housing to be approved by the next week, according to a ministry statement.

The document was adopted earlier by the National Steering Committee and will be referred to the Council of Ministers for approval.

The population opportunity will appear when the rate of growth of the working-age population (individuals aged 15-64 years) begins to significantly exceed the growth rate of dependents in the age group under 15 and above 65 years, which is expected to peak in Jordan in 2040, the statement said.

The members discussed the achievements of HPC during the third quarter of 2017 and the future projects related to supporting population and development policies.

Fakhoury noted in the statement HPC’s role in following up on population issues, especially the population opportunity policies, and stressed the importance of collective efforts of national public and private institutions to support the council to implement its projects, which aim to face the population challenges and secure a proper environment for improving social and economic conditions of Jordanians.

The minister noted that the results of study on female under-age marriage were published and that recommendations were approved by the Cabinet, adding that the council will prepare an executive plan during the last quarter of this year, the statement continued.

He added that the council will conduct a study on the youth who are entering the labour market including the concepts of pioneering and vocational work in school curricula.  

Maysoon Zu’bi, HPC’s secretary general, outlined the council’s achievements in 2017, noting that it is currently preparing a study on the demographic characteristics of Syrians in Jordan and their impact on the labour market, according to the statement.

She explained that the HPC was able to secure the necessary funding through the Dutch Research and Studies Platform to carry out a number of studies including some in the field of reproductive health.

Zu’bi explained that the council has developed the Population Research Database website in Arabic and English, and is working on following up on reproductive health indicators and population opportunities, as well as the development of the National Population Information Strategy for the years 2018-2022, the statement read.

She noted that the council will organise an international conference on dealing with refugees, which will be attended by representatives from several EU countries, and local community organisations. 

Members of the HPC include the Higher Education minister, minister of Social Development, minister of Labor, minister of Awqaf, minister of Health, minister of Education, secretary general of the Ministry of Youth, Director general of the Vocational Training Foundation, secretary general of the Higher Council for Population, representative of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development and two members from the private sector.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Basma on Saturday opened the 53rd Annual Diplomatic Bazaar, where 51 embassies convened bringing their culture, arts and heritage together. 

The proceeds from the one-day diplomatic market support children of Mubarrat Um Al Hussein, a home for orphans and unprivileged boys established in 1958 by Queen Zein Al Sharaf. 

The embassies taking part in the event showcased the finest products from their countries, bringing diverse cultures under one roof. 

The princess thanked all embassies for their participation, saying it reflects “their social responsibility and support for the values of solidarity”.

Princess Basma also stressed the role of the bazaar in supporting Mubarrat Um Al Hussein and sustaining its mission, and in helping to provide education for children. 

Princess Amal Aldowaish of Saudi Arabia told The Jordan Times about the different Saudi products brought to the bazaar, showcasing the different abaya designs and embroidery, the perfumes made of bakhur and dry wood, and traditional foods such as kabsah and magloobah. 

Indonesian representative Rifany Edwien introduced the many Indonesian products at  the bazaar such as traditional fans, wood masks and handicrafts from the archipelago. 

Iran was also present in the bazaar exhibiting products like saffron, copper glasses and paintings by renowned artists. 

Canadian representative Rachel Aslan said that she is “happy to be showcasing Canada's products in the international bazaar”, highlighting the well-known maple syrup and the Canadian fall clothing. 

AMMAN — “My body is my instrument, I express my thoughts and emotions through movement and expressions that words cannot convey,” said Bijan Qutub, a 24-year-old known to be the first professionally trained Jordanian male ballet, jazz and contemporary dancer. 

Qutub, who is currently studying at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, recently learned that his personally choreographed piece “unLock” was scheduled to be performed as part of the Royal Cultural Centre's show "WORDS" at the start of November.

A contemporary dance show that he choregraphed for the Amman Contemporary Dance Festival in May, “unLock” is a reflection, through dance, of “the sad reality of what social life has become, and how alienated people are next to each other”, the young man said, adding “I feel most alive when I am dancing and I feel like electronic devices have disconnected us from actually living reality, feeling and absorbing sentimental moments like dance.”

In an e-mail sent to The Jordan Times, the student explained: "I have grown to value self-discipline, self-control and the need for consistency to dedicate myself to reach the highest standard of artistry, technique and performance." Citing the nine-hour daily professional class exercise routine he has been enduring since he enrolled in the school, he explained that it is a small price to pay for pursuing a passion that “saved his life”.

A severely obese child, Qutub used to live secluded in his house, watching television and playing video games all day. At 19, he discovered dance with the popular show "So You Think You Can Dance USA" and it changed his life, he recalled.

"Before I started dancing, I found it hard to express myself or be myself freely. Dance gave me the confidence to be myself not only on stage but in everyday life," said the dancer.

"I have a daily routine of getting up at 5 in the morning, running then going to the gym, before a nine-hour day of dance classes," Qutub explained, stressing his determination to achieve his goals "one day at a time". 

Despite the competition he faces at the internationally recognised New York school, the Jordanian said he strives to go "beyond being a professional dancer" in order to be "a better version of himself", building on the successes he has already achieved.

Starting his rise to the New York scene from the Amman based National Centre for Culture and Arts – King Hussein Foundation, the young man was trained by Svetlana Tahboub and Rania Kamhawi, herself the first Jordanian female to ever study in a ballet school abroad, according to Qutub.

As a male ballet dancer, Qutub suffered from the prejudices and mockery of a society that tends to be rejective of unconventional talents. However, this did not make him bitter, which he proves by returning to his home country every year to conduct workshops and dance classes for the public.

"In today's chaotic world, I believe that art can save us," he stated, describing it as "a remedy to all the devastation that is happening". 

"In dance, there is a unity in diversity; it builds bridges between different cultures and societies," he continued. 

Voicing his hope to see a professional ballet company represent the "authentic and rich cultural history"of the Kingdom, he highlighted the tremendous potential of Jordanian heritage and folklore for a national ballet repertoire.

For the young man, the ultimate goal is “to put the Jordanian flag on the dance map globally". “I have many projects to make dance accessible to all in Jordan, so it can become a sustainable art form that helps others like it helped me,” he explained

“My inspiration comes from the resilience of other people's work road to success stories and struggles. In the same way, I want to encourage and inspire peopleto fearlessly go after their passion, in whichever mediums they choose,” Qutub concluded.

AMMAN — A women’s coalition representing the civil society, parliamentarians and city councils was formed on Saturday, in a bid to increase women’s political participation in the Kingdom.

The announcement came during a one-day event organised by the Arab Women Organisation (AWO), in coordination with the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), to recognise the 120 women who won seats in local councils and Parliament.

The event, titled “Beyond the Municipal and Decentralisation Elections 2017", was funded by the European Union.

“This is an occasion to thank our courageous women who fought ‘the elections’ battle’ and are ready to fight ‘the gender equality battle’ by serving people with a gender perspective,” said AWO Programme Director Laila Naffa.

She added: “We want to announce the establishment of the Goal 5 Coalition to aggregate the efforts of women in politics and women activists to attain the 17 Goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Global Agenda of 2030.”

By 2030, Naffa stressed, Jordan must have “at least 50 per cent female representation in the political arena. Why not? We can do it”.

Goal 5 seeks to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life and undertaking reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources.

It also seeks to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere; eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres and eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of Municipal Affairs Walid Masri, who acted as patron of the event, said Jordan is witnessing a "positive indicator" when it comes to women and politics.

In the recent municipal elections, women’s representation figures were similar to the numbers of the 2013 elections, with over 30 per cent females appointed and elected.

“The number of women elected and appointed in the past two municipal elections is an indication that voters are convinced that their presence in public offices is important and essential,” Masri told the gathering.

He added that women’s groups and women in decision making positions “should play a vital role in explaining the current economic situation and the reform process that the government has adopted in terms of cutting down on expenses and depending on ourselves to improve the economy and standard of living in Jordan”.

“Women also can play an important role in fighting corruption in Jordan by reintroducing a new value system within their families that focuses on respect, equality and devotion to our country,” Masri added.

Meanwhile, Central Badia Deputy Rasmieh Alkaabneh spoke about her own experience in politics.

“I believe women’s work in the city councils and Parliament complements each other because sometimes, there are certain matters which could not be solved or achieved if women were not assuming posts in both areas,” Alkaabneh said.

She added that the increasing number of women in the city councils and Parliament through direct elections is a “clear indicator that we have proved ourselves in our post because we work for the good of the people”.

“They sometimes say that women work against each other or are jealous of each other. I saw our jealousy should be focused on improving our societies and country, not work against each other,” Alkaabneh added.

According to a report by the UN secretary general on the progress towards SDGs globally, women’s participation in single or lower houses of national parliaments reached 23.4 per cent in 2017, just 10 points higher than in 2000. 

Such slow progress suggests that stronger political commitment and more ambitious measures and quotas are needed to boost women’s political participation and empowerment, the report said.

Women are still underrepresented in managerial positions. In the majority of the 67 countries with data from 2009 to 2015, fewer than a third of senior and middle-management positions were held by women, according to the report.

AMMAN — Senate and Lower House Finance Committees' Presidents MPs Raji Muahser and Ahmad Safadi on Friday stressed the importance of directing subsidies to citizens not to commodities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

In an interview with Jordan TV's "60 Minutes", Muasher and Safdi highlighted the need to support the medium and low income classes and the continuation of the economic reform process.

Muasher said that Prime Minister Hani Mulki told the Senate's economic committee that the income tax exempting groups whose income is JD24,000 for families and JD12,000 for individuals will not be affected by the government's measure related to income tax.

He stressed the need to address tax evasion through applying the relevant laws, improving collection mechanisms, imposing strict penalties against tax evaders, and including informal economy, which constitutes 30 per cent of total Jordanian economy.

The MP said that subsidies have to be directed to the middle and low-income classes, as there are three million non-Jordanians who currently benefit from the subsidies.

He added that the government has "inherited" $1.3 billion of uncollected dues and is seeking a solution to the problem.

Muasher noted that the responsibility to deal with the economic situation should be collective.

Last week, His Majesty King Abdullah announced that there will be "no leniency" in dealing with tax evasion, adding that the government will present a new Tax Law that imposes strict penalties on tax evaders, instead of increasing burdens on ordinary citizens. 

AMMAN — Deputising for Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, HRH Prince Hashem on Friday attended the the golden jubilee of Brunei’s Sultan Haji Hassan Al Bolkiah’s accession to the throne, according to a Royal Court statement.

Prince Hashem conveyed His Majesty’s greetings to the sultan and wished him good health and further progress and prosperity to the people of Brunei.

The prince attended the official dinner banquet hosted by Sultan Bolkiah at the Noor Al Iman Palace, in the presence of a number of leaders and representatives of Arab and foreign countries.