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AMMAN — The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship on Tuesday announced 40 awardees for social innovation in 2019, honouring their leadership efforts in reaching a new ecosystem.

The list includes start-up founders and chief executive officers, multinational and regional business leaders, government leaders, and recognised experts who are working to address social and environmental issues with innovations in areas ranging from water purification to financial inclusion to combatting hate, according to a statement issued by the foundation.

The awardees included four pioneers from the Arab world, specifically from Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, the statement said.

For more than 20 years, the foundation has recognised social entrepreneurs as a new breed of leader and embedded them in the platforms of the World Economic Forum, the statement said, adding that it has introduced three new award categories along with the established category of Social Entrepreneur of the Year: Public Social Intrapreneur, Corporate Social Intrapreneur and Social Innovation Thought Leader.

“Social entrepreneurs are no longer working in isolation — the Schwab Foundation recognises the champions of social innovation in the social sector, but also in business, government and academia,” Hilde Schwab, co-founder and chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship was quoted in the statement as saying.

“The 2019 Schwab Foundation awardees represent a new ecosystem of leaders who are driving change and shifting organisations and systems towards a more just, inclusive, sustainable future,” François Bonnici, Head of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, said. 

Chief Executive Officer at Altibbi, Jalil Allabadi from Jordan, was awarded Social Entrepreneur 2019. Allabadi created a digital health platform for the MENA region that gives awareness, information and advice and reaches more than 200 million users, according to the statement.

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Nafham Mostafa Farahat from Egypt was also awarded Social Entrepreneur 2019. Farahat co-founded an online educational video platform that uses the “power of the crowd” to simplify and explain curriculum lessons to students through short videos, the statement said.

Chairman and Managing Director at LibanPost Khalil Daoud from Lebanon was awarded Corporate Social Intrapreneur. Under Daoud’s leadership, LibanPost’s refugee initiative has impacted more than 280,000 refugees.

Executive Chairman at Wamda Capital Fadi Ghandour from Jordan and Lebanon, was awarded Social Innovation Thought Leader. Ghandour is shifting the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa through Wamda, a funder and start-up incubator, the statement said.

The Sustainable Development Impact Summit 2019 takes place on September 23-24 in New York, according to the statement, adding that this year’s meeting convenes more than 800 regional and global leaders from the government, businesses, civil society and academia and explores the themes transforming markets, accelerating climate action, financing sustainable development and mobilising action for inclusive societies.

AMMAN — A YouGov survey has shown that 70 per cent of Jordanians are generally optimistic about the future in spite of economic and developmental challenges.

Commissioned by Expo 2020 Dubai, and conducted by YouGov, the world’s first Global Optimism Outlook Survey included 20,000 participants from 20 countries, with 4,000 respondents from five Middle Eastern countries, namely: Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The respondents were surveyed on issues related to the future, including sustainability, economic advancement, technology, travel and climate change.

The results showed that 84 per cent of Jordanians believe in the ability for technological advances and innovation to build communities, while Jordanians' belief in the ability of these factors to connect people was measured at 79 per cent.

About half of the Jordanian respondents (47 per cent) said that they are optimistic about the future of sustainability through their country's endeavours to provide alternative energy resources, with some 69 per cent looking forward to using clean energy in transportation and sustainable infrastructure by 2050, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The findings also revealed that developing countries were more optimistic about building a sustainable future than Western countries, with 55 per cent optimistic about this prospect in Jordan, 70 per cent in the UAE, 65 per cent in Saudi Arabia, 78 per cent in Indonesia and 72 per cent in Nigeria, while only 43 per cent in the UK, 45 per cent in France and Germany alike and 51 per cent in the US share the view.

The Middle East’s hopes to combat climate change were above the global average, with about two-thirds of the respondents (64 per cent) optimistic about humanity’s ability to save the planet, while the percentage hit some 56 per cent among the Jordanian public.

AMMAN — After buying the online shopping app Souq.com in 2017, Amazon has finally mounted its sign on the e-commerce's office building in central Amman, which is a "proud moment for us in MENA and specifically in Jordan", Saleem Hammad, the shopping app’s general manager posted on his Facebook account early on Monday.

Amazon took over the app’s back-end and software development support offices two years ago, Nidal Bitar, CEO of the Jordanian Information and Communications Technology Association (Int@j), told The Jordan Times on Monday.

One of the creators and founders of Souq.com, Saleh Haddad, added that the app was sold to Amazon for $580 million.

As part of the takeover, Amazon, one of the world’s biggest companies, now runs its operations in Jordan as a global investor, "which is very positive and shows how Jordan has unique human resources", Bitar said, noting that “since the takeover, the number of Jordanian employees has increased up to 750.”

He added that Amazon's presence in Jordan, namely its advanced technological expertise and the job opportunities it brings, are direct impacts of the move, and noted that Int@j welcomes this transition.

Bitar continued that another impact of the move is the increased possibility of attracting other global investors who will see the comfort of investing in Jordan’s human resources. 

The CEO urged young Jordanians, especially university students, to work hard to hone their skills in order to keep up with the market's demands and allow themselves the chance to secure employment at such companies. 

AMMAN — A platform and oasis of calm for local and Arab artists — the latter, as the history of this region would have it, often having to flee strife in their countries — an environment where conversations and artistic exchanges take place, where critical discourse is stimulated and where Arab art may be researched, documented and archived, restored sites that perfectly reflect the history of the area .... many are the descriptions that could do it justice, yet Darat Al Funun, “home for the arts”, was naturally the simplest and best designation for this mecca for beginner and established artists.

For 30 years, since 1988, this private art centre has been encouraging, supporting, pushing the boundaries of artistic creation in Jordan and beyond with, perhaps, one main goal in mind: to leave an artistic legacy for the future, just as the site and buildings that make up this spectacular repository for art are a heritage of the history of this place at the crossroads of civilisations, that has been a constant safe haven for all who needed it.

But Darat Al Funun - Khalid Shoman Foundation, Amman, inaugurated in 1993, did not just “happen”. It is the creation of a woman of vision and passion, an artist herself, who believes art, as a means of expression, is intrinsically connected with socio-cultural-political realities and should have a purpose.

Suha Shoman, Jerusalem-born, Amman-based artist whose widely exhibited work — painting and video installation — explores issues of memory, exile, identity and politics through a personal lens that reflects collective experiences, with degrees in law from Beirut and Paris, studied at the Institute of Fine Arts established by Fahrelnissa Zeid in Amman.

Her decades of dedication to art, to raising the bar and selflessly providing the wealth of talent in the Arab world with a much-needed platform to work, exchange ideas and exhibit, did not go unnoticed. On September 21, Shoman was awarded  the "Prix de la Chaire" of the Arab World Institute for her creative achievements, cultural activities and for founding and chairing Darat Al Funun.

It was an occasion for this patron of art to thank "everybody who made this possible" and pay a touching tribute to the husband who supported her totally, to her teacher, friend and mentor Zeid, and to artists and collaborators in every field.

It was an occasion, as well, to remind of the 30 years of serious presence in the art scene, a milestone recently celebrated, and that should "inspire a new beginning" and provide the "continuity" this artist has been constantly seeking.

“La Chaire de l'IMA" was established by the Arab World Institute in Paris in 1991. After a 20-year hiatus, it resumed its activities in 2017 with a series of initiatives that aim to develop cultural programmes focused on the Arab world. This year, it is honouring creative Arab women researchers, thinkers and cultural practitioners. Shoman received the award in a session named after Palestinian poet Fadwa Tuqan.

It is much-deserved recognition of an artist's long and arduous walk towards helping Arab art get acknowledged and appreciated, of her work to preserve the past and leave a bright legacy for the future and of her striving to have the local community feel it has a stake in helping her endeavours.

As she said in a recent interview, "Darat al Funun symbolises who we are and where we are going. It tells our history. We have the Roman and Byzantine antiquities reflecting ancient times, buildings from the time of political independence, and today, we are a home for contemporary art.”

"Darat al Funun has always been an artist-driven project. I am an artist, and I wanted to create a collective: A community where artists can meet each other, to have both practice and theory in one place. From 1988 onward, the vision has been the same. We are an oasis of research, of production, of dialogue; we have had a programme of residencies since 1995, and now a 30-year archive."

This pioneering institution in the region with a forward-looking artist at the helm deserves all appreciation; it is a much-needed symbol of permanence and nurturer of a noble pursuit: art.

AMMAN — The crusader castle Al Wu'ayra at Petra once was an early mediaeval chapel and even had a “hydraulic cableway” for transporting materials into the monastery in a fast, easy way, noted an Italian archaeologist.

These cableways “reveal that the advanced technical knowledge of antiquity was still applied”, said Andrea Vanni-Desideri, who has worked at the site with his colleague, Silvia Leporatti, since 2016.

Their work has revealed the rock-cut chapel, he said. “The chronology of the early mediaeval chapel is most probably Byzantine [5th-6th centuries AD] and was partially modified during the Crusaders’ occupation,” said Vanni-Desideri, adding that the current archaeological interpretation is that the chapel is a type of monastic settlement typically seen more in the Palestine area.

Even though the building was partially collapsed, the scholars were able to understand its original structure, according to Vanni-Desideri.

The chapel had a triumphal arch crowning two rectangular niches on the north and south side of a narrow and shallow apse, once completely coated with plaster, the archaeologist explained. In addition, a stone-carved passageway connected the chapel with the entrance gate without actually entering the monastery. 

The new data collected so far indicates that Crusaders probably settled there not only because of the Christian presence, but also because the building could be easily transformed into a military installation, Vanni-Desideri said, adding that the Crusaders likely only added some buildings (the inner church and the towers) and strengthened the outer defences (the curtain wall with arrow slits).

Furthermore, the research team found the leg of a throne carved into a sandstone slab representing two paws of a goat, probably to be interpreted as a piece of the small church’s furniture, the archaeologist concluded.

AMMAN — From 2014 to 2018, 605 cases of suicide were recorded in Jordan, with the figure exponentially increasing each year, according to figures published in the Jordan Statistical Yearbook 2018, produced by the Department of Statistics.

“The topic is controversial”, psychiatrist and addiction specialist Maen Abki told The Jordan Times on Tuesday, noting that there are many contributing factors to suicide, but, generally speaking, at least 75 per cent of people who commit suicide have had symptoms of depression. 

Besides depression, Abki said studies show that 10 per cent of patients with schizophrenia are vulnerable to committing suicide. He noted that alcohol and drug addiction, which are mental illnesses, are also among the general causes of suicide. 

With regards to economic factors, Abki added that the main cause of suicide is unemployment, while on a biological level, people with chronic diseases, cancers, and generally those who are in chronic pain are more prone to suicide.

"Even those with a life that is going well might face a sudden stressful situation, such as the loss of a loved one, and the trauma might lead them to want to commit suicide," Abki said, adding that there are also social reasons at play, as single and divorced people are more prone to suicide than those in a relationship. 

In cases of severe depression and schizophrenia, delusions and hallucinations can lead a person to commit suicide, the psychiatrist said, adding that this can include the feeling of being watched, feeling guilty and as if doing something wrong or imagining things that are untrue, such as being dead or limbless.

When asked about the reason for the increase in suicide rates over the past five years, Abki said that he believes that in general, society's stigma towards mental care and psychiatry leaves patients untreated, meaning that their depression could go from mild to severe with an increased probability of eventually committing suicide. 

Abki encourages families to seek mental care in order to receive necessary treatment and hospitalisation before conditions worsen. 

Abki noted that it is also important to realise that some people inflict self-harm without the intention of suicide, but end up mistakenly killing themselves, which is why all cases should be taken seriously. 

"I think it is very important that every psychiatrist ask his or her patient if they are having suicidal thoughts," Abki said, adding that "the question is not asked enough out of fear of incepting the idea in the patient's head, but the truth is if the patient is not considering suicide, the question will not do so."

Awni Abu Halimah, consultant psychiatrist and addiction treatment specialist, concurred with Abki’s statement, as he also told The Jordan Times on Tuesday that depression is the leading cause of suicide.

Abu Halimah said that the symptoms of those suffering from depression can range from a gloomy mood, to being sad all the time and wanting to cry, seeing the world through  dark lenses, and feeling completely alone and isolated in the world.

Abu Halimah said that depression knows no age boundaries, and could happen to anyone regardless of their age, but did highlight how nowadays, it is most common among people in their 20s and 30s. 

When asked for his personal analysis of why suicide rates have increased in more recent years, Abu Halimah said that the main cause is economic and financial conditions, as, for example, if a parent is unable to support their children, they may see suicide as the only option.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, in a phone call, has checked on the health of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah after a recent medical check-up, a Royal Court statement said on Tuesday.

King Abdullah wished Sheikh Sabah continued good health and well-being, according to the statement.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Attiyah received Jordanian Ambassador to Qatar Zeid Lozi over furthering the two countries' bilateral ties.

This meeting is part of a series of meetings conducted by the newly appointed envoy with top Qatari officials, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

AMMAN — The number of British tourists visiting the Kingdom increased by 24 per cent to reach 37,000 tourists by the end of August, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Majd Shweikeh said on Tuesday.

The UK travel firm Thomas Cook’s bankruptcy had “little effect” on Jordan, she added, noting that UK market indicators are growing with no risks to Jordan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Commenting on Thomas Cook's announcement of its insolvency last Monday, Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, managing director of the Jordan Tourism Board, said that the board has no agreements with the company, which would not affect arrivals to Jordan. 

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry and the Jordanian embassy in Moscow are following up on the stabbing of a Jordanian student in Ukraine, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s Operations Centre Sufian Qudah said on Tuesday.

Qudah noted that Ukrainian authorities have been contacted for details on the crime, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The Foreign Ministry’s operations centre and the Jordanian embassy in Moscow have been providing the necessary assistance and consulate  services, Qudah said, adding that measures have been taken to ensure the Jordanian receives the required medical attention.