A recent attempt at distributing Ramadan charity boxes (contains basic food like rice, sugar, wheat, etc.) proved to me that there are increasingly two groups in Jordan. The first is those who are out of touch, and the second is those who are out of sight. The relationship between the two is a direct one, as one increases the same change occurs in the other one.
The incident happened in Al-Ghor (Jordan Valley). I had called someone I know there to ask him to assist with distributing the charity boxes ( (BTW for lack of better word!!!) to poor families in the area. I indicated to him that the van with the goods will be there around 2 p.m . He then asked me to make it after Iftar instead. He said if we do it before iftar we are going to be inundated with people. In my head, I was skeptical to the extent that I secretly accused him of exaggerating because he was being lazy. I persisted and arranged for the van to be there in the afternoon. Sure enough, I got a call from the team going down there telling me that the van is swamped! People were hovering all over it wanting to get some of the food being distributed. We postponed this until after iftar as was advised earlier.
The above episode left me in shock. This is not the Jordan I know. This might happen in Africa, but not in my Jordan!
The more I thought of it the more I realized that my reaction of being shocked bothered me on two counts:
The first, am I so out of touch that I find such incidents absolutely shocking?
The second, how many of those are there who no longer can afford to be out of sight and have suddenly abandoned the dignity we have for so long attached to the poor of our country. We have always sought misguided comfort in the fact that the poor in Jordan are “mastooreen”, and I assure you the ones swamped the van are so. However when hunger strikes, no rules will ever apply.
My message is for those (me) who are out of touch, wake up! You are running out of excuses. For those who are out of sight, stand up! Your rights have had enough abuses.
The gist of my gig: hiding the sun with our finger might conceal it but it surely does not shield us from its heat!!!
Tallouza
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Form to Transform!
Constant cabinet changes is only leading to constant lack of focus.
The continuous change in cabinets has become a source of ridicule and more important a source of agitation to many. This sarcasm has been intensified by the inability of various successive cabinets to speak of any significant achievements at all. If any, there are failures. Most important of all the failure to effect any true meaningful reform aimed at making the necessary adjustments for us to move ahead. In fact, it seems the primary objective of reform today is to lessen the state of backwardness we find ourselves in. It is no longer to make us move forward…at best it is to render us at least current!!!
The way I see it, a cabinet is a group of individuals who come together to effect a comprehensive plan that is interrelated and intertwined. The cohesive power of this group is the common good. A common good based on fact and realistic vision. In order for these individuals (whom we call cabinet) to deliver, they must go though the typical stages of any successful group formation. To borrow from Tuckman’s (and others such as M.Scott Peck) organization theory, the team must go through five stages:
1. Forming: where the team members have some initial discomfort with each other but nothing comes out in the open. They are insecure about their role and position with respect to the team.
2. Storming: where the team members start arguing heatedly and differences and insecurities come out in the open.
3. Norming: where the team members lay out rules and guidelines for interaction that help define the roles and responsibilities of each person. This corresponds to emptiness, where the community members think within and empty themselves of their obsessions to be able to accept and listen to others.
4. Performing: where the team finally starts working as a cohesive whole, and effectively achieve the tasks set of themselves. In this stage individuals are aided by the group as a whole where necessary, in order to move further collectively than they could achieve as a group of separated individuals.
5. Transforming: This corresponds to the stage of true community. This represents the stage of celebration, and when individuals leave, as they must, there is a genuine feeling of grief, and a desire to meet again.
Today in Jordan, we are still grappling with the storming and norming stages. The failure to accept and to listen to others is proving to be a staunch enemy that is preventing us from performing adequately in our plight to transform ourselves and our country. It is unfortunate that our inability to progress to the performing stage has become an all too familiar precursor for a cabinet change.
Therefore, it is extremely uncanny and unwise to dismiss the cynicism surrounding the revolving door of cabinets as simply “silly”. All we see are silos in action and no concerted cohesive efforts coordinated in a way to enable us to honestly speak of a properly functioning team of ministers.
I hope that next time we hear of a new cabinet, we remind ourselves that its formation is closely tied to performances that would eventually lead us to the transformation necessary to keep us not ahead of the game but at least in it.
The continuous change in cabinets has become a source of ridicule and more important a source of agitation to many. This sarcasm has been intensified by the inability of various successive cabinets to speak of any significant achievements at all. If any, there are failures. Most important of all the failure to effect any true meaningful reform aimed at making the necessary adjustments for us to move ahead. In fact, it seems the primary objective of reform today is to lessen the state of backwardness we find ourselves in. It is no longer to make us move forward…at best it is to render us at least current!!!
The way I see it, a cabinet is a group of individuals who come together to effect a comprehensive plan that is interrelated and intertwined. The cohesive power of this group is the common good. A common good based on fact and realistic vision. In order for these individuals (whom we call cabinet) to deliver, they must go though the typical stages of any successful group formation. To borrow from Tuckman’s (and others such as M.Scott Peck) organization theory, the team must go through five stages:
1. Forming: where the team members have some initial discomfort with each other but nothing comes out in the open. They are insecure about their role and position with respect to the team.
2. Storming: where the team members start arguing heatedly and differences and insecurities come out in the open.
3. Norming: where the team members lay out rules and guidelines for interaction that help define the roles and responsibilities of each person. This corresponds to emptiness, where the community members think within and empty themselves of their obsessions to be able to accept and listen to others.
4. Performing: where the team finally starts working as a cohesive whole, and effectively achieve the tasks set of themselves. In this stage individuals are aided by the group as a whole where necessary, in order to move further collectively than they could achieve as a group of separated individuals.
5. Transforming: This corresponds to the stage of true community. This represents the stage of celebration, and when individuals leave, as they must, there is a genuine feeling of grief, and a desire to meet again.
Today in Jordan, we are still grappling with the storming and norming stages. The failure to accept and to listen to others is proving to be a staunch enemy that is preventing us from performing adequately in our plight to transform ourselves and our country. It is unfortunate that our inability to progress to the performing stage has become an all too familiar precursor for a cabinet change.
Therefore, it is extremely uncanny and unwise to dismiss the cynicism surrounding the revolving door of cabinets as simply “silly”. All we see are silos in action and no concerted cohesive efforts coordinated in a way to enable us to honestly speak of a properly functioning team of ministers.
I hope that next time we hear of a new cabinet, we remind ourselves that its formation is closely tied to performances that would eventually lead us to the transformation necessary to keep us not ahead of the game but at least in it.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Jordan Festival, AGAIN!
Jerash Festival is cancelled. No one knows with certainty why this arbitrary decision was taken few years ago. Many claim they know the sinister motives behind this cancellation, but none have had the guts to express their “classified information” in public. With all said and done, the issue of discontinuing Jerash Festival has become the pretext to attack any new attempt to fill the void left with its termination.
Jordan Festival opened last night with Amal Maher’s tribute to Um Kulthoum. The feedback from the event was telling on many levels. Apart from the praise of the brilliant performance that was befitting of a Diva, the kind of talk was indicative of an insecurity that we have harbored for too long and that we were only too happy to dispel. The feedback bordered on national pride, an elated feeling coupled with an implicit sigh of a relief of “Yes we can”. We can produce shows of such high standards. We can accommodate thousands without creating havoc. We can showcase a first class taste that we thought only others were capable of.
Not surprisingly, the view of certain expected and selected cynical few was different. It was not negative. It was poisonous. The organizers as well as the event were publicly attacked with malicious and mean spirited insinuations bordering on treason. Descriptions of the foundation backing this Festival as mysterious and alien is tantamount to slander. Those who have taken up the habit of attacking anything and everything must be stopped. They must be stopped not because it is unfair to the organizers, but because it is unfair to all Jordanians who are truly desperate for reasons to make them proud again.
Jerash Festival and Jordan Festival complement one another. They are not mutually exclusive. Support of a Jordan Festival does not mean quitting the calls for the return of Jersah Festival. I personally was very saddened to see it end, and I would at any moment call for its return.
Enough carping! We are tired! We want to be happy. And if this is a sin…then I am a sinner. We want to feel proud. We want to see honesty in the way things are handled. Unleashing attack dogs for no reason other than bitterness and egotistical motives does us all harm.
Finally, for all those who claim that the title is an infringement on the name “Jordan”, I say think again! Anything and anyone who succeeds in showing the beautiful face of Jordan deserves unequivocally to carry this name. Entitlement alone suffocates objectivity. Earning the right is by far a better judge!
Jordan Festival opened last night with Amal Maher’s tribute to Um Kulthoum. The feedback from the event was telling on many levels. Apart from the praise of the brilliant performance that was befitting of a Diva, the kind of talk was indicative of an insecurity that we have harbored for too long and that we were only too happy to dispel. The feedback bordered on national pride, an elated feeling coupled with an implicit sigh of a relief of “Yes we can”. We can produce shows of such high standards. We can accommodate thousands without creating havoc. We can showcase a first class taste that we thought only others were capable of.
Not surprisingly, the view of certain expected and selected cynical few was different. It was not negative. It was poisonous. The organizers as well as the event were publicly attacked with malicious and mean spirited insinuations bordering on treason. Descriptions of the foundation backing this Festival as mysterious and alien is tantamount to slander. Those who have taken up the habit of attacking anything and everything must be stopped. They must be stopped not because it is unfair to the organizers, but because it is unfair to all Jordanians who are truly desperate for reasons to make them proud again.
Jerash Festival and Jordan Festival complement one another. They are not mutually exclusive. Support of a Jordan Festival does not mean quitting the calls for the return of Jersah Festival. I personally was very saddened to see it end, and I would at any moment call for its return.
Enough carping! We are tired! We want to be happy. And if this is a sin…then I am a sinner. We want to feel proud. We want to see honesty in the way things are handled. Unleashing attack dogs for no reason other than bitterness and egotistical motives does us all harm.
Finally, for all those who claim that the title is an infringement on the name “Jordan”, I say think again! Anything and anyone who succeeds in showing the beautiful face of Jordan deserves unequivocally to carry this name. Entitlement alone suffocates objectivity. Earning the right is by far a better judge!
Friday, June 25, 2010
We Finally Agree!
Growing up I remember the famous saying that we used to hear about the political stances of Arabs: “Arabs are only in accord to be in disaccord”. When it comes to social issues and problems, it seems that Jordanians have broken this rule. Today they all seem to be in accord that the social fabric as well as structures of our society are deteriorating. The good news is that we finally have a consensus; the bad news is that the news is really bad.
The issues I am referring to are dangerous: the disrespect and disregard to rule of law, rage in society, the collapse of social values, the bankruptcy of our educational system and the list goes on.
In times like these it is easy to point fingers, harp on dysfunctions, theorize, philosophize, criticize, and most dangerous of all pretend that we all have nothing to do with it. It is the doing of all those others. God only knows who these “others” are.
Failed attempts at reform on many levels have only fueled the sense of cynicism and skepticism that we find so prevalent these days. People seem demoralized, de-motivated, and at times totally disinterested. Positive outlooks are becoming synonymous with being gullible. Talk of gloom and doom is the order of the day.
It makes me really sad to see that this has become the environment we live in. However, this also makes my resolve even stronger to want to be part of the solution. If this sounds naive, then I am very naïve. I refuse to believe that the light is not at the end of the tunnel even if I do not see it. I might need to wear special glasses or change my perspective. The light is there, we just have to make an honest and sincere effort to see it.
Failed attempts at solving problems should never be a pretext to quit. If all attempts work from the first try, then we should all be standing in line for noble prizes. Failed attempts are lessons for us to learn from to try to get it right the next time round. Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century philosopher and author said: "For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root." Where there is a will there is a root waiting to be struck. We just have to have faith in each other and in the role that each and every one of us plays in making our world a better and sweeter one.
The issues I am referring to are dangerous: the disrespect and disregard to rule of law, rage in society, the collapse of social values, the bankruptcy of our educational system and the list goes on.
In times like these it is easy to point fingers, harp on dysfunctions, theorize, philosophize, criticize, and most dangerous of all pretend that we all have nothing to do with it. It is the doing of all those others. God only knows who these “others” are.
Failed attempts at reform on many levels have only fueled the sense of cynicism and skepticism that we find so prevalent these days. People seem demoralized, de-motivated, and at times totally disinterested. Positive outlooks are becoming synonymous with being gullible. Talk of gloom and doom is the order of the day.
It makes me really sad to see that this has become the environment we live in. However, this also makes my resolve even stronger to want to be part of the solution. If this sounds naive, then I am very naïve. I refuse to believe that the light is not at the end of the tunnel even if I do not see it. I might need to wear special glasses or change my perspective. The light is there, we just have to make an honest and sincere effort to see it.
Failed attempts at solving problems should never be a pretext to quit. If all attempts work from the first try, then we should all be standing in line for noble prizes. Failed attempts are lessons for us to learn from to try to get it right the next time round. Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century philosopher and author said: "For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root." Where there is a will there is a root waiting to be struck. We just have to have faith in each other and in the role that each and every one of us plays in making our world a better and sweeter one.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The Dead Sea Alive With Flies
We in Jordan have successfully managed to attract and develop multimillion dinar investments in what is turning out to be spectacular set of five-star hotels on the shores of the Dead Sea. These investments are finding themselves fighting a most unspectacular enemy, namely flies.
To many, this might seem as a trivial matter, but it is turning out to be the most challenging issue for many hoteliers and business owners down at the Dead Sea and even at the Jordan Valley (Or Ghor). Residents literally suffer from these flies, and business owners are constantly bombarded by the inability to do anything about them. According to one Dead Sea hotelier: “how can we explain to our guests that they cannot sit outdoors when they specifically came to the Dead Sea to do so?”
Funnily enough, when the World Economic Forum (WEF) is held at the Dead Sea, these unwelcome visitors mysteriously disappear! The good news here is that there is a proven remedy for these flies; the bad news is that the WEF is only held for few days every year or two.
If we think that these flies don’t negatively impact the image of one of our touristic jewels, we need to think again.
To many, this might seem as a trivial matter, but it is turning out to be the most challenging issue for many hoteliers and business owners down at the Dead Sea and even at the Jordan Valley (Or Ghor). Residents literally suffer from these flies, and business owners are constantly bombarded by the inability to do anything about them. According to one Dead Sea hotelier: “how can we explain to our guests that they cannot sit outdoors when they specifically came to the Dead Sea to do so?”
Funnily enough, when the World Economic Forum (WEF) is held at the Dead Sea, these unwelcome visitors mysteriously disappear! The good news here is that there is a proven remedy for these flies; the bad news is that the WEF is only held for few days every year or two.
If we think that these flies don’t negatively impact the image of one of our touristic jewels, we need to think again.
Eating healthy and dreading it!
I don’t know about you, but for a while now, eating a fresh salad is turning out to be an unsettling affair for me. Every time I attempt to prepare a salad**, I find myself wondering about the safety of what I am about to eat. The salad I prepare mainly consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. The toxicity found in these three items has been the subject of a wide informal speculation . How many times have we heard of cucumbers that continue to grow even after picking? How many of us wonder about the tomatoes that we eat, whether in terms of the water used for irrigation or the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow these tomatoes. In effect, I feel that the safety of our agricultural produce is in question.
There are serious fears out there that need to be allayed. I wish those in charge would come out and address this issue in an open and transparent manner. Maybe if we learn about the mechanisms applied and enforced (enforced being the operative word here) to safeguard the integrity of our agricultural produce, we would then feel reassured that we are eating healthy rather than filthy.
Until then, I will keep on eating healthy and I will continue dreading it.
**I won’t use the term “toss a salad” since it apparently has a sexual connotation! Go figure :-)
There are serious fears out there that need to be allayed. I wish those in charge would come out and address this issue in an open and transparent manner. Maybe if we learn about the mechanisms applied and enforced (enforced being the operative word here) to safeguard the integrity of our agricultural produce, we would then feel reassured that we are eating healthy rather than filthy.
Until then, I will keep on eating healthy and I will continue dreading it.
**I won’t use the term “toss a salad” since it apparently has a sexual connotation! Go figure :-)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Shshshshsh...Beware!
The Friday before appointing Saleh Gallab head of the country's number 1 media corporation, namely Jordan Radio and Television Corp., he was busy attacking a group of individuals for simply asserting their right for free speech. This was during an interview on JTV's "60 minutes" news show. Gallab's logic was twisted, language uncivilized, and motives totally exposed. He was simply spouting venom.
Are we to blame if we do not believe what we hear in the official media about free speech (freedom including freedom from being demonized and from the systematic unleashing of paid attack dogs) , or should we continue to be skeptics and to continue reading between the lines? Well come to think of it, in this case the lines are no longer in between but rather "headlines".
Sadly, the message of this appointment is loud and clear.
Are we to blame if we do not believe what we hear in the official media about free speech (freedom including freedom from being demonized and from the systematic unleashing of paid attack dogs) , or should we continue to be skeptics and to continue reading between the lines? Well come to think of it, in this case the lines are no longer in between but rather "headlines".
Sadly, the message of this appointment is loud and clear.
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