Gender Equality Campaign TV Spot

This was the video that was used as part of our campaign being launched. It was shown on Jordan TV. Make the volume load and listen to the voice.

We are very proud of this :)

Draft Societies Law Threatens Freedom in Jordan

Freedom House is deeply concerned about a bill under consideration by the Jordanian Parliament that would increase government supervision of nongovernmental organizations and severely limit their ability to work in the country.

Civil society groups in Jordan fear that, if passed, the so-called Societies Law would effectively turn independent organizations into an extension of the Jordanian government. The draft law seeks to bar Jordanian nongovernmental organizations from accepting foreign funding without first receiving government approval, as well as require them to submit annual plans and activities for government approval. It also demands that all nongovernmental organizations have at least one government representative on its board of directors.

Freedom House Executive Jennifer Windsor said the draft law is particularly worrisome to see in Jordan, a country considered to be one of the most open in the Middle East

"Passage of this law would be a clear step back for Jordanian democracy,” said Windsor. “It would not only curtail the ability of NGOs to act independently, but it would also send the message that Jordan places a higher value on government control than on freedom of association.”

A growing number of repressive regimes, including Russia, Egypt and Zimbabwe, have sought to silence opposition voices with legislation that weakens civil society with legal restrictions and limits on their ability to receive foreign funding.

Jordan is ranked Partly Free in the 2008 edition of Freedom in the World, Freedom House's survey of political rights and civil liberties, and Not Free in the 2008 version of Freedom of the Press.

For more information on Jordan, visit:

Freedom in the World 2008: Jordan
Freedom of the Press 2008: Jordan

Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Jordan since 1972.

Freedom matters.
Freedom House makes a difference.
www.freedomhouse.org

The Parliament

I always wanted to be part of the democratic process-to walk into our parliament which looks so impressive from outside and come out on the other side feeling that I had just witnessed democracy in Jordan. I finally got that chance on Wednesday of last week, when the parliament was going to discuss the law dealing with Civil Society in Jordan, which I believe effects us all. I wanted to be there to see how the parliamentarians were going to discuss it, what issues were going to be raised how they would vote in the end.

I had always been told that you need permission before you can go to the parliament and listen to the discussions, well that is FALSE. All you need is your ID card and you walk in.

It is quite impressive when you walk in and sit there, and the best thing for me (here is where I indulge the child within) was when I realised that as each parliamentarian sat down his/her name would pop up on a huge screen. So you knew who was sitting where, and since I don't know all our parliamentarian this was very helpful.

Then the discussions started, and well I can't say with all honesty that it was always entertaining, but at certain points they had arguments and disagreements and that was fun.

I was quite disappointed how quickly the Civil Society Law passed, how none of them objected to certain clauses in it, such as the ones that deal with getting permission before setting up any sort of Jam3eyeh, or how you have to bring someone from the government to be on your Board when a new organisation is being set up, and so for and so on. All leading to the government having more control on the civil society in our country.

As a result of all of this, I believe that we all need to head down to the Parliament more often, show our parliamentarian that we are listening to them...that we are holding them accountable to things that they tell us when we are eating Mansaf with them. Show them that we care about the decisions that they are making, that they matter, and maybe if they saw that then they would be more inclined to start listening to what we are saying to them.

Maybe they won't get such a bad percentage in the Jordan News Agency-Petra poll that asks:

Are you satisfied with Parliament Performance after two sessions?
- Yes (1.77%)
- No (96.76%)
- no comment (1.47%)
Total Voting : 7276




I am embarrassed that 96.76% are saying that they are not satisfied with their own voted parliament!!!!!! Yes I am an idealist, and I believe that in the end the parliament and the parliamentarian will be an effective means for the people to voice their concerns.

Gender Equality, Made in Jordan

Young Jordanians using new methods for new audiences

Amman 5^th July 2008-As part of a local initiative, groups of young Jordanians have been seen in various areas of Amman handing out badges, stickers and posters. This is all part of the Gender Equality Campaign, which is just being launched in Jordan. A number of local Jordanian NGOs have cooperated with some individuals and companies from the private sector to help support this campaign and the young Jordanians working on it.

The Gender Equality Campaign was created as part of a homegrown initiative by a group of young Jordanians who are committed to the idea of justice and equality for the women and men of Jordan. The main purpose of this campaign is to educate the public in Jordan about women's rights and to mobilize the community to take action to address this human rights issue in Jordan.

The main component of this campaign is to provide a channel for dialogue for people to discuss this issue in Jordan. The foundation of this new channel is to target all aspects of Jordanian society, taking the issue of gender equality outside the walls of conferences, workshops and offices.

This channel is being opened by the young campaigners, using the logo that they created. The logo of the campaign illustrates the wishes, hopes and ambitions of the young Jordanian campaigners. It is a symbol that represents the rights, duties, and dreams for us all, pink for women, blue for men.

As part of the Gender Equality Campaign, permission was gained by one of the supporting local NGOs from the Greater Amman Municipality to install two sets of monuments with its logo. One is on Tabarbour Circle, the other on Middle East Circle in Al-Wihdat. The hope of the young Jordanian campaigners is to gain permission to install similar monuments in other areas around Amman in the near future.

An Official Apology

On the BBC News website today I read about the Amnesty International Report that has just been published. The headline from it is:

Sixty years of human rights failure – governments must apologize and act now!!!!

On December 10th of this year, it will be the 60 years anniversary of the human rights declaration. What I found quite interesting is this following statement:

"It says world leaders should apologise for 60 years of human rights failures since the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948."

Can you imagine the world leaders apologising to us for 60 year of human rights failures??? I think it would be an amazing sight. Imagine, putting Aljazeera on to find ALL the world leaders one after another coming up to the microphone and saying sorry in their own language to their own people.

It seriously would be a sight to remember!

Her name is Fatima

My mother's name is Fatima.

The significance of this statement is that it seems in our society-not only in Jordan but in other Arab countries-for men to say the name of their mother in front of other males is a taboo. Where this taboo came from I am curious to know.

I am well aware that in both the Bedioun and Farmers society-which is what that the Jordanian and Palestinian community is made up of-they are proud of the mothers. They use the mother's as well as the sister's name as a way of differentiating between different males in the community. Why is it that we now use our culture as being the reason why men are ashamed of their mothers?

Isn't it also stated clearly in Islam, one of the saying of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) states that " your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father" this clearly shows the importance that our religion places on the role that our mothers have played in our upbringing, and in the respect that we have to give them.

I have just finished watching a documentary, done by a few young people here in Jordan, they went around Jordan University, and asked random males to say the name of their mothers. I would say that over 90% of them were unwilling to say it. One even went so far to say that his mother is only half the value of his father!!!!!

I was saddened, and a bit scared by what I saw and heard. I know that as a West Amman female I do live in a bubble, yet it terrifies me to think that around this bubble there are people who can say such things, and keep a straight face.

How can a boy think so badly of his own mother? The woman who carried him for 9 months, who cleaned after him, who fed him, who made sure that if he had bad dreams she was there holding his hand, helping him go back to sleep. She is one of the two people in this world who love him unconditionally, who is willing to give up everything for him.

My mother's name is Fatima, if saying it means that I am ashamed of her then I am saying it CLEARLY.


My MOTHER'S NAME IS FATIMA!!!!!

Thinking about coming back...

I have been looking at my past posts, and I kind of miss writing this blog. However the urge to write again is being subdued by something...could it be true what my friend told me that bloggers are exhibitionists? Am I no longer one?!?!?!

Anyway, I will start to keep my eye open on things that I think and want to write about...maybe this post will be the beginning of bringing Lulwa's Logic back to life.