Blogging Live from CSR Forum

I am blogging live from the Hussein Culture Center in Ras Al Ein, where the Corporate Social Responsibility Forum is taking place. The first session, which has just started, is titled: The World and CSR: Building Capacity to Change the World, chaired by Mr Fadi Ghandour, whom I highly respect and admire (ask Hal!)

I will be participating in the session on the Role of Media and CSR, in which one of the questions to be addressed will be on new voices, and how citizen journalism, new content creators in the blogsphere, independent filmmakers and interactive media journalists can contribute, and what sort of impact they have.

This is going to be a short post; I just had an urge to share how much I’m admiring the Greater Amman Municipality and TRACCS Jordan, who are the organizers of this event. Seriously, the level of organization witnessed here is refreshingly wonderful (and I can’t help but compare with the ICT Forum that took place at the Dead Sea three months ago – where the plenary hall did NOT have wireless access, in an ICT forum!!! Not to mention the registration mess.) TRACCS have been so attentive to the minutest details. Badges and conference kits were sent to participants days in advance, with close follow up on their part. The venue set up is excellent, and well, so far, all seems to be smooth…

More updates later :)

Random and not-so-Random Thoughts on Journalism and Freedom

Part of the recent changes breezing into my world has involved discovering the music of Charbel Rouhana – such beautiful rearrangements of the greatest Arabic music coming through my headset as I try to focus away from the office buzz, and somewhat come to terms with the restlessness that has been my loyal companion lately.

I read the local news… and sigh! A lot of media-related items caught my attention last week; the first student radio station has been launched in Yarmouk University, home to Jordan’s first and only school of Journalism in a public university. Yarmouk University has known different forms of student activism, confrontations, and most recently, violence on its campus. I cannot help but wonder what form this supposedly student-run radio station will take, and to what extent students will be able to push the envelope. I’m not very hopeful though. Public universities in Jordan are not very different in their policies, and I remember my days at UJ and the short period of time I spent writing for the student monthly that was published by the Student Affairs Administration. The Dean of Student Affairs was on top of the editorial hierarchy of the newspaper, and it had to pass by him before going to print. Not only was it supposed to be controversy-free, anything that “damaged the image of the university” was duly crossed out.

In other Journalism-related items, I found an interesting piece of news about a new educational program titled “Education through the Press”, implemented by the Center for Defending the Freedom of Journalists with the Ministry of Education and the International Publishers Union, through which teachers from 12 schools in different parts of the kingdom were trained on utilizing newspapers and media sources as pedagogical tools in the classroom, to increase students’ reading skills, encourage them to use different sources of knowledge, and increase their awareness and involvement with their local community and society at large. The representative of the International Publishers Union said that the importance of using newspapers in the classroom lies in developing a critical thinking and understanding of what is relayed through the media.

This sure sounds like a very interesting project, and I think that ideas and projects of this sort deserve to be saluted, yet I’m taking everything with a grain of salt these days. As one friend of mine put it “Jordan has enough conferences and initiatives to save the world!”

I’m keeping a positive outlook though. I don’t like sounding cynical, but sometimes one cannot help it in light of what has been going on in the bigger picture of the state of free speech in this part of the world. Following the parliament’s debate regarding the Press and Publication law has been nothing short of depressing, and what’s even more depressing is that the campaign initiated by Amman Net and the Center for Defending the Freedom of Journalists to lobby for a “progressive law” and the right to access information is somewhat falling flat. We - and I mean people who have a stake in this - seem to lack the right approach to, or perhaps the critical mass for, organized advocacy.

It seems very ironic that some MPs would reject the idea of publishing licenses being issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and dwell on the need for a Ministry of Information as a governing body for all media entities in the country, in an era where a private citizen like myself can get together with a couple of colleagues and start an independent news website anywhere anytime.

But then again, I’d venture to say that limits to freedom of expression have little to do with existing laws and regulations, and more to do with our internal systems of self-censorship and the red lines we encircle ourselves with.

I think of Abdel-Karim Nabil, a young man 2 years younger than me, who will spend the next four years of his life in prison for daring to speak his mind in criticizing Al Azhar and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. What is more disturbing than the sentence itself is the reaction of his family and members of the public who were demanding harsher punishments – people who give themselves the right to judge others, to point fingers and to determine what someone’s ideological and spiritual belief is supposed to be.

It’s common knowledge that others out there think in a way similar to Karim but chose to keep their thoughts to themselves. Can someone sue me for the thoughts that lurk in the dark alleyways of my mind away from the public eye? Yet, simply keeping those opinions private does not nullify their existence, does not make them any more or less “legitimate”. Some people choose to speak their minds under the cover of anonymity, others choose to express these thoughts accompanied by their real names with which people in offline life and official records identify them… and then, others simply choose to filter the opinions they express and allow themselves to debate with others. For how long would the powers-that-be succeed in keeping "offensive" or "unsettling" opinions in check?! One must wonder!

I cannot entirely separate these thoughts from observations and reflections on the ongoing debate regarding the Jordan Blogs aggregator. A lot has been said there, and questioning what “freedom of speech” really means has become somewhat tiring. But I don’t want to get into that right now. Enough thoughts for one post, wouldn’t you agree? ;)

In irrelevant (or relevant, who is to say anyway?) news; I just got an email confirming my participation in the Documentary Filmmaking Workshop that the RFC is organizing with USC in March :)

Early Morning Ramble

It’s 5:00 am. I’ve been up for almost an hour, trying to get some work done to meet the looming deadlines. It’s been ages since I started a post stating that it’s the hour of dawn and that I’m high on caffeine. I just realized now how much I miss that – waking up at 4:00 in the morning, and getting into that writing mood, putting together the same rambling introduction for no matter what topic I was going to blog about.

This morning, it wasn’t coffee that I had. It was thyme. For the past few months, I had gotten myself addicted to the wonderful Latte of Cups and Kilos every morning on the way to work… and then I realized that it had somehow turned into a mindless habit, and that’s when I decided to stop! The psychological nature of habit is fascinating to ponder. I decided that I will not create another habit to replace an old one, but try to keep it as random as possible. That said, I must admit that Thyme is such a refreshing drink, and I owe that discovery to a wise friend.

I’m listening to the soundtrack of Frida. Amazing movie, and amazing music. I just loved how passionate, colorful, vivid, and intense it is. And while I’m not a fan of Salma Hayek, I really liked her performance of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

Speaking of movies, I saw Babel the other day, and must say that I was disappointed. I had been looking forward to it, because Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros and 21 Grams are two of my top favorite films – they’re smart, engaging, unpredictable, and have great visual textures and very powerful characters (played by Sean Penn, Benico Del Toro, and Emilio Echevarria). Perhaps the idea of connecting seemingly separate stories of people who have nothing to do with each other has become somewhat redundant. Don’t get me wrong, Babel is a good movie, but it’s tricky when you set off with high expectations! The pace of it was unnecessarily slow. Due to time (and mood) limitations, I will not write a more detailed review here, but let’s just say that in trilogies or sequels it’s so hard to beat the first.

I would love nothing more than to keep on rambling, but I should get back to work. I’m still contributing to that series on Education in Jordan for JO Magazine, and it’s just mind-twisting how many issues and layers are related to this topic. Perhaps when I’m done with it I’d post some of the reflections, observations, and questions that I’m left with. I also need to finish a review of Jimmy Carter’s latest book, and I need to prepare some things for a forum taking place next week on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

I’m nearing the 2-year-anniversary of this blog… and I think I will mark the occasion by trying to go back to the old pace of blogging I had :) fingers crossed!

In Today’s News; Towards a More Pedestrian-Friendly Amman

Anyone who has attempted to take up the healthy habit of walking and making the most of Amman’s generally lovely weather knows that if it isn’t a near-suicidal mission, it can best be described as a measure of one’s elasticity and ability to zigzag and dodge branches sticking out right, left and center. In short, walking is usually a reminder of the trees’ occupation of pavements – when they exist to start with.

Good news today though; the Greater Amman Municipality has announced a project to remove most trees occupying the pavements of Amman and transferring them to an area close to the Queen Alia International Airport.

The focus is currently on transferring olive trees, as some scientific studies have revealed that 25% to 30% of people in Amman have an allergy related to these trees. 3500 trees have already been moved from the Jubeiha and Tlaa’ Al Ali areas. The Plan is to move 20,000 trees over the course of the coming two years.

This brings to my mind the few times I chose to walk home from University :) feels nostalgic! Speaking of those walks, I hope the next step for GAM would be to provide more trash bins on the pavements ;)

Some Interesting Opportunities

There are just so many things to do and so many exciting ideas to pursue yet so little time, or at least that is how it feels when you have an 8-to-5 job, a freelance writing job, and a bunch of projects you’re committed to, not to mention of course your above-average need for sleep!

Choices... Choices!

Since ideas, projects, opportunities, and interesting things don’t seize to pop up… what better use for this lovely little neglected blog of mine than to list them for anyone interested in taking something up!

Here you go…


- A course for young journalists on Leadership, Media, and Democracy organized by the United Nations University/International Leadership Institute here in Amman. The course will take place between March 11th and 14th, and bring together about 40 journalists from the Middle East and Other regions. The application deadline has been extended for a limited period of time, so if you’re interested, hurry up!

- The First Film Production Contest, organized by No Budget Films. Submit your script of a fiction or documentary film with duration between 15 to 20 minutes, and get the chance to have it produced. Click here for more details.

- No Budget Films and Pioneers Production Company are also organizing a Forum this weekend (the 15th till the 17th), where you get the chance to participate and pitch for your documentary, and discuss it with very impressive group of guests speakers with a vast range of experience in production and documentary making.

- The Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University has this awesome Internship Program in Production and Broadcast Journalism. Gain valuable experience by working on a feature, editing a documentary or researching and writing for an investigative journalism television program. The application is quite challenging, but if accepted, they cover everything from airfare to housing, and stipend for the duration of 10 weeks, besides participation in a specialized seminar. Check it out!

- Now here’s something interesting for non-Arabs (or so I assumed since it involves studying Arabic)

THE 4th ANNUAL PALESTINE SUMMER ENCOUNTER
"Serve, Learn, and change your World"
May 24th - August 16th 2007
Bethlehem, Palestine

• Live with a Palestinian host family
• Serve the community by volunteering with a local organization
• Study Arabic in an Arabic-speaking country
• Meet with Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers and activists

For details please visit http://www.middleeastfellowship.org/pse2007. A free packet of information, including a 15-minute DVD with interviews from former participants, is available upon request.

The deadline for applications is April 20th 2007.


Coming up soon on this space:

- Get an eye-opening experience by volunteering with the INJAZ program in a public school and help raise the awareness of students between 8th and 10th grades on issues related to personal life planning, leadership, economics, and how they can have an impact on their community.

Some thoughts on Jadal’s Concert

First off, I didn’t have my camera, which ticked me off because I really wanted to try and capture the atmosphere in a couple of shots. The Courtyard is a great place for live music; the bean bags on the grass, the laid-back ambiance, and the comfortable spaciousness all combine to make it a lovely hangout to hold concerts. That said, its prices are on the expensive side, and Shmeisani is definitely not my favorite part of town.

So, back to the concert… the instruments they play include a guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard, along with a guy who sings. They played some original songs, as well as rearrangements of some Arabic oldies. The style they’re introducing – Arabic rock – is definitely nice and refreshing, and they did a good job, but it was that, a good job, not great! I kind of felt they can work on their stuff some more. I’m no music expert, but you could tell that the drummer is just playing the same rhythm over and over, and that he’s a bit slow. Some of the lyrics also lacked genuineness, and with the music they were playing, it could’ve been a lot more powerful. I liked the guy’s voice, and all in all, I’d say they’ve got strong potential but need to go the extra mile.

While the crowd of such events seems to be getting more diverse these days, it’s always nice to spot the regulars, especially fellow bloggers taking the side observer position and clicking away with their cameras. It was also brillliant to bump into some friends I hadn't seen in ages.

Any observer of the cultural arena in Amman over the past few years would say that it has witnessed very interesting developments and come a long way since the days of scarce events and skeletal audiences. It’s awesome to see so many more people attending. I’d say the next step has to be raising the bar of what’s being produced and moving past the “it’s great that we’re trying” paradigm. I’m not talking particularly about Jadal but about the general attitude we have around here. I can ramble a lot on this, but I will stop here and tunnel this sudden long-missed appetite for writing into something different :)

Myriad of Music and Films this week in Amman

If the cultural scene is so vibrant at this time of the year, I wonder what the summer will be like :) On Thursday, I went to a concert by French musician Fred, at the Royal Cultural Center. He gave a wonderful performance, playing his guitar and singing with a powerful voice and style, getting his audience involved with his charismatic stage presence, despite the language barrier. It was quite refreshing and fun.

Today, as part of a program supporting local bands, Jadal will be playing Arabic rock at the Courtyard at 8:30 pm. Entry free of charge.



On Thursday the 15th of February, Alaa Shaheen and the Strings Band will be playing at the Royal Cultural Center at 8:00 pm. Tickets are for 5 JDs sold at Prime Mega Store and Al Afaghani stores.

Sunday February 18th, there will be a Cuban Concert (now that should be fun!) at 7:30 pm at the Spanish Cultural Center.

Monday the 19th, Piano concert by Swede Staffan Scheja at the Zara Expo, 8:00pm. Free tickets at the door, but with limited seating.

Tuesday the 20th, a performance by the Amman Orchestra, led by Mohammad Othman Sadiq, at Al Hussein Cultural Centre at 7:30 pm.

There should be a music performance at Jafra cafe this wednesday, I'll update this space as soon as I get details.

If you’re into independent and international films, you’ve got yourself an eventful week as well…

A Chilean film is being screened at the Shoman Cinema Forum this Tuesday the 13th at 6:30 pm.

German films are being screened between the 10th and the 14th at the Hussein Cultural Center in Ras Al Ein at 7:00 pm (the ones on Tuesday and Wednesday are documentaries).

Next Monday, a French Film titled “Wolves Empire” will be screened at Grand Cinemas at 8:30 pm, as part of the Outlook on French Cinema Program.

Enjoy! (and keep an eye on Samer’s blog for prompt updates on Amman’s interesting Cultural happenings).

Jordan Media Strengthening Program

One of the things that always disturbed me personally was the fact that among Jordan’s 24(?) universities, only two offer undergraduate degrees in Journalism; one public, Yarmouk, and one private, Petra. It baffled me how the University of Jordan does not have a Media and Journalism school!! When young people are not encouraged to take something as serious as journalism professionally, and to learn to practice it with high standards, what does this say about the state of media in the country?

So… I found it particularly interesting when I read a quarter-page ad in the newspaper the other day announcing some research fellowships, scholarships and internships in Media Law and Policy as part of a Jordan Media Strengthening Program (JMSP).

These particular Media Law and Policy activities are conducted with the Center for Global Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania. This is only one aspect of the JMSP, which is executed by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), whose partners include (besides UPENN), Social Impact, and the University of Tennessee. While googling, I found this 3-month old news item:

UT to Help Improve Journalism Education in Jordan

KNOXVILLE -- A University of Tennessee Journalism and Electronic Media
professor has signed a contract worth up to $1.2 million to improve journalism
education in Jordan.

Sam Swan will be doing the project for the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX). The work will be funded by United States Agency of International Development (USAID).

…

Swan is the interim director of the college’s Internationalization and Outreach Program. He previously served as the interim director of the School of Journalism and Electronic Media and was the long-time head of UT's broadcasting department.

His experience includes more than 35 years in broadcasting, broadcast management, broadcast education, and international media training. He has conducted more than 100 workshops in more than 40 countries on broadcast management and broadcast journalism.

The contract is part of a three-year ongoing project in which Swan and the School of Journalism and Electronic Media will partner with IREX to implement the Jordan Media Strengthening Program. If the project is successful, it will be extended for another two years.

As part of that program, the school will work directly with a Jordanian university to upgrade the quality of teaching. (would that be Yarmouk University?)

"Most journalism education in Jordan (the little of it that we have) is theoretical in nature," Swan said. "Students learn very few practical writing, research, and interviewing skills."

Swan will work with Jordanian educators to upgrade their radio-TV facilities and seek licenses for student broadcast stations (now this should be interesting), revise journalism curriculum and update teaching materials. He also will conduct reporting workshops for Jordanian faculty and students, coordinate student and faculty exchanges and develop a joint master’s program with the country’s universities.

One of the key activities mentioned in the program overview is "improving the enabling environment for local media". I wonder how this will come into play while the draft for a new "progressive" Press and Publication Law presented by the government is disappointing, and the parliament's debate and changes on it are more disappointing and still missing key requirements for the improvement of the media's enabling environment!