MEPI in Jordan

Examining Public Attitudes toward Parliament’s Role, Performance, and the Legislator-Constituent Relationship - Polls conducted by the Jordan Center for Strategic Studies (JCSS) indicate that Jordanian citizens have very limited or no knowledge of the constitutional roles of Parliament, and judge it by its performance on policy issues that are typically the responsibility of the Executive Authority.  In addition, the level of civil society engagement in the Jordanian legislative process remains at a nascent stage. Through this project, the JCSS will conduct three public opinion polls: one measuring a national sample, the second, public opinion leaders, and the third, a sample of MPs.  The polls will assess the Jordanian public’s views of the performance of the current (15^th)Parliament after one year in session, determine national issues of greatest concern to citizens and Parliament, and assess the level and nature of interaction between citizens and their elected representatives.  This will be done through the involvement of civil society activists who will raise public awareness of the role of Parliament and will present the surveys’ key findings and recommendations to members of the Jordanian Parliament.

The Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists

Strengthening Youth Activism and Democracy Promotion through Media - In an effort to empower a cadre of youth leaders that effectively engages and utilizes media for civic activism and democracy promotion, the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) will train a select group of 60 Jordanian youth, from 20 youth centers from Jordan, on democratic principles and, especially, the role of independent media in a democracy.  In addition to training and instruction, youth will be guided through hands-on opportunities to engage on democracy and youth-related issues via blogging, opinion-writing, radio interviews, presentations to civil society, and volunteering.  

The Musa Al Saket Cultural Center

Student Activism through Student Councils - Through student councils, students get involved in the affairs of their schools. Councils provide a mechanism for giving them a voice and for building a sense of ownership of the educational establishments they are part of. To activate the role of elected councils in Jordan and increase their efforts to engage students in school policy, the Musa Al Saket Cultural Center (MSCC) will assess the role and activities of student councils in Salt; develop a strategy for upgrading the performance and expanding the role of the student councils in the two pilot schools; organize courses on leadership, creating the Council’s charter, and campaigning; and prepare and circulate to the 16 remaining schools resource packets that build on their findings and offer models for good practice.  

The Northern Badia Forum for Culture and Development

Turning Civic Education into Civic Activism: Northern Badia Women Engage Local Government - The Northern Badia Forum for Culture and Development will strengthen the ability of 90 Jordanian women in the Badia region to participate in political life as well-informed, civic-minded constituents who seek action from their Local Council representatives on issues of local importance and hold them accountable for their response.   The project will targeted training on civic and political rights for leading members of 6 women’s associations, and the formation of a committee (drawn from those trainees) that will identify issues of concern to their local communities; facilitate public interest and input; lobby Municipal Councils to address identified concerns;  and monitor the response of their respective Local Council representatives. 

West & East Center for Human Resources Development

Volunteerism: Toward a Stronger Civil Society - The West and East Center for Human Resources Development (We Center) in Jordan will cultivate awareness of Jordanian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of the concept of volunteering as a fundamental building block of an effective civic organization. The project aims to demonstrate that volunteerism contributes to a vibrant civil society and encourages partnership among citizens and CSOs. The project will also enable CSO leadership to build a positive environment that values volunteer engagement and effectively recruits and manages volunteers.  The project will include a workshop to train 24 leaders from twelve key CSOs (on governorates' level, north, middle, and south) on how to create volunteer opportunities within their organizations for young people; best utilize the volunteers; and define the roles and responsibilities of volunteers. The project will also enable the targeted organizations to develop action plans and organizational structures to effectively engage volunteers as part of their core strategy and mission.

Human Forum for Women’s Rights

United for Legal Equality: Women’s NGOs Advocate for Reform of Discriminatory Laws - Gender discrimination in legislation is one of the biggest challenges facing Jordanian women’s political, economic and social empowerment. Many local women’s NGOs are only distantly aware of discriminatory laws and have not integrated this area into their advocacy work.  Through this project, the Human Forum for Women’s Rights (HFWR) will organize and lead implementation of a two-pronged strategy to reform discriminatory provisions that still exist within Jordanian law, such as the penal code, the social security law, the personal status law, and the retirement law.  First, representatives from 20 selected groups drawn from NGO members of the General Federation of Jordanian Women (GFJW) will be trained on contradictions between discriminatory Jordanian laws and Jordan’s international treaty obligations, and will formulate recommended reforms.  Second, a coalition of women’s groups will advocate for legislative and policy changes, and will seek broad public support for the recommended reforms to be implemented by Parliament and Ministries. 

The Urdun Al Jadid Research Center

Empowering Young Activists in Jordanian Civil Society - Many civil society organizations include youth in their membership but do little to truly integrate them through engaging activities.  The Urdun Al Jadid Research Center (UJRC) will provide a select group of 80 young NGO members with the knowledge and skills necessary to become vitally involved in their organizations and to better appreciate the role of civil society in a democratic system and their role within it.  Members will participate in civic education workshops, research existing youth–related laws in need of reform, and discuss their findings with political and civil society leaders.  Participants would then develop a one year advocacy plan on 1 -3 public policy laws they deem most concerning to the Jordanian youth.  Finally, participants would hold outreach sessions to school and university students to encourage them to be active civil society members.

Jordanian Center for Civic Education Studies

Preparing Youth to be Active and Engaged Citizens - As Jordan expands and strengthens its democratic systems, it will need citizens who are interested and able to seize the civic engagement opportunities vital to successful democracy.  To contribute to efforts to interest and prepare youth to be active and engaged citizens in a democratic system of governance, the Jordanian Center for Civic Education Studies (JCCES) will conduct a civic education program for at least 600 Jordanian students ages 12-16 (grade 6-10) in the southern region of Jordan.  Through this program, 20 teachers from 20 schools will be trained to deliver the “Project Citizen” civic education instruction and activities module.  Trained teachers will lead students in classroom and extra-curricular civic activism activities that allow them to experience democracy in action.  Students will identify and address issues of concern in their communities, participate in public service, volunteer, and participate in political processes in their local communities.  In addition to 20 teachers, JCCES will contribute to future Project Citizen instruction by compiling and providing an instructional best practices guide for participating schools and the Ministry of Education.