Regional conflicts, youth and reforms should be the priorities for moving ahead in the Middle East, said Jordan's King Abdullah II, in his remarks to participants at the closing session of the World Economic Forum in Jordan 2004. Hundreds of political, business, civil society and academic leaders have gathered in Jordan over the last three days to debate the pressing issues that confront the Middle East.
In his address, the King said: “We need to address the still unanswered question of Palestine [and] to find the solution for the future of Iraq.” Expanding on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, he noted: “The real challenge here is to arrive at the belief that we can solve the problem. This has become doubtful in recent months, and our faith must be restored in our collective ability to hold to the vision no matter how disruptive the forces that surround us. We must bring justice for the Palestinians. We must offer security for the Israelis.”
On the topics of youth and reforms, he said: “More young Arabs today have the freedom, time, social mobility and confidence to face the real challenge of the future. We can no longer afford to deny the younger generations the fulfilment of their expectations of knowledge and freedom. We can no longer afford the denial of rights based on gender. Neither can we afford to deny the sanctity of free expression to all those who will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening our political and social culture.”
To emphasize the priority of youth affairs, the King answered questions from three college students via an international webcast. The first question addressed precisely the prospects of young people. “Seventy percent of the Arab population is under 30 and 50% is under 18,” answered the King. “There is potential for tremendous hope or for tremendous devastation if we don’t get it right.” He outlined efforts in Jordan to improve and expand educational opportunities, calling education the “great social equalizer.” He also stressed the need to ensure job opportunities for young people upon graduation from high school or college.
“When I travelled in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, I would encounter many Jordanians, capable people,” he said. “I would ask them why they weren’t working in Jordan. They responded that there were no opportunities.”
The second question addressed the viability of moving simultaneously on economic and political reforms. “In Jordan,” responded the King, “we decided to concentrate initially on social and economic reforms. Now we can also talk about political reforms. It is better to talk of political reforms on a full stomach.”
He concluded by stressing the need for judicial reform. The final question focused on the role of the media. “I tell the media that they need to be the watchdogs of the reforms to make sure that they are moving in the right way,” he said. “We need to invest in media training. Used in the right way, the media can be a source of hope. Used in the wrong way, they can be a source of fear and suspicion.” (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
