Empowering the youth is a key to bring positive and needed change in Jordan

By Amjad Saqer al-Kremeen

As it’s entering its second centennial Jordan is embarking on a social, political and economic changes that would usher its second century that will bring positive change and prosperity to its people.

Change in Jordan is a key objective in order to advance the country forward. Jordan is blessed with a young and energetic population.

His Majesty King Abdullah II attaches great importance to supporting and empowering young people as he calls and pushes the country’s institutions to empower the youth as Jordan’s investment in its future.

Today, in light of rapid global changes, youth are the pillar, present, and future of any nation and its means to bring about development.

Jordans King Abdullah II at UN Sept. 25, 2018. Photo courtesy of the United Nations

When it comes to Jordan, we are talking about a young society, two-thirds of its population are among the economically active category, and this large group is supposed to have the most prominent role in achieving comprehensive development, whether in the areas of planning, development, the nature of change, health and social aspects, or political empowerment by choosing their representatives in the Parliament or through joining political parties.

The next stage is important at the national level at a time when the royal effort led by His Majesty the King and Crown Prince Al Hussein is focused on pushing the youth’s participation in comprehensive development, because this group of concepts, aspirations, plans, thinking, expectations and ideas differ from other age groups that exercised the right to vote in the past, and lived within different environments and aspirations.

This requires the involvement of young people in political life in general as a key to enhance the political reform process in the kingdom. This could be done through political parties that have programs and plans that can be achieved on the ground, and are able to efficiently solve problems facing local communities.

Young people must be aware of their self-belief and their awareness of the important role that falls upon them, and it depends mainly on directing and changing trends for some of the prevailing traditional principles, and transforming them into concepts in which the public interest prevails, and is characterized by justice, democracy and making the right choices.

Confronting the multiple challenges faced by young people, opportunities to access education, health and employment has become more urgent than ever.

Opportunities enjoyed by young people in Jordan can push them to be a positive force to advance development when providing them with the knowledge and opportunities they need. This is achievable when we equip Jordanian youth with the education and skills needed to contribute to a productive economy.

Finally, the various official and civil institutions should pay attention and give national culture an important role by empowering young people with knowledge about the history of the country over a hundred years of its life. To enable Jordanian youth to achieve sustainable development goals, to serve the country.

(Amjad al-Kremeen is a Jordanian journalist and youth activist)