“World Refugee Day” Symposium at Jordan Media Institute

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12 Jul 2021

Jordan Media Institute – Amman

The Jordan Media Institute hosted a symposium on Sunday in honor of World Refugee Day. The scholar, researcher, and historian, Dr. Hind Abu Shaar, participated, as did Mr. Mohammed Al-Hawari, the official spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The discussion was facilitated by Dr. Sakher Al Khasawneh and attended by JMI students. 

Dr. Abu Shaar said that Jordan’s geography has played a key role in its demographic changes, transforming it from a transit route to a migration destination, as a result of what the country has witnessed from daily and seasonal movements of residents from neighboring countries. Dr. Abu Shaar indicated that archeologists have found evidence for a large migration of refugees to Jordan before 3000 BCE, confirming that instances of flight and asylum “are not new,” but rather a historical phenomenon observed across eras. She further supported this by explaining that Transjordan used to be a migration corridor for caravans and pilgrims, which led to stability and settlement. 

According to Dr. Abu Shaar, the most important factors that historically forced people to migrate to Jordan and that influenced population movement included natural disasters, especially pandemics, as well as political instability, military events, and the wars that followed. She stated that the conditions that Jordan has experienced as a result of forced migration “would be nearly impossible for any nation to deal with,” pointing to Jordan’s ability to absorb so many changing factors in a “wise” manner. 

According to Al-Hawari, a refugee is “someone who is forced to move from one place to another against their will.” He laid out the various waves of forced migration that Jordan has undergone, which have resulted in refugees of 57 nationalities residing in the country today. Al-Hawari noted that although the residents of the Middle East make up only 5% of the world population, it is the region with the most refugees. 

Al-Hawari stated that UNHCR and the Government of Jordan are working to engage several donors to support projects which target refugees and support their rights to work and life. Guided by the slogan “together we heal, work, and shine,” UNHCR and the government are calling for the integration of refugees and local communities, such that their commercial, social, and economic expertise are utilized for the benefit to the country, and the hate speech against them is eliminated. 

Al-Hawari pointed out that the media has a responsibility to mobilize solidarity with refugees, and call attention to their existence, as well as emphasize on their right to have dignified lives by sharing their stories with the public. He added that the media also has a responsibility to offer help to refugees wherever they may be and to publish features about them that show their humanity rather than simply listing numbers and statistics about them.

Jordan Media Institute is a non-profit educational institution founded by Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali to enhance the performance of journalists and media practitioners and individuals wanting to enter this profession in Jordan and the Arab region, and to provide advanced educational and training opportunities to meet their demands. 

To know more about the activities of the Institute, send us an email at info@jmi.edu.jo

 

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