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21 Aug 2017
20 August 2017 <br />
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Amman, The Jordan Media Institute (JMI) conducted the second week of its training program "Media and Local Democracy" as part of a project titled "Building the Capacities of Local Communities in Participation and Accountability." Four civil society organizations in the governorates of Maan, Irbid, Mafraq, and Ajloun are taking part. The aim is to have oversight of public policy through digital media. This is part of the project of EU support to civil society in Jordan, managed by the National Center for Human Rights and funded by the EU.<br />
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The four-day training program was conducted with the participation of young men and women from Al-Karamah Society in the Irbid Governorate. It is part of the activities of the project, which aims at strengthening democracy in Jordan through increasing the effectiveness of citizens in public and political life.<br />
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Yasar Durra, director of training and projects at the JMI, who opened the activities of the program, said that the role given to young men and women is to develop awareness to serve public interest through oversight of the performance of the representatives of citizens in municipal councils and local government and to measure their commitment to the slogans they raised in their election campaigns based on which citizens gave them the authority to represent them and their interests.<br />
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He called for encouraging candidates who have advanced vision and awareness of what is going on and who have the ability to listen to citizens and respect their opinions and demands. He indicated that health, education, and security must be at the top of issues that serve public interest. This is in addition to promoting job opportunities and building the confidence of citizens in their capacity for positive change in their own life and in society at large.<br />
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The training program aims at educating the participants about the basic concepts of local democracy and development and their relationship with the media and the basic skills that help build their capacities to conduct oversight of the performance of the institutions of local democracy in their governorates. It also seeks to raise the awareness of youth.<br />
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The project team will publish a report every three months under the title "Local Democracy Report." Also, the work carried out by youth will be posted on the website of the project, in addition to an electronic application called "Democracy Meter."