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AMMAN — Traditional music from the Our Lady of Nazareth College in Jabal Al-Hussein can be heard from the street.
Inside, the large courtyard is full of visitors gathered around stands offering handicrafts, tea and coffee from the countries that make up Jordan’s large migrant community: Yemen, Philippines, Syria, Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, and Ethiopia, among others.
This is how the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) welcomed guests to the fourth edition of the “Festival of Encounter” organised on June 27, in celebration of the World Refugee Day, globally observed on June 20.
Held annually since 2022, the festival aims to create an opportunity for encounter and participation between refugee communities and Jordanians, encouraging intercultural dialogue and building bridges of understanding, integration and solidarity among all members of society.
JRS is an international organisation with the mission to serve, accompany, and advocate for refugee communities and vulnerable individuals.
“We aim to have a chance to change and confront the narratives that see refugees just as passive receivers, while on the contrary they are individuals with talents and passion to contribute to the new community,” Silvia Mazzocchin, communications and advocacy manager for JRS Jordan, said to The Jordan Times.
The event, which ran from morning until evening, welcomed over 1,500 visitors, around 60 representatives from 10 countries, and numerous volunteers.
Hundreds of live music and dance performers, 30 handicraft bazaars, continuous children’s activities, and fashion shows featuring traditional clothing brought vibrancy to the atmosphere.
“We realised during our work that there are few opportunities for communities to come together and there is also a lack of awareness about the different communities in Jordan," Mazzocchin added.
This year’s edition was titled “Our Shared Humanity”. “We want to remember what makes us all human beings, what we have in common”, she said.
The initiative is an occasion to remember those who continue to suffer due to ongoing conflicts worldwide. “Especially remembering the enduring strength of survivors in places like Gaza, Sudan and other countries suffering from injustice”, JRS’s Country Representative in Jordan Diana Rabie pointed out.
Also from the visitors’ side, the success of the “Festival of Encounter” is confirmed year after year: guests appeared amazed by the impact of such a cultural gathering.
They enjoyed the diversity promoted by JRS as some even expressed that one festival per year is not enough and that JRS should organize more.
“It's a testament to the fact that when diverse communities, particularly those who have faced immense challenges, come together, it enriches us all”, Rabie said while sharing the deep meaning of the festival.
