RELATED LINKS

Weleslly Center 

IWMF international women media foundation

Arab Regional Resouce of VAW [AMAN] 

AYAMM, Arab Youth and Modern Media 

 Online Magazine targeted to the Youth!!!! What do I want from it?
"I'm not sure. Really" Sana' a 17 year old student, "I think I want to be able to find all the information that I want in there". And here pops up the obvious question in our minds!!! What are the information that you want to find on the Internet as a Jordanian youth. Ayamm is a magazine that tailors the needs of the new age of Jordan,,, The YOUTH. But in order to tailor those needs, there had to be extensive research among the targeted group of youth, and other similar projects in the Arab word and worldwide. Read On

Editorial                                                                                                      by Mahasen al Emam - AWMC Director and AYAMM Chief Editor 

HOT NEWS HOT RELEASES

(AWMC), honoured 11 women working for various local media establishments

AMMAN (Petra) - HRH Princess Basma, chairperson of the Arab Women Media Centre (AWMC),  honoured 11 women working for various local media establishments, in appreciation of their role and achievements in the sector.

During a ceremony organised by the AWMC, in cooperation with the Higher Media Council (HMC), and UNIFEM, to mark Arab Media Women Day, Princess Basma highlighted important role of media personnel.
In her address at the event, the Princess stressed that Jordanian women still have much to offer to accomplish more achievements and reach the aspired goals.
Commending HMC training programmes, she underlined the importance of the message of Jordanian media workers and its contribution to Arab media.
Referring to the role of women parliamentarians and journalists, she said they are important “since they represent one of the major factors of change in society”, and encouraged more women to participate in the two fields.

In his remarks at the ceremony, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Nasser Judeh highlighted His Majesty King Abdullah’s direct support for Jordanian women, Her Majesty Queen Rania’s follow-up on women’s activities and Princess Basma’s efforts in this area.
Other speakers at the event included HMC President Sima Bahous, UNIFEM Director Mona Ghanem and AWMC President Mahasen Emam, who underlined the importance of empowering women to enhance their contribution to the development process.
The ceremony included a seminar on the “Role of the Media in Enhancing Female Parliamentarians’ Performance”.
The AWMC, which was established in 1999 upon the directives of Princess Basma to empower Arab women journalists, has been a reference point for various women journalists.

The centre has provided specialised media tools and studies to empower Jordanian women and raise their awareness about women’s rights issues and sustainable development by providing training, workshops, specialised conferences and documentaries.

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

AWMC manual on line – just click here

1.                  Project Title: Media literacy, Subject [Let your voice be heard].

2.                  Target groups; 20 Women candidates as MP and young women activists.

3.                  Methodology; Publishing media education to non media – how addressing local and national media as a women candidates – AWMC election guide book as candidates manual for both media and lobbying. Details please go here

PRESS RELEASE

Launch of the MENA Election Guide
Analysis, background information and news monitoring on elections throughout the Middle East and North Africa
www.mena-electionguide.org

Once again the MENA Region is entering an extraordinary election year – elections in Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Qatar and Turkey are on the agenda. Who wants to keep the overview, be able to judge events and candidates, finds – starting 1st of May 2007 – the right resources on the MENA Election Guide of the Regional Program Near East / Mediterranean of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: www.mena-electionguide.org .Comprehensive analysis, background stories on candidates, parties, election laws as well as recent results are provided by this unique Internet website.

Browse through the 20 different countries and read what local, regional and international media and experts have to say on the current campaigns, important candidates, how they judge recent results or reforms under way. The Regional Program Near East / Mediterranean of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung creates with this website a forum for different opinions and points of views presenting a diverse picture of election processes in the MENA region.

Please feel free to contact us for any further information:

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Regional Program Near East / Mediterranean
Phone +962-6-592 97 77
Fax +962-6-593 30 87
info@kas.org.jo
www.kas.de
P.O.Box 831025
Amman/Jordan

Claudette Antoine Werleigh is Designated
New Secretary General of Pax Christi International

Claudette Antoine Werleigh of Haiti will become the next Secretary General of Pax Christi International, taking office in November 2007. The decision was made at a recent Executive Committee meeting, which took place on 13 and 14 November 2006. Claudette will succeed to Etienne De Jonghe, who will be retiring at the end of 2007.

To view more on Claudette Antoine Werleigh please go here
Arab women media center wish Claudette all best in her new designation.

Message from H.B. Michel Sabbah
President Pax Christi International

Reference: 161PLE Saturday, 03 December 2005
Brussels, 3 December 2005
As International President of Pax Christi I wish to add my voice to those pleading for the lives of Norman Kember, Tom Fox, Harmeet Singh Sooden and James Loney. They are men of peace. They went to Iraq to witness to peace, to learn of the suffering of Iraq, to be in solidarity with the people of Iraq. They are friends, not enemies, of the people of Iraq. In mercy and justice I urge those who are holding these men to release them as soon as possible.
As a movement of peace, reconciliation and non-violence, Pax Christi supports the work of the Christian Peacemaker Teams who have been present in Palestine and Iraq for several years. We value their role in supporting communities and providing first-hand, independent reports from the region.
For more please click here

AWMC President MRS Al Emam Mahasen and all AWMC journalists' members adding their voices loudly to free Norman Kember, Tom Fox, Harmeet Singh Sooden and James Loney. They are men of peace. They went to Iraq to witness to peace.

AWMC President

Journalist Mahasen AL emam

Collective pics for all parts

AWMC highly appreciated PAX Christi International to sponsoring Seminar in Prague - Chez "Promoting Exchange between NGOs, media and researchers from the Middle East and new EU member states"

On behalf of Arab women media center institute I would like to express my deep gratitude and extreme thanks to Pax Christi International for giving us the great opportunity to meet all of you in Prague and attend the Seminar "Promoting Exchange between NGOs, media and researchers from the Middle East and new EU member states". The Seminar was rich, informative and met our expectations. We are looking forward to meet again in Beirut in order to share more experiences and to open more horizons with Central Europe Countries.

Thanks for every member for the good spirit and friendly atmosphere they have created during the Seminar.

MRS. Al emam Mahasen the head of AWMC www.ayamm.org has presented working paper on role of national media in promoting Jordanian women's role in political life in the country.

Seminar started Feb 1st till Feb 4th - 2006 in which several topics has been discussed, as well as exchange of experiences between NGOs, media and researchers from the Middle East and new EU member states" done and our expectations has met the objectives of Prague Seminar.

Most important matter was, we all still having sort of brotherly and friendly human relation, that is also the best practical and human mission furnished by PAX international, hope we will keep it and work on promoting such human aspects in the future.   

Statement AEI-Open Windows
A Call for Moderation
 

Without reservation, AEI-Open Windows condemns the cartoons picturing the Prophet Mohammed as a terrorist as they were originally published by a Danish newspaper and later reprinted in publications that appeared in several other European countries. These cartoons deny respect to Islam and Islamic traditions as well as to Islamic believers who hold dear the tenets of their religion, including the prohibition to make a picture of the Prophet Mohammed. Even when such cartoons are intended to test the limits of the freedom of expression, they are bound to foster hate, stereotyping and ignorance towards a community that already is subject to widespread discrimination in European countries.
At the same time, protests – some of which based on a misperception of the West or of westerners as being exclusively Christian - should be conducted with dignity, restraint and certainly without any violence directed at persons and properties. This especially applies to the lives of foreigners and Christian citizens in Middle Eastern countries, and to the integrity of diplomatic missions and Christian prayer places in the Middle East. We keep the Palestinian National Authority accountable to its promise that it does all it can to protect foreigners visiting or residing in Palestine.
AEI-Open Windows fully shares the call for moderation and wisdom as voiced by many religious authorities from all sides. At these times it is imperative to fight ignorance and religious prejudices and to support religious sensitivity, tolerance, civil security, and the promotion of respect through intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. Together with others, AEI will further develop its work for internal peace education in support of Moslem-Christian living together and national unity in Palestine.

Bethlehem - the holly land

AWMC point of view in Arabic text please go here

DO YOU LOVE KIDS? IF DO PLEASE BROWS HERE

ALL KIDS LOVE IC CREAM, ALSO LOVE TOYS AND JOY

BUT IN PALESTINE AND IRAQ THEY  SURVIVE

THIS IS THEIR ONLY IC CREAM AND TOYS

Bahrain woman to head UN assembly


The assembly comprises all 191 UN member states

Bahrain's first female diplomat Haya Rashed al-Khalifa is due to be formally elected president of the UN General Assembly, UN officials say. For more details please click here

CAWTAR and IFC press release on women investors

3 days workshop in Tunis; JFBPW were in, represented by Rana K. El Akhal Chief Executive Officer Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women

To view press release please go here

To view matter in Arabic text PDF format please click here

ARAB INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FORUM 2006 PROGRAMME LAUNCH
Building Bridges, Building Business Between the City of London, the Arab World and the International Community

It gives me great pleasure to write to you today as Chairman and on behalf of the Arab International Women’s Forum about the AIWF 2006 Programme which was launched last month with two important events. The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Brewer CMG invited AIWF to celebrate our 5th Anniversary at the Mansion House in a Dinner hosted by the Lady Mayoress and himself. This special event, on 20th April 2006, brought together AIWF multinational and international partners, members and other supporters from government, business, academic, professional and diplomatic circles from 35 countries.

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al - Abdullah was the Guest of Honour. Ms Cherie Booth, QC was a guest at the reception, on this occasion. For more please click here

About Arabs International Women's Forum just -AIWFO- press here

News from the Salzurg Seminar

Please go here

AWMC are launching media campaign named after martyr MR. Al Akkad

Akkad org in Greater Syria countering Al Qaeda org in Mesopotamia

Mustapha Akkad victims' of last terrorist' attacks - Amman - Jordan

It is time now to act not talk; that is what MRS. Al emam - Director of AWMC said, denying, denouncing, condemnations, are not enough to countering terror and terrorists, we've to call things by their real names, no reasons what ever so give permissions or license to pan icing and destructions also killing innocents and claiming defending Islam and Moslems, religions calling for love and peace and giving self satisfaction when believing in God, so our strategy based on the followings:

1. No for calling others atheist because they are not Moslems, all people in our world believing in one God even agnostics.

2. No for killing civilians and destroying public places.

3. No for dictators and autocrats, also no for using religions to brainwashing men and women to kill themselves in suicides act to win the paradise and God's love.

4. No for Islam or any religions are good and suited as lord doctrine and state order.

5. Yes, for defending home country against aggressions and dominations by force.

6. Yes, for freedom of thinking and believing and freedom of expressions.

7. Yes, for encouraging talented fellows to practicing their talents and arts in any demonstrations they like to serve their nations' causes.

8. Yes, for Democracy and freedom also respecting human rights is best way to reach real paradise.

Our Tactics; first when addressing our nation our campaign must be a convincing one either in speech or media releases, to change their old expired religious' doctrines, also they should listen to others believes and viewing.

Second when addressing others we've to think in English, even expressing our selves in Arabic, it will be much better than speaking good English and thinking in Arabic.

MS. Rana Sweis AWMC active member said; I met Mustapha in Jordan a year ago, and interviewed him. I wanted to share with you a bit about his life, and films--in tribute.
January 1, 2004
By Rana Sweis
Star Staff Writer

As he sat back comfortably, holding a mahogany brown colored smoke pipe, Moustapha Akkad whose films include The Message and Lion of the Desert starring Anthony Quinn, spoke of his life and career in Hollywood. His fans in America know him best as executive producer of all eight Halloween films starring Jamie Lee Curtis, who became recognizable in Hollywood thereafter. “You have to know your audience,” Akkad emphasized more than once during his short stay in Amman.
At the age of 18, Akkad left his home in Aleppo, Syria seeking to fulfill one of his dreams—‘to make it’ in Hollywood. “I got lots of laughs,” he told The Star in an exclusive interview. “I remember my whole neighborhood was laughing at the idea and I mean it was crazy,” he said softly but in a serious tone. He felt a sense of duality in his new home in Los Angeles. “In my house, I am a pure Arab, mentally and everything,” he said. “When I step out, I am thinking like an American.”
The 70-year-old producer and director, studied theater arts at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he graduated in 1958. He later received his Masters degree from the University of Southern California. “In America I practice my religion and culture in more freedom than in any other Arab or Muslim country,” he admitted. But his upcoming project, Saladin, the story of a Muslim who recaptured from the western Crusaders in 1197, may prove to be his biggest success. “We are still in the process of searching for a location to shoot this film,” said Akkad who put Jordan on the list of possible film locations in the Arab world.
The script for Saladin is already finished and actor sensation Sean Connery has accepted to star in the upcoming movie, Akkad noted. “Islam right now is portrayed as a ‘terrorist’ religion in the West and by doing this kind of movie, I am portraying the true image of Islam,” he explained. He promised that it will appeal to western audiences because he has formulated ways so that that they can relate to it in some form or aspect. “If something is very different or totally alien, it makes it more difficult to get the audience’s attention or even their desire to watch a film,” said Akkad. In Lion of the Desert, Omar Al Mukhtar was a teacher who later became a fighter. “The scene began with Al Mukhtar seated in the classroom, as a humble teacher” Akkad explained. “That’s why western audiences were able to relate to this character,” he added.
While studying in Los Angeles, Akkad learned methods of staging motion pictures and television production and was ready to start his career. He began by applying to various jobs in studious and television networks, which gave him the opportunity to work with various directors. He worked hard on training and finally got the opportunity to be part of MGM’s film Ride The High Country. Thereafter, Akkad ventured out on his own. He worked with the Central Broadcasting Station (CBS) as a director and producer of a program called As Other See Us. Then he began his own production company directing and producing several documentary and television series. As his success kept rising, he decided to raise money for his legendary film The Message which taught the international community the story of the beginning of Islam. “You can never stop fulfilling your dream in your life,” Akkad said. “There must always be a dream, after you fulfill one dream you have to start a new dream.”
Along with journalists, and other key figures in Jordan, Akkad met with Prime Minister Faisal El Fayez, who informed Akkad on the new Royal Film Academy (RFA) in Jordan. “It sounds great,” Akkad said of the RFA. “From the people who have spoken to me, it seems that they really want to help in anyway they can whether it’s about convincing outsiders to shoot on location or help in developing Jordan’s theater scene.”  

Pope John Paul II stands on top of Mount Nebo - Jordan during a March 2000 visit to Jordan (AP photo by Arturo Mari)

Media for non-media training course

for students from the Mashriq region

More than half of the population in the Middle East is below 30 years of age. Therefore, both AWMC and Pax Christi Netherlands have identified youth as one of the most important target groups in this region. Arab Women Media Centre has in the past years gained experience in organising training courses for people with and without a media background, mainly adressing women. Recently, AWMC has acted as guest lecturer at the New York Institute for Technical Training in Amman, lecturing young people from both sexes on modern media. While dealing with young people, it became clear that they are very eager to participate in training activities and to be given opportunities to learn and develop themselves. AWMC and Pax Christi share the conviction that media are an important tool for educating about human rights and democracy and promoting tolerance. In light of the above, AWMC and Pax Christi will organise together a media-for-non-media training course for university students from Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. The problems young people in these countries meet are similar and by bringing students from these different countries together, they can learn from each other’s situation and from the different levels of press freedom in each other’s countries.

Dears Youths friends AWMC inviting you to participate in the coming workshop details as following:

• Timing, Jan 10th - 15th - 2004

• Place Amman - Jordan

• More info please click contact us

Arabic text please click here

Media to non Media training activities please click here

A published story By Mahasen Al Emam in 

NEWSDAY news paper 

Newsday, one of the nation's largest daily newspapers, serves Long Island and New York City as the premier source of local news and comprehensive national and international reporting

After Shock

By Mahasen Al Eman
Mahasen Al Emam is founder and director of the Arab Women Media Center in Amman. She was the first female editor of Al-Bilad, a weekly Jordanian newspaper. 

April 13, 2003

Like all Arabs, Jordanians are addicted to living in agony, as if to grieve has become their lot in life. While the crisis of the Palestinian people stretches from the past to consume the present and to impede the future, Jordanians now must live through the drama of the war on Iraq, which adds yet another catastrophe to the other tragic visions blaring on the Arab horizon.

Jordanians have been glued to the TV screens to watch the calamities of the war, and they find themselves stricken by depression and stress and confusion of memory. They live in a state of intense apprehension, as one news item raises their morale - seeing American pilots captured - while another - seeing high casualties among Iraqi women and children - strains their very souls.

The war on Iraq has paralyzed business for restaurants and cafes. Social gatherings are being canceled or scaled down; wedding halls are closed. According to one owner, patrons of Internet cafes have decreased dramatically because they watch the news of the war at home. He said he has had to lay off numerous workers.

So it is at fast-food restaurants, which were frequented by youth before the war. But in the case of American-style restaurants, business is shrinking as a result of the tendency of people to boycott anything American or American-style.

Movie theaters have become empty. Hotels have turned into lifeless statues at the outskirts of the city. Mothers at home are perplexed about how to answer their children's questions: Why the war on Iraq? Why do Americans and British hate us? Don't we have the right to live?

All, young and old, take the war on Iraq to be the first of a succession of wars on all Arab nations, with no exception. Fear and acute anxiety strike adults, perhaps more than youngsters.

Intellectuals and members of labor and trade unions have organized intense marches in solidarity with the Iraqi people. The marchers light candles, donate blood, wear dark clothes and write statements and appeals signed by public figures to send to the United Nations. These statements express their rejection of the war and demand that it be stopped immediately for the safety of women and children. They also voice concern for the preservation of historical and religious sites in Baghdad, a city known to be the most important Arab center of culture, sometimes referred to as the Civilization between the Two Rivers (the Tigris and the Euphrates). When Baghdad fell last week, friends of our family said it reminded them of the 1967 war, when the Arabs lost the West Bank and observed Israeli soldiers marching in east Jerusalem's streets. One went deep into history and recalled when the Moguls destroyed Baghdad.

There are few Jordanians who have never visited Baghdad. Jordanians go there to participate in conferences or to visit religious and historical sights. Jordan was the Iraqi window to the outside world during 12 years of UN embargo. And, as there is considerable intermarriage between Jordanians and Iraqis, families from both countries frequently exchange visits. A Jordanian artist married to an Iraqi woman says he wishes he could be in Iraq to take part in defending this precious homeland.

In general, Jordanians viewed Saddam Hussein through two different goggles: To some he was a hero who was going to unify Arabs and liberate Palestine; others saw him as an Arab dictator who, like others, should be out of power. Nonetheless, feelings of fury and disgust prevail against what is taking place in Iraq.

But all words and expressions are futile in the ugly face of the war we observe on a daily basis. It is an ugliness that reiterates what is happening in Palestine. We see the same F-16s and Apaches flying over Iraq that we see bombarding Gaza and the Jeanine refugee camps.

News coverage and editorials in the Jordanian press reflect the people's rejection of the war and of the American-British invasion of Iraq's territory and its people. A fellow journalist asked, Is this justice? Is this liberation?Another answered, The Americans are achieving liberation by liberating the souls of Iraqis from their bodies and carrying out justice through indiscriminate attacks by missiles and cluster bombs.

Journalists are particularly furious and offended at what happened to Tariq Ayoub, a Palestinian-Jordanian correspondent for Al-Jazeera in Baghdad. He was killed when the Americans fired on the roof of Al-Jazeera's offices in a residential section of the city. They consider this incident a crime against journalists, an assault on freedom of expression and a raid on the democracy that British and American leaders claim to promote.

From what I hear on the street, Jordanians have lost confidence in all Arab leaders, and in the United Nations. They see the Arab leaders as cowards, as America's agents. They ask, If these leaders don't care about this national crisis, how will they care about their own people? The UN implements its resolutions when it is easy, as against Iraq, but not when it is hard, as against Israel. People here anticipate at any moment the fall of another Arab city.