Prince Hassan’s UJ lecture centres on multidimensional poverty, human dignity

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan delivered a lecture titled “Multidimensional Poverty and Human Dignity”  at the University of Jordan’s (UJ) Faculty of Arts on Tuesday.

The event was attended by UJ President Nathir Obeidat, as well as deans of faculties, faculty members and university students.

Prince Hassan emphasised the need to rely on knowledge founded on absolute truth, and providing accurate and realistic data through a national knowledge database. 

This shift is essential to move away from a “paternalistic approach” and instead foster collaboration among all sectors, empowering those in need and those working towards human dignity.

The prince underscored the significance of prioritising human dignity and empowerment through the adoption of a multidimensional poverty index, which many countries utilise to identify various forms of poverty and need.

He also highlighted the importance of legal empowerment for underprivileged people, emphasising key pillars such as access to justice, rule of law, property rights, labour rights and the right to engage in business activities.

Refugees and displaced individuals are directly affected by poverty, he said, stressing the need to recognise their capabilities and competencies to harness their potential and involve them in the development process to achieve effective inclusivity.

Prince Hassan emphasised that dialogue, understanding, mutual respect, deep awareness of our shared humanity and values, active citizenship, self-honesty, partnership, solidarity and global networking are all essential values when discussing freedom and the responsibility of expression.

He also highlighted the continuous construction of freedom through enlightenment and the revitalisation of the concept of responsible expression. He called for the establishment of comprehensive international humanitarian law and an ethical system for collective humanitarian solidarity, ensuring that the law works for everyone. He further stressed the need to “seriously” address mental health issues.

Following the lecture, a conversation took place between Prince Hassan and the students, which addressed the challenges faced by youth and the importance of developing programmes and policies to support and empower them.