A delegation of academic, administrative, and student colleagues from Yarmouk University joined the Princess Basma Centre for Jordanian Women's Studies' Director, Dr. Batoul Al-Muhaisen, at the launch of the project "Training Academic Women on Party Work in Universities," which the Center and the Jordanian Masarat Foundation for Development are coordinating.
During the "The Role of Academic Institutions in Promoting a Culture of Political Participation" discussion session, the Center Director underscored His Majesty King Abdullah II's directives to support the political empowerment of women and youth in Jordan through various programs and activities. He also expressed interest in the emergence of a generation of students who derive profound empowerment from political empowerment, a crucial step towards achieving democratic and social development in societies.
Under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Islam Massad, the President of the University, who was renowned for his extraordinary support and belief in the capabilities of women and their ability to be present in decision-making places at the university, she underlined that Yarmouk University, the big house that brings us together, provides all the support and guidance for us to play our role to the fullest. Along with concentrating on research addressing the difficulties faced by women in political and partisan life in Jordanian society, the Center regularly hosts awareness workshops and seminars on political and partisan life.
The Princess Basma Center for Women's Studies, in collaboration with the Masarat Foundation for Development, held its fifth session under the fourth axis "Raising Awareness and Enlightened Discourse" as part of the "Hate Speech and Interfaith Dialogue" initiative. During this session, Dr. Marcel Jouinat from the Department of Journalism and Digital Media/Faculty of Mass Communication and Dr. Muhammad Al-Habis, Head of the Department of Radio and Television, provided an interactive lecture on a variety of topics, including:
Hatred and discussion are defined.
Religious and cultural discourse.
The undeniable foundation of shared denominators underpins digital and social media's significance and relevance in reducing hate speech and fostering a discourse culture. Dr. Marcel Jouinat stated that digital media and means of communication are an effective and influential tool for spreading moderate religious and cultural discourse, as well as their importance in developing religious discourse content. She also emphasized the challenges raised by hate speech on the Internet, as well as its negativity. The presentation included Jordan's electronic fire legislation and international legal documents. Dr. Muhammad Al-Habis discussed the characteristics of hate speech, the factors determining identity, how to address this type of speech in all its forms, and the importance of focusing on the human being and his humanity without discrimination. Dr. Muhammad Al-Habis also discussed the importance and necessity of social media platforms. Some people champion freedom of speech, but we must operate within the confines of the law.
Under the second topic, "Understanding and Tolerance," the Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies, in association with the Masarat Foundation for Development, conducted its second session under the "Hate Speech and Interfaith Dialogue" initiative. Prof. Dr. Khalid Muhammad Al-Sharman of the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies' Department of Fundamentals of Religion delivered an interactive lecture on "Dismantling Hate Speech" at the second session.
The lecturer covered multiple axes, including Islam's approach to establishing solidarity and tolerance. He demonstrated the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims within society, as well as the importance of good dealings and the establishment of rights, duties, and justice among members of the Muslim community. The lecturer emphasized the value of good communication and dialogue in fostering a positive culture and removing hatred. Stability is the foundation of society, and a peaceful greeting is the first step towards achieving it.
The need to make the best use of social media to foster positive relationships was another important point. In addition, anything that ruins relationships between members of the same society must go. The discussion focused on the harmony and variety that underpin Jordanian society, guided by the acceptance of Islamic Sharia.
Attending the conference were Mr. Talal Ghunaimat, Director of the Jordanian Masarat Foundation for Development, Dr. Batoul Al-Muhaisen, Director of the Center, Dr. Tariq Al-Nasser, Deputy Director of the Center, and other administrators, and students.
The Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies at Yarmouk University, in partnership with Al-Hayat Center "RASED" and with funding from the European Union and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, has released the results of a field survey for the study "Assessing the reality of community satisfaction in municipalities and the extent of practicing social accountability."
A team of academics and specialists in the fields of community accountability and local government development carried out the field study on the Bani Obaid municipality with the goal of evaluating the state of local government, gauging the level of citizen satisfaction with the services offered by municipalities locally, offering thorough and unbiased information about the contribution of municipalities to community development and promoting women's empowerment, and offering suggestions meant to improve local government systems and realize the goals of local communities towards sustainable and all-encompassing development.
Four categories shaped the study's findings: general respondent information; community accountability in assessing the performance of the municipality of Bani Obeid District and the degree of community satisfaction; community accountability regarding the municipality's role in community development and women's empowerment in Bani Obeid areas; and community accountability regarding the municipality's commitment to providing public services in Bani Obeid Brigade areas.
The study contacted 902 respondents in the areas of Al-Sareeh, Aydun, and Al-Hosn. Of these, 49% were male and 51% were female. Of these, 27% visited the headquarters of their municipalities just once in order to follow up on their treatment in the municipality, help others, or do special relations, and 59% did not visit the headquarters.
According to the study, 33.1% of respondents said they thought the municipality's staff lacked experience. It also revealed how overall satisfied citizens are with the issue of empowering women and activating their role in the municipality, as well as the municipal council's belief in gender.
The report made recommendations for strengthening community awareness and education, raising transparency and accountability, raising women's participation in decision-making, strengthening cooperation between municipalities and community institutions, and creating development policies and programs with a military budget. The report further suggested giving women more chances for education and training, improving public resource management integrity, encouraging youth involvement, improving administrative effectiveness and efficiency, and improving communication and community engagement.
Dr. Batoul Al-Muhaisen, the Center's Director, stated that the Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies aims to accomplish the same goals that Yarmouk University has done through scientific research and qualitative awareness. She emphasized that the "Nazaha" project has a schedule and specific goals, allowing us to assess the extent to which municipalities adhere to social governance and accountability norms, as well as the degree to which various community groups, particularly women, the elderly, and those with disabilities, feel connected to the municipality.
Al-Muhaisen said, "We have a set of indicators that can be built upon and developed to serve the community and enhance municipal work in our local environment, thanks to the field survey prepared by a group of specialized researchers."
In collaboration with the Masarat Foundation for Development, the Princess Basma Center for Women's Studies conducted its fourth session under the fourth axis, "Raising Awareness and Enlightened Discourse," within the context of the "Hate Speech and Interfaith Dialogue" project. During this session, Dr. Diala Al-Taani of the Department of Public Law/College of Law gave an interactive lecture covering a number of topics, such as:
Definition of religious and belief freedom.
Religious protection in compliance with national
International texts and laws
Dr. Diala Al-Taani emphasized the importance of intelligent religious discourse and its potential to enhance communities. Following her definition of religious freedom, Dr. Diala Al-Taani reviewed the key legal texts addressing religious and belief freedom from national legislation (the Jordanian Constitution, the Penal Code, and the Press and Publications Law) and international conventions (the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). It also clarified the definition of interreligious dialogue, defining it as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and facts among followers of various faiths, with each side upholding its own beliefs in a respectful and understanding atmosphere for the benefit of humanity as a whole. She outlined the significance of enlightened discourse and the revival of religious discourse, which are two of the main factors propelling civilizations forward because they successfully counter extremism—all kinds of extremism. She also talked about hate speech, particularly against Islam and Muslims, as well as Islamophobia. At the end of the session, she emphasized the need for educational institutions to address issues of human existence such as pluralism, diversity, dignity, and giving in addition to curriculum development and skill acquisition. Students who believe in human rights, regardless of their religion, should be fully aware of these issues.
In collaboration with the Jordanian Masarat Foundation for Development and Development, the Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies initiated the first dialogue sessions on "Hate Speech and Religious Dialogue" as part of Masarat Al-Jordania's "Hate Speech and Interfaith Dialogue" project. These sessions feature a group of specialized speakers from Islamic and Christian clerics, as well as faculty members from the faculties of arts, Sharia, Islamic studies, and law, all working toward the royal vision of rejecting sectarian, sectarian, and ideological violence in the region and focusing on the language of dialogue based on respect for opinion and acceptance of the other.
During the first session, Dr. Ahlam Matalqa from the Department of Islamic Studies at the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies lectured about "peace and justice" and the issue of discussion and coexistence with each other within the following axes: His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein delivered a speech at the fifty-second Munich Conference, emphasizing the need to oppose the Kharijites' ideology. This ideology contradicts our true religion's call for acceptance and coexistence with others, rejecting violence and extremist ideologies, and adhering to Islamic principles of charity, righteousness, and justice towards non-Muslims, as long as they align with the axis of citizenship (peaceful non-Muslims), which is distinct from the treatment of a fighter.
It also discussed the subject of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah newspaper, in which the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) approved the principles of citizenship based on the recognition of the rights and duties of all those who inhabited the city, including Jews, polytheists, and Muslims, while establishing the principles of equality, right and prevention of injustice, and the need for dialogue rather than arguing with the other and disciplined openness to the other away. Hatred and violence.
Al-Matalqa also discussed the impacts of societal peace, which is based on uniting energies and directing them toward creation, establishing harmony and solidarity with society, and attaining harmony, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence in the interests of the individual and the nation.
Several members of the audience spoke throughout the event.
As part of the "Hate Speech and Interfaith Dialogue" project, the Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies, in partnership with the Jordanian Masarat Foundation for Development, concluded conversation sessions.
Dr. Mamoun Al-Shteiwi Al-Abadi spoke in front of Dr. Batoul Al-Muhaisen, Mr. Talal Ghunaimat, the Foundation's Executive Director, and the center's personnel. A group of students from the Department of Modern Languages/French Language and other disciplines participated in the sixth closing session on "Effective Dialogue, Exchange of Experiences, and Challenging Biases" to enhance their communication skills and forge strong relationships. The presentation included a brief overview of the significance of effective dialogue in fostering open communication.
An icebreaker exercise kicked off the session, dividing participants into pairs to discuss their personal experiences and introduce each other to the group. This activity served to foster an environment of closeness and collaboration among the participants.
The workshop focused on two main axes: the first dealt with the concept of effective dialogue and its most important elements, involving a group discussion on the challenges individuals face in their daily lives. The second axe, on biases that may affect our daily interactions, involved participants writing examples of biases they faced or witnessed, followed by a group discussion. The workshop ended with a closing exercise in which participants worked in small groups to analyze hypothetical circumstances that required discussion and challenged preconceptions before presenting their results.
The session concluded with an open discussion about the lessons learned and their practical application in everyday life. The session reflected the participants' commitment to promoting effective dialogue and challenging prejudices, making it a useful and fruitful experience for all.
The implementation of such conversation sessions is an affirmation of developing cooperation frameworks with local community institutions, which aligns with the center's vision and objective to improve the interaction of the university community, particularly students.
Under the third topic, "Understanding and Awareness of Religious Discourse and Mitigating Hate Speech," the Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies, in partnership with Masarat Foundation for Development and Development, held its third session as part of the "Hate Speech and Interfaith Dialogue" project.
In the third session, Dr. Asmaa Al-Shboul of the College of Sharia Department of Islamic Studies and Assistant Dean of the College of Sharia for Accreditation and Quality Assurance delivered an interactive lecture covering a number of topics, including the concept of religious discourse and its significance in projecting a positive image of Islam and fostering social cohesiveness in accordance with a human value system based on tolerance, brotherhood, and acceptance of one another.
Al-Shaboul also mentioned the characteristics of religious speech, namely reality, moderation, preserving constants, and adaptability to the needs of the moment. The students took part in representing the reality of religious discourse and its most obvious manifestations, which include fanaticism, tradition, and the overall lack of its substance. At the workshop's conclusion, we discussed the basis of renewal in religious discourse and its need to keep up with the advancements of the times.
The Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies at Yarmouk University held a training session on "Social Accountability and Governance in Municipalities" in the Al-Sareeh region of Bani Obaid Municipality with the support of Bani Obaid Mayor Eng. Jamal Abu Obaid. This is a part of the Nazaha project, which the European Union, the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation, and the Al-Hayat Center (RASED) are funding.
A group of employees from the municipality and the surrounding community attended the training session, which covered a number of fundamental ideas of governance and accountability with the goal of enabling municipal workers to play positive roles in this field. Presenting the occasion was Yarmouk University Law Professor Dr. Safaa Al-Suwailemien.
