​First Lady of Panama at JMI: Zaatari Camp Transformed My Life

24 Mar. 2018&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Amman - The First Lady of Panama has lauded the efforts made by Jordan to help Syrian refugees at Zaatari Camp despite the economic hardship it is facing and not receiving the international assistance that it should. She said that Jordan must not be left alone.<br /> <br /> Speaking at the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), Lorena Castillo de Varela said that her visit to Zaatari Camp, in the company of HRH Princess Rym Ali, had transformed her life in view of the suffering faced by the refugees and the war conditions they had experienced in Syria. She wished that Panama could be like Jordan in helping refugees, saying she is &quot;proud of a small country like Jordan, which has opened its arms to this number of refugees.<br /> She urged spreading peace and awareness in different societies and countering extremism and discrimination. She said that she had visited the city of Nablus previously and seen the suffering of the people. Despite the ongoing suffering for years, the parties must reach a common solution to live in peace, she said.<br /> <br /> In a conversation moderated by JMI Adviser Bayan Tal, the First Lady spoke about her experience in journalism and leadership. She highlighted the passion and responsibility that journalists have in search of the truth. &quot;Journalists run toward the incident when everybody else runs away from it,&quot; she said. She added that a professional journalist must always think of the impact of what he/she publishes on the people and how it will change their life for the better.<br /> <br /> On health and education, she said that education is the most powerful weapon in any nation and that her country is trying to change the educational system to have equally good public and private schools. Panama has also started to overhaul the health system despite many complications suffered by this sector.<br /> <br /> The First Lady toured the JMI, in the company of HRH Princess Rym Ali and JMI Dean Dr. Basim Tweissi. She commended the practical and academic experiences offered to students to be able to obtain their professional tools as distinguished journalists, especially since the JMI has human resources, modern technology, and state-of-the-art studios, which have made it a pioneer in teaching journalism and media by modern, nonconventional methods.<br /> <br /> Lorena Castillo de Varela had worked as a journalist for more than 20 years before becoming the First Lady of Panama in 2014. Her efforts are currently focused on combating AIDS in Latin America. She is leading a Zero Discrimination Movement to raise awareness about the disease. She is visiting the Kingdom to take part in the Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit.