Minister: Youth empowerment, participation a top national priority

Amman: Youth Minister Mohammad Nabulsi said Saturday that empowering and enhancing youth participation in political and partisan life is a top national priority, and that the ministry, in a partnership with relevant entities, carried out awareness programs of legislation governing political life. In a ceremony to launch a camp, dubbed "Jordanian Youth, Active Citizens in the Reform and Modernization process", which was organized by the Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, Nabulsi said "the current stage requires that we see the outcomes of awareness and training programs with actual participation by youth in political life and in various decision-making positions." He pointed to the Ministry's efforts to implement political empowerment programs of the National Youth Strategy, the Political Institute Project and the Youth, Security and Peace Program. Norwegian Ambassador Espen Lindback, who attended the opening ceremony, stressed the importance of involving young people to make a difference and express the ir priorities, stressing the need to listen to the voices of youth, who have new ideas and perspectives. He pointed to Norway's expertise, where a youth council was established in every municipality, including a group of elected young people to provide counsel to politicians on the needs and aspirations of young people in these municipalities. Al-Quds Center for Political Studies President Uraib Rentawi said the training program targeted areas with a record of low turnout in voting, in an effort to qualify selected young men and women whose ages are less than 35 to raise awareness on participation and pass their knowledge and experiences to their peers in the local communities. The camp followed a series in which about 400 young men and women took part on the Jordanian political system, the political party and election laws, political life in Jordan, opportunities for youth participation, cybercrime laws and the right to access to information. Source: Jordan News Agency