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AMMAN — A high-level Italian delegation visited the Hitteen refugee camp on Wednesday, according to a statement from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

The delegation visited the housing units that are being renovated within the Housing Reconstruction Project for Palestinian Refugees in Hitteen Camp, some 12km east of Amman in Zarqa Governorate. 

The project is funded by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by the UNOPS and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in collaboration with the Department of Palestinian Affairs (DPA), the statement said.

The housing project for the camp aims to renovate around 100 housing units, benefiting more than 500 Palestinian refugees, the statement said.  

Luca Maestripieri, AICS director, accompanied by Marta Grande, the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Fabio Cassese, the Italian Ambassador to Jordan and Bana Kaloti, the UNOPS Regional Director for the Middle East, were received by Rafiq Kherfan, Director General of the DPA. 

The project was launched in March 2019 and will directly contribute to preserving the dignity of refugees and improving their living standards. The rehabilitation will also ensure an improvement in sanitary conditions and public health, the statement said.

The project will also provide jobs by engaging refugees in the construction works that will be carried out.  It is expected that 50 per cent of skilled and unskilled workers for the works will be made up of residents of the camp.

Hitteen camp, also known as Marka camp, dates back to 1968, and hosts around 53,000 Palestinian refugees.

 “This project is a virtuous example of the commitment of the Italian Cooperation towards the wellbeing of the most vulnerable” and confirmed the continuous commitment of the Italian Cooperation in Jordan, Maestripieri said in the statement. 

“We will do our best to continue mobilising resources, providing expertise, and strengthening partnerships to support Jordan in providing the best possible care for all people in need,” he said at the end of his speech. 

Grande said: “With this project, Italy continues to support the Palestinian refugee population living in Jordan, in continuity with previous interventions implemented in other Palestinian refugee camps. 

“This project is an example of the concrete benefits that a partnership between local government, international donors and international organisations can bring to the most vulnerable people.”

Kaloti said:  “UNOPS is pleased to be able to provide its infrastructure and project management expertise in implementing this project. The project aims to provide benefits in multiple sectors, including housing and livelihoods. We hope that it will serve as an example of an initiative that can deliver concrete outputs, while also engaging the beneficiary community to provide them with ownership and livelihoods.”

Kherfan said: “As a result of the interest of the Jordanian Government in improving the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in Jordan, DPA has been able to communicate with AICS, which agreed on funding the rehabilitation project for the housing of poor families in Hitteen camp. We highly appreciate the generous support of the Italian Government to the Palestinian community in Jordan.”

TUNIS — Arab women activists and feminists meeting in Tunis have agreed to form a coalition to support women activists and the group’s work in the region.

The group agreed that the coalition should focus on boosting the work and experience of women in the region “since there are women who need a lot of support especially in conflict areas”.

The coalition also recommended launching local and regional initiatives that would support women’s group’s efforts in their respective countries.

Turning to the Internet, the group agreed to work on structuring a safe digital space for women activists, including protecting their electronic work such as online campaigns, research and documentation of cases. 

Meanwhile, the gathering stressed the need to lobby governments in the region to amend their cybercrime laws to ensure greater freedom of expression and to safeguard women’s groups from cyber bullying and threats.

Over 25 feminists and activists from various parts of the Arab world concluded a three-day feminist forum in Tunis, which was organised by the Oxfam MENA Region Office to address women’s causes in an unconventional manner to ensure real change in their societies.

Among the aims of the forum, according to a statement by Oxfam, was to exchange ideas and experiences within the women’s movement in order to tackle social barriers that are contributing to gender-based violence.

Another goal is to revise and revisit previous and current campaigns to discuss necessary changes to ensure the success and continuation of such movements, according to the statement.

The meeting also sought to explore new and unconventional methods of collaboration within the women’s movement in the Arab world to support local activism, the statement said.

The ultimate aim was to empower the women’s movement in the Arab world and to focus on creating a clear and sustainable vision that has a positive impact on people’s lives, the organisers added.

AMMAN — An innovation and entrepreneurship programme titled “Impact Week” will be organised for the first time in Jordan by a team of German experts and the German Jordanian University (GJU) in collaboration with various international practitioners from Lufthansa and SAP, among others. 

The event, which will take place at Ahli Club in Amman, will also be held in partnership with HELP Logistics (a programme of the Kuehne Foundation), Spark, Goethe Institute and IBTECAR Consulting, according to the organisers.

“This programme is conducted in various countries around the world, mainly in developing countries, in Africa, Latin America and India. It will be held in Jordan and the Middle East for the first time,” Jamil Alkhatib, general manager at IBTECAR Consulting and manager of programme innovation and entrepreneurship at GJU, told The Jordan Times on Wednesday. 

Impact Week is conducted in two phases, the first taking place from October 5 to October 7, and the second from October 9 to October 12, Alkhatib said.

In the first phase, 30 local and 18 international professionals will accompany the German experts, who will offer their expertise and innovative ways of “design thinking” to train the trainers in an intercultural environment where “all will learn how to deal with challenges facing the Kingdom related to various sectors”.

Once the first phase is complete and the junior coaches receive their training, the second phase will begin, targetting university students and high school students above 16 years of age. 

During this phase, the experts will supervise the junior coaches trained in the first phase, as they themselves train a group of five to seven students, who will choose a challenge to address and deal with.

“We aim to distribute between 100 and 120 students to the junior and senior coaches to learn to deal with local challenges in an innovative way,” Alkhatib said.

He added that during the programme there will be a competition based around the ideas that the groups come up with in order to tackle problems, with awards to help these groups implement at least part of their solution. 

The programme will allow students to mingle with different cultures and learn different ways of thinking, and registration can be processed online.

The lead coach will be Michael Kogel, from Heidelberg, Germany, who participated in Impact Weeks held in Nairobi 2016, Bogota 2017 and Guwahati 2018, according to the organisers. 

The Impact Week is a non-profit programme that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging economies as the basis for sustainable growth, according to the organisation’s website.

With the help of the creative design thinking method, the organisation enables local students to develop solutions to challenges in their communities and to eventually start their own businesses, the website adds. 

AMMAN — The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) on Wednesday said that it has document a total of 13,747 electricity theft cases during the first nine months of this year.

EMRC Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiyari said that 2,636 electricity theft lawsuits were filed during the January-September period, with courts issuing final rulings on 1,323 of the cases, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, citing an EMRC statement.

Hiyari added that in September alone 1,623 alleged electricity thefts were detected from 210,079 inspections, with security bodies detecting 225 thefts, while electricity distribution companies and the commission detected another 496 and 902 cases, respectively, Petra said.

Of the total discovered cases during the January-September period, electricity distribution companies detected 4,267, while public security and gendarmerie personnel uncovered 1,820 thefts, said Hiyari. Electricity distribution companies also found 1,145 cases, and 378 were detected in areas affiliated with the Irbid District Electricity Company.

The commission and the concerned authorities will intensify inspection campaigns during official working hours and on holidays to combat electricity theft and address attempts to tamper with the electrical system, Hiyari added.

The law stipulates that anyone who tampers with the electrical system or is involved in electricity theft may face imprisonment from anywhere between six months to two years, a fine from JD2,000 to JD100,000, or both, according to Petra.

Under the law, all those who intentionally vandalise, destroy or hinder the work of power facilities or cause them any damage could face imprisonment for one to three years, a fine ranging from JD2,000 to JD100,000, or both. 

The penalty can also be increased if the violation poses any danger to public safety, Petra added.

AMMAN — The Japanese embassy in Jordan introduced the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) at a conference on Wednesday. 

Several representatives of municipalities, international and local NGOs and charitable hospitals attended the conference, according to an embassy statement.

The conference, held for the first time in Jordan, aims to help municipalities and NGOs better understand the GGP scheme as the embassy “recognized it hasn’t reached” the organizations “committed but struggling to serve our communities”.

Ahmad Allouzi, Chairman of Friendship Association of the Blind, and Bassam Daniel Anis, executive director of the Jordanian Association for Family Planning and Protection, which have completed three and four projects through the GGP respectively, were also invited to share their experience with Japanese grant and tips for sustainable projects, according to the statement. 

The GGP was established with “the goal to achieve a world where no one is left behind and all people can live with peace of mind by promptly holding out a hand to every single person in every corner”, the statement read. 

This year marks the 31st anniversary of the GGP. It began in 32 countries and has expanded to 142 countries and regions, according to the statement.

Although it is a small scale grant, it is Japan’s “unique” assistance programme to meet the diverse needs of local communities by directly supporting the development activities run by NGOs and local governments, rather than by central governments, the statement said.

Katsuhiko Araike, deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of Japan in Jordan encouraged attendees to apply for the GGP, expressing hopes that the grant will serve Jordanian communities in need.

This year the GGP marks its 26th anniversary in Jordan.  Through the GGP, Japan has extended more than $10 million for 147 projects to NGOs, schools, hospitals and local governments in Jordan, the statement concluded. 

AMMAN — The weather is projected to be moderate in mountainous areas and valleys, and relatively hot in the rest of the Kingdom on Thursday, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The JMD also warned of low visibility in mountainous and Badia areas due to fog formation early in the morning on Thursday.

On Friday, the JMD forecasts moderate fall weather throughout the Kingdom, while on Saturday the weather is expected to remain relatively hot around the Kingdom with clouds at high altitudes.

On Thursday, temperatures in Amman are expected to see a high of 29°C during the day and a low of 14°C at night. On Friday, temperatures are predicted to be between 31°C and 16°C, while on Saturday temperatures are expected to range between 30°C and 15°C, according to the JMD.

In Zarqa, temperatures are forecast between 31°C and 17°C on Thursday, while on Friday mercury levels are expected to be between 33°C and 19°C, and between 32°C and 18°C on Saturday.

In Aqaba, temperatures are expected to reach 34°C during the day and 23°C at night on Thursday, while on Friday they are projected to hover between 36°C and 24°C, and between 35°C and 24°C on Saturday, the weather department said.

AMMAN — Egyptian authorities have decided to release Jordanian nationals Abdulrahman Ali Hussein and Thaer Husam Matar, who were arrested in Cairo 10 days ago, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah said on Wednesday.

The Kingdom’s embassy in Cairo had taken measures to ensure the return of the two citizens by Wednesday night, Qudah said in a Foreign Ministry statement. The spokesperson noted that Egypt’s decision “embodies the essence of fraternal bilateral relations”.

He thanked Egyptian authorities for their “positive and swift” cooperation on the case. Since receiving word of their arrest, the Foreign Ministry, through Jordan’s Embassy in Cairo, has exerted great efforts to ensure the release of the Jordanians, Qudah said in the statement.  

AMMAN — UK Ambassador to Amman Edward Oakden reaffirmed his country’s commitment to stand by the Kingdom in the face of challenges, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. “The UK has a strong and enduring relationship with Jordan.

We will help to reinforce Jordan’s resilience, assure Jordan’s security, reinforce our commitment to supporting your plans for educational reform and creating new jobs, boost productivity and increase economic sustainability,” Petra quoted Oakden as saying during a reception held in Amman.

AMMAN — The recent Jordanian-Turkish trade agreement has replaced the free trade agreement (FTA), President of Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) Fathi Jaghbir said on Wednesday.

Jaghbir, in a press statement, pointed out that the new agreement advances bilateral economic relations that equally serve both sides’ interests.

Suspending the Jordanian-Turkish FTA, he said, has reduced the trade deficit and protected Jordanian-made products from the influx of Turkish imports, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Jaghbir said the new agreement aims to exchange expertise and conduct mutual visits through the establishment of a joint economic committee.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Rym Ali has said that the Jordan Media Institute (JMI) trains its students to the highest possible standards and human values, fights hate speech and provides them with a space where freedom of expression and respect for others are not contradictory.

Princess Rym was addressing guests at a celebration, held under the Royal Patronage on Monday, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Master’s in Journalism and New Media Programme on Tuesday, according to a statement from the institute. 

The princess warned against delivering technology without making sure it is accompanied by “some understanding” of human sciences, ethics, and the legal framework in which the flow of information operates. These, she noted should be incorporated into curricula to promote responsible use of media, the statement said.

She said, during the event that was also addressed by CNN’s Richard Quest, that the JMI believes that journalism education is not only about defending freedoms, but also about building a truly democratic culture. 

Princess Rym highlighted the institute’s efforts in promoting media literacy in the Kingdom, noting that proper journalism education accompanied by media literacy can help bring about a culture of change, a vision for the future and one that would focus on what is essential in terms of values, with depth, rather than fashionable opinions and sensationalism. 

She also commended the JMI’s fact-checking and media-monitoring website, Akeed. 

Quest, CNN’s anchor and business editor at large, stressed the importance of freedom as key to good press. He noted how press freedoms contribute to people’s prosperity and wellbeing. 

He added that people trained by the JMI will be the “backbone of society” and therefore must understand that there are two sides to each story with a few exceptions, and must ensure society has access to information. 

During his interactive remarks, Quest also addressed the issue of neutrality and noted that while journalists are entitled to their opinions, they must leave them outside the newsroom. They have to be objective about their coverage and how to tell the stories.  

JMI Dean Basim Tweissi said the establishment of the JMI by Princess Rym Ali was a “turning point” in journalism education in Jordan and the region, shifting the focus to practical training and field work. 

He also added that the master’s programme focuses on digital media and ethics and supports the commitment of young journalists to values and freedoms of expression and independence. 

He added that the institute is a primary source of expertise for Jordan and the region, noting that the JMI’s work focuses on three themes that address practical journalism experience: Updated communication technology knowledge, solid ethics which help graduates make informed and responsible decisions on the job. 

The celebration also included testimonials by some alumni about their experience at the JMI. They are part of more than 260 graduates who have achieved 91 per cent employment rate in a highly competitive market, according to the statement.   

The JMI is a non-profit academic institution that has also provided training opportunities to more than 6,000 people and has implemented more than 30 media development projects, including Media and Information Literacy. These efforts made it the recipient of the second prize of UNESCO’s Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy  Awards for 2018, read the statement.