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29 Oct 2017
Al-Quds Al-Arabi published an article by Dr. Ibtihal Al-Khatib entitled "A Journalist's Dream", in which she talked about her recent visit to the Kingdom and Jordan Media Institute. The following is the full text of the article:<br />
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I was invited last week to deliver the Commencement Speech at the graduation ceremony of the 8<sup>th</sup> intake of the Jordan Media Institute (JMI). The Institute was founded in 2009 by Princess Rym Ali, wife of Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, to provide exceptional educational services, most of which are given through free grants to outstanding students. <br />
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According to its website, JMI “seeks to contribute to the establishment of new criteria for journalism education in Jordan and the Middle East, in response to the demands of many journalists.” To me, the most interesting fact about the Institute is its ethical philosophy that places human values in the forefront of the work of journalists. This is lucidly elaborated in JMI’s Ethical Code of Conduct, which states that the Institute adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, especially Article 19, as a main stay of its work.” This Code depicts the concepts of “truth and accuracy, democracy and responsibility, professional integrity and independence, which, as a whole, lead to fair and comprehensive accounts of events and issues.”<br />
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Following my visit to JMI and discussions with many of its employees, teaching staff and students, it became clear that the story of the Institute is quite different from the stories of many of the educational institutions that are scattered throughout our Arab World. This institute, with its technical and academic staff, its small size and steady strides in the world of higher education, seems to be committed to its values and objectives, its vision is honest, its steps are courageous, and, most importantly, it is immersed in the humanitarian sense of journalism’s mission. This sense was evident in the words of all the JMI employees, academicians and students with whom I talked.<br />
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Yet, the story has another dimension, which prompted me to write an article admiring and introducing this educational institution – a position that I rarely take when writing this column. From the very beginning of the invitation, correspondences with directly carried out with Princess Rym Ali herself, who personally arranged most of the details of the invitation through extensive e-mails. I contemplated the matter as I was trying to gauge the extent to which I, with my natural tendency to be in the opposition, would harmonize with such royalty-related visits. I thought about the teachers’ main role, which I believe is to participate, before any other goings-on, in student activities Yet, the party that extended the invitation really confused me. The extent to which what I will say in my speech would agree with the Institute’s general tendencies made me sleepless. This uneasiness stayed with me up until the fresh breeze of Amman gently welcomed me upon arrival in the Jordanian capital.<br />
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The day after my arrival, Princess Rym received me at her home, where this graciously slender woman greeted me with a beautiful smile and a simple, calm air. She quickly started to talk with great pride about the Jordan Media Institute. She spoke of her vision about, and hopes for the Institute, as well as her sincere desire to build future generations of journalists, who are capable of changing the face of the Arab press.<br />
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Princess Rym did not request to see in advance the speech I was to deliver at the ceremony. She did not even hint to the matter, nor did she ask any questions. She only talked about the Institute's dream and about the wonderful journey that brought the JMI dream to reality. I asked her about her previous experience of working for CNN. I asked her about how she felt when she left her job at this important news organization. I asked her about life in Jordan. I asked her about the difficulties of studying and working. Then, I geared my questions toward the opposition and the problems the (Jordanian) government was facing. Her answers were always calm, balanced, and, most importantly, honest and natural.<br />
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However, a person seems to be in his/her true nature only when you see him/her in his/her own home through his/her family relations. The Princess spoke about her two children, about the concerns of school, and about her husband, Prince Ali. Her talking about her husband, specifically, was jam-packed with sincere admiration, warm affection, and, most importantly, an overwhelming sense of security. She spoke of his faith in development; of his interest in the arts, which he demonstrated in cooperating with her on establishing the Royal Film Commission; and of his genuine desire to create change, which, she said, was depicted in his endless support of her work. Princess Rym was simple, honest, and engaged in every question and every remark I made. Most importantly, she was a woman whose eyes glinted when she talked about her husband and two children.<br />
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I actually know very little about Jordanian politics and about the performance of the royal family in this beautiful country. This article is not meant to be political at all. If it were, it would have a completely different critical flavour and an entirely distinctive opposition-based content. This article tells the story of an impressive effort and a small dream transformed into a humble institute; whose students are creative believers in its message; whose academics are serious revolution-oriented individuals with diverse scientific backgrounds; whose cadres are warm, inter-connected as a small family; and whose founder is the “daughter of the profession” -- a veteran journalist who dotes on news and pictures, whose new life has not taken her away from her hopes, nor has it deprived her of her idealism of her aspirations.<br />
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This article tells the story of this delightful invitation and the wonderful happenings that took place during it: the frills-free visit to Princess Rym’s house; the fresh thyme bags that I brought back with me from Jordan; the institute’s distinctive, well-equipped building; the delicious lunch with Bayan Tal, the Institute’s wonderful senior advisor; the students and their diverse dreams and faiths; the grandmothers attending the graduation ceremony, whose redolent kisses warmed my cheeks; the after-ceremony dinner, attended by an elite group of Jordan’s academics, whom I left as if I was leaving life-time friends, whose love goes back to as many years as there are in my life; and finally the telephone call I received from Princess Rym and her husband, Prince Ali, after my return to Kuwait, where the prince complained that his wife did not invite him to attend the ceremony and I assured him that I would act as an intermediary to secure an invitation for him to attend next year’s ceremony. The call ended with heartfelt laughs that concealed genuine dreams. Change can, perhaps, be achieved when people with diverse attitudes and different approaches to science and dreams meet.<br />
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The Institute deserves support and attention. Students from all around the Arab World ought to know about this unique academic edifice that may change not only their academic careers, but also their outlook to work and life. I hope that this Institute will receive general Arab attention and that it will have a large share of the Arab World’s funding and support, so that it will grow to accommodate more distinguished Arab journalistic minds.<br />