Fadi Ghandour
A Partnership for Development
The Middle East suffers from a highly complicated set of problems and challenges
that reflect directly on issues of security and political, social, and economic well-
being. Some of these problems are of a traditional nature with well-known solu-
tions, whereas others have historical, political, and social dimensions requiring
participatory and innovative solutions. Today, we stand at a crucial crossroads
where the choices we make will contribute to the future of the region; we either
head toward poverty and unemployment, or we invest strategically to secure the
well-being of promising youth and take part in releasing their full potential.
The strategic interaction option is not devoid of difficulties. If we take into
consideration just the factor of natural population growth, it is apparent that this
alone imposes grave challenges. The World Bank’s International Development
Report of 2007 indicated that youth under the age of 24 make up approximately
60 percent of the total population of the region. In addition, the major social chal-
lenge will be the need to create at least 100 million job opportunities by 2020 to
maintain unemployment rates at their current levels, which are already high.
The countries of the region, within the framework of confronting these prob-
lems, have mainly depended on the efforts of governments. In addition to control-
ling both political and economic domains, governments have also assumed com-
plete control of the social development agenda, which has led to limiting the pri-
vate sector to providing only nominal efforts through charity donations and aid.
Until recently, governments have identified priorities, development plans, and
policies based on immediate political considerations, after which the private sec-
tor is required to participate financially in the process—and then only to a limit-
ed extent.
The initiatives of the private sector have been marginal and modest, and the
private sector has not considered such efforts to be within the realm of its strate-
gic objectives. The efforts of civil society have also, sadly, remained on the margins
Fadi Ghandour is the founder and CEO of ARAMEX.
This essay first appeared in a special edition of Innovations prepared for the World
Economic Forum on the Middle East of 2008, produced in collaboration with the
Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and with partial sponsorship from
ARAMEX. The
at
available
edition
special
that
text
of
is
© 2008 Fadi Ghandour
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Fadi Ghandour
of the development process. It is very unfortunate that the efforts exerted to sup-
port government performance have remained feeble with very limited and super-
ficial effect.
The magnitude and complexity of the challenges calls for a fundamental
change in approach. It is clear that disentangling the immense social and econom-
ic challenges requires establishing strategic and active partnerships between gov-
ernments, the private sector, and
civil society to stimulate a develop-
ment process in which each party
plays a vital role within a framework
of coordination, firm cooperation,
and inventive integration.
Disentangling the immense
social and economic
challenges requires
establishing strategic and
active partnerships between
governments, the private
sector, and civil society to
stimulate the development
process in which each party
plays a vital role within a
framework of coordination,
firm cooperation, and
inventive integration.
We believe that an effective
development process cannot be
realized without a partnership
between local communities, private
sector establishments, and govern-
ment institutions. Also it is impor-
tant to note that such an effort can-
not be successful or sustainable if
companies do not achieve economic
growth that ultimately benefits
them and the economy as a whole.
This economic growth guarantees
the availability of a productive, cre-
ative, educated, and prosperous
labor force that participates in the
process of social change.
Effective participation in sus-
tainable development and local
community service, in addition to
eventually having a positive economic benefit for companies, is fundamentally a
civic responsibility and a national obligation that both individuals and companies
share. We stand before options of which the most important is our duty and
responsibility to shape the future of this region as active partners in the process of
change.
We either allow the region to slip into poverty and unemployment, the conse-
quences of which are all too evident, or we invest in the considerable potential of
our youth and in the core capabilities of the private sector and utilize these in a
process of cooperation and integration that is aimed at advancing and developing
the well-being of communities.
It is worth mentioning that Arab companies operating worldwide are now
compelled to support communities within those countries and to adhere to inter-
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A Partnership for Development
national standards in this regard. It would not be acceptable that these companies
should serve those communities while their own countries and communities suf-
fer from high unemployment rates and poverty, not to mention immense difficul-
ties resulting from political conflicts, wars, and various forms of environmental
pollution.
In my capacity as a citizen and a member of a social and business community,
I believe that the private sector, with the access it has to economic, commercial,
technical, and scientific knowledge, in addition to financial resources and accessi-
bility to markets, owns the tools of
change and influence that can and
should play an essential role in the
process of social change in the
Middle East. Since the activities that
the private sector is engaged in are
one form of effective citizenship,
and since the private sector has the
potential and the entrepreneurial
spirit to take risks and be proactive,
it can play a vital role in proposing
innovative and practical solutions
to the challenges faced within the
development process.
Ruwwad … stemmed from
the belief that ARAMEX has
an ethical responsibility to
lead the process of social
investment and community
partnership.
We must also not overlook the fact that private sector companies, as profit-
making entities, are more efficient in driving the process of economic develop-
ment of communities. It is high time we fulfill our responsibility to put forth sus-
tainable solutions and utilize our substantial capabilities to partner with the gov-
ernment and civil society within a unified framework of common strategies. This
partnership will in turn lead to the empowerment and motivation needed for peo-
ple to unleash their potential capabilities and their proactive natures, thereby
prompting qualitative change and paving the way for sustainable social develop-
ment.
It has been said that sharing in the process of social responsibility is a difficult
process that entails many impediments and disappointments. But despite the pres-
ence of some skepticism about its effectiveness, I believe that active citizenship
(notwithstanding the unfortunate absence of its role in our region) has proved its
viability, usefulness, and sustainability in the experiences of many countries
worldwide.
Personally, I consider citizenship a duty and a responsibility, and believe that
activities that reflect the social responsibility of the private sector are a form of
active citizenship. Based on my experience as a dynamic member of the commu-
nity, I believe that collective efforts bringing the government, civil society, and the
private sector to work together in the framework of common strategies to moti-
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Fadi Ghandour
vate people to take initiative and play an active role in realizing their potential are
capable of producing effective qualitative change in the Middle East.
It is this belief that led to the launch of the Ruwwad initiative in 2005. The
work started with the establishment of the “Corporate Social Responsibility
Department” at ARAMEX in the second half of 2004 to assist us in institutionaliz-
ing the company’s community related initiatives, which had started with
ARAMEX’s establishment twenty five years ago and prior to the spread of the con-
cept of corporate social responsibility. Ruwwad came about as a continuation of
this ethos and stemmed from the belief that ARAMEX has an ethical responsibili-
ty to lead the process of social investment and community partnership.
After extensive research by the Corporate Social Responsibility Department at
ARAMEX in several communities, it was clear that Jabal Al-Nathif was the com-
munity with the most pressing needs. A marginalized neighborhood of 100,000
people, Jabal Nathif is situated in the old center of Amman, Jordan. When we
began our work there, Jabal Nathif lacked even the most basic security, health,
education, and culture services, forcing its youth to become easy prey to drug
abuse and criminal activity. Men in the community were mostly unemployed, and
women worked hard to find an income to sustain their families.
It can also be said that the problems that exist in Jabal Nathif are similar to the
challenges faced by marginalized communities in general. The area seemed all but
forgotten and lacked a health center, a police station, a post office, a bus service,
and it had no open spaces or cultural or recreational activities for children. This
area, due to lack of services and outlets for young and old in addition to poor and
cramped housing conditions, had become a refuge for poor families as a result of
relatively low-rent costs. Some of the residents of Jabal Nathif who were driven by
need and a lack of income resorted to accepting charity contributions, or turned
to illegal means to escape their reality through drug and alcohol addiction and
crime. Young people, lacking access to educational and employment opportuni-
ties, were frustrated by their perceived self-image as victims of circumstance.
In that context, ARAMEX started the implementation of the initiative and the
project in Jabal Nathif. The programs were determined through a process of com-
munication and trust building with the residents of the area. After the initial pri-
oritization and implementation process, results started to become apparent on the
ground, and we sought partners in government and the private sector to spread
the concept and transfer this initiative to a more advanced and comprehensive
level. In April 2006, Ruwwad was established as a national non-profit organization
aimed at encouraging the private sector to participate in the development process
with the purpose of empowering community members to prioritize and meet their
self-determined needs. Ruwwad is currently supported by several companies and
individuals from Jordan and the Arab World, and is considered the first and only
organization in Jordan that is fully funded by local individuals and companies.
Raghda Butros, the Founding Director of Ruwwad, worked to translate these
concepts on the ground. It was during the initial prioritization and trust-building
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A Partnership for Development
visits that she conducted for a year prior to implementation that we came to know
the residents of Jabal Nathif—to communicate with them, and understand their
problems and challenges. We visited their homes, listened to their issues, and met
children who roamed the streets fighting and harassing passers-by. We met fathers
who were unemployed and helpless and some tried to escape their reality by tak-
ing tranquilizers and various kinds of cheap but devastating drugs. Women were
queuing at the doors of charities for a few dinars, not sufficient to buy bread for
their families. We also met many young people who carried their books to the cof-
fee shop where they worked as waiters to help pay for their college tuition, and
others who could not pursue their studies and achieve their aspirations due to
financial difficulties.
By the end of the year, the field visits had helped shape our vision, in line with
the needs and requirements of this area in particular and urban communities in
general. From the start, our strategy was founded on the participation of individ-
uals from the community in the development process, since we believe that ready-
made and “packaged” answers do not offer sustainable solutions. In addition, our
strategy is based on the principle that the process of change is a self-driven, grad-
ual, and cumulative process, and on the premise that working with partners from
civil society and community-based organizations would help us arrive at a more
complete and integrated process.
Realizing the difficulty of the situation and the enormity of the needs, the pre-
liminary plan that was set in motion during the first phases of launching Ruwwad
in Jabal Nathif included securing sustainable funding in order to ensure the con-
tinuity of the proposed programs and projects. Accordingly, a network of connec-
tions between companies and individuals within the private sector was established.
In utilizing its potential and its strategic planning capabilities, the private sector
became a key partner in providing financial resources to fund the desired sustain-
able development process in the area.
The restoration of Atika Bint Zeid School was one of the first initiatives under-
taken in the community. This established confidence between Ruwwad and the
residents of Jabal Nathif, as the school was at the top of the list of requests by the
community since it affects the lives of over 700 families in the community whose
children attend the school.
Atika Bint Zeid was one of the first members of the community who sought to
cooperate with us to improve the miserable conditions at the school. The school
was established in 1959 and is a coeducational primary school up to grade three,
and a girls’ school from grade three to grade seven in two shifts. The Ministry of
Education’s policies prohibit it from spending money for the purpose of maintain-
ing rented school buildings, and so Atika Bint Zeid School had not received any
periodic maintenance or restoration during the past 49 years! Moreover, the class-
rooms were very small and overcrowded, all of which led to low attendance and
detriorating academic standards.
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Fadi Ghandour
“Shababeek” (Windows)
Teach, learn, and participate with others: these are the basic principles of
“Shababeek” that started with a spontaneous initiative by Mohammed Nitham,
one of the university scholarship recipients who developed a word game with a
group of children to teach them Arabic spelling through play. Mohammed con-
tinued to work with the group for over three months and other workshops start-
ed to emerge. The program seeks to open windows of opportunity for the chil-
dren to discover their talents and skills by exposing them to various kinds of
extracurricular activities based on their talents and interests. These workshops
present children with an alternative to watching television or playing out on the
streets. Volunteers from Jabal Nathif and elsewhere conduct workshops, some
of which help children to learn Arabic, English, mathematics, logic, and geogra-
phy, while others focus on art, theater, music, photography, sports, and crafts.
The program has been able to organize over 30 workshops for 300 children
during 2007, and the talents and interests that emerged during the workshops
are presently being nurtured and directed through specialized centers or
individuals.
I made a doll out of fabric; in the beginning I was embarrassed to say
that I enjoyed the workshop because I thought dolls were only for
girls, but then I saw that there were many other boys with me and it
was okay”.
Ziyad Allouzi, 12 years old
The development process at Atika Bint Zeid that was undertaken in coordina-
tion with the Ministry of Education was not limited to restoring and repairing the
building, adding new restrooms, renewing all the furniture, maintaining the play-
ground, and painting the walls. It also included providing training courses for
teachers on modern educational advances to enhance their capacities in organiz-
ing extracurricular activities with the children.
By the end of 2007, Madaress (meaning schools) became a clearly defined pro-
gram at Ruwwad, with activities that include constructional development of the
schools in the area, training of teachers, as well as supporting the students via the
back-to-school campaign at the beginning of each scholastic year. This program
also covers school tuition fees and provides school bags and stationery for students
who need this kind of support.
In an effort to help young people in Jabal Nathif to access better opportunities
and to encourage them to become agents of change, a program was put in place
that centers on developing their skills and capacities, continuing their university
education, and supporting their economic or social projects.
The hotel bombings in Amman in the winter of 2005 came as a horrifying
shock for everybody who lived through that experience. The bombings shook the
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A Partnership for Development
serenity of Amman. I lost one of my good friends, Mousab Khorma, who was the
Deputy Director of Cairo Amman Bank. He had a vision for, and made contribu-
tions, to the field of social development in both Jordan and Palestine. As a result,
the initiative that was aimed at supporting youth at Ruwwad was named the
Mousab Khorma Youth Empowerment Fund, in memory of a person who cared
for young people in particular and the issues of development in general.
During its first year, Ruwwad provided 130 scholarships to students in Jabal
Nathif who wished to attend university and college. Now the program is provid-
ing 250 scholarships that include educational loans, training courses in computer
skills and the English language, and internship and training opportunities at com-
panies. Moreover, the youth participate in weekly discussions (every Saturday)
through “Dardashat” a program in which they discuss issues of interest to them,
whether social, political, economic, or related to the media and the arts. They also
have the opportunity, as part of Dardashat, to interact with decision makers and
government officials and discuss pertinent issues with them.
With the realization that the development process is a participatory process,
and in order to create a reciprocal process of giving, it was crucial to launch an ini-
tiative to activate the participation of youth recipients who benefited from the
scholarships, by requiring that they volunteer and give their time to the commu-
nity. As a result, each student who receives a scholarship through the Mousab
Khorma Youth Empowerment Fund devotes at least four hours a week to volun-
teer work in his or her community.
I attend some of the Saturday Dardashat meetings and take part in the discus-
sions, which have opened channels of dialogue with the youth of the area. Their
stories, related to working with children or neighbors, are always a pleasure to hear
and read. It is wonderful to hear that Hamzah was so committed to his volunteer
work at Um Isra’a house that he carried on painting in spite of the rain; or to see
Samar working with a group of children to create a picture using corn, almonds,
and watermelon seeds; or to listen to Mohammed’s creative language games that
encourage children to progress and excel in Arabic. Sharihan’s strong statements
and liberal ideas during the Saturday meetings capture my attention; and I laugh
when I hear stories about the work of the young people at Um Iqab’s house and
the never-ending layers of carpet that she had collected over the past twenty years,
and which they had to remove when renovating her house. I am delighted when I
run into Hiba, an intern at ARAMEX for over a year, on the stairs leading to my
office. Mousab’s bold dreams are deeply rooted in Jordan, but his desire for diver-
sity means that he is thrilled to have the opportunity to travel to the United States
for training next summer.
Shams Al-Jabal Public Library was established in response to a request from
the children of Jabal Nathif. The concept of establishing a public library was linked
to a plan that seeks to allow the children to discover and strengthen their talents
and interests. At the time, we were not aware that this library would become our
gateway to the whole community of Jabal Nathif. Children are the key to the
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Fadi Ghandour
Jeeran (Neighbors)
“We work together because we are partners in responsibility”
The evolution of “Jeeran” was a natural progression, which occurred as a result
of the presence of Ruwwad in Jabal Nathif and the fact that we consider our-
selves part of the neighborhood. As part of the program, various requests from
the residents of the community, such as medical, educational, or housing assis-
tance, are received, evaluated, and followed-up on. In addition, field visits are
conducted to reach out to as many people as possible in the community and
determine the situation on the ground. These visits are very informative and
helpful in identifying the problems of the local community, and determining
their root causes through continuous discussions with the people. The visits are
fundamental in achieving the highest possible degree of integrity and fairness in
the decision-making process in terms of the support we provide whether in the
form of scholarships, home renovations, medical aid, or otherwise.
One of the projects that emerged from this program is “Al-Shuraka’a”
(Partners) which acts as a link that connects those who need assistance with
companies or individuals who are willing to provide such assistance. This proj-
ect has provided medical care to more than 100 people, ranging from medica-
tion to surgical procedures to providing financial support to securing state
health insurance for the elderly. Another project, which falls under this pro-
gram, is entitled “Jeeran Al-Shabab” (Youth for Neighbors), which endeavors to
improve conditions in some of the houses that are in need of small repairs to
control the problems of humidity, poor ventilation, and other urgent issues.
Ruwwad provides the necessary construction materials such as cement, bricks,
and paint, and the volunteers who have received scholarships carry out the work
along with neighbors willing to help and the home owners. The program has
completed improvements in 13 houses from the time when it was launched in
the summer of 2007 until the end of that year, and 40 houses are planned for
2008. Using colorful paint for the outer walls of houses has had a positive effect
in strengthening the relationship between the residents and the place they live
in.
neighborhood and they were able to spread the word about Ruwwad to their
friends and families. We were also not sure whether the library would eventually
become a place where the children would actually come to read! At the beginning,
it was more of a refuge for children from the heat of the summer of 2006 and the
bullying of older children. One and a half years later, the library is filled with chil-
dren reading books, writing journals, and doing research; it is a place visited by
over 150 children every day, with the number doubling during weekends and
school holidays.
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A Partnership for Development
At Shams Al-Jabal Library we endeavor to create a space for human interac-
tion and discovery of knowledge. The concept of establishing a public library was
inspired by the need to have a friendly and interesting place where children could
spend productive time and through which their cognitive needs could be met. The
library fosters the development of children’s personalities by allowing them to
acquire and strengthen their skills and advance their mental, social, and intellec-
tual capacities. This is achieved by free reading and writing outside the limitations
of the classroom. The library dedicates a large area to drawing as a tool for expres-
sion and self-discovery. The diversity of activities encourages children to abandon
their fear and shyness and to voice their feelings through dialogue within the con-
text of workshops for educational and non-educational purposes, all of which
emphasize the idea of learning through fun.
The children come up with new ideas for workshops in coordination with the
students receiving the Mousab Khorma scholarships, whom they regard as role
models and mentors. The students receiving scholarships find their experience in
dealing and connecting with children to be an opportunity to discover and express
new abilities within themselves. The joy of positively connecting with others pro-
vides everybody with a chance to explore a new way of dealing with other people
and of looking at their own relationships within their families and at school.
At the Shams Al-Jabal Library, you can see children writing their daily journals
or reading stories or exploring atlases, encyclopedias and other reference books. In
addition, workshops with volunteers from within Nathif and elsewhere contribute
to helping children with their homework and their understanding of mathematics,
English, and Arabic, among other subjects.
The establishment of the library and Ruwwad’s offices coincided with endeav-
ors to mobilize government support to provide basic services in the community.
We approached Jordan Post requesting the establishment of a post office in Jabal
Nathif, through which people could pay their bills and access government loans
and services. Jordan Post’s obstacle to starting the post office was the fact they
could not secure a location, and so Ruwwad provided the first floor of its building
which now hosts the only post office in the area.
Advocacy efforts continued, including a request to the Ministry of Health to
establish a much-needed health center in Jabal Nathif, which was at the top of the
list of requests by members of the community. We reached an agreement with the
ministry, whereby Ruwwad would make space available that will host the health
center, and the Ministry of Health would provide the necessary medical staff and
equipment and would run the center. The Jabal Nathif Health Center will be inau-
gurated in 2008.
In addition, we communicated with the Ministry of the Interior to establish a
police station in the area, which the members of the community had been request-
ing for decades to help keep the peace and maintain order. This prompted the
Ministry to establish a police station in the community that was inaugurated less
than a year later. These accomplishments are examples of what a partnership
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Fadi Ghandour
Dardashat
We anticipate that through Dardashat we will be able to bring about positive
change in the attitudes and mindsets of the students who benefit from our schol-
arships. These scholarships are not aimed at simply covering tuition fees, but
rather at providing an opportunity for young men and women to meet and dis-
cover who they are and how they can participate effectively in the development
of their communities. Dardashat meetings are held every week, sometimes to
hold a discussion with a public figure, an artist, or an activist, while other times
they are geared at discussing issues of interest on the national or international
scene. The meeting utilizes dialogue as a tool for the young people to listen to
each other and exchange ideas and points of view. Saturday meetings are not
only a platform for free speech, expression of opinions, and listening to others;
it is a place to build friendships and discover new horizons that contribute to
developing and changing the way the young people perceive themselves and
others. When students from diverse backgrounds meet, their circle of acquain-
tances expands and they are exposed to the experiences of others. Dardashat
adds a special human and cultural dimension to the experience of the students
receiving scholarships and strives to establish a language of effective communi-
cation and dialogue.
between the business community, with its connections and access to decision-
makers, the government, and the local community can achieve in a short period of
time.
As an integral part of Ruwwad’s strategy to support the communities where it
operates and to build their capacity, the team on the ground was recruited from
within the local area, which ensures that we keep our fingers on the pulse of the
community and that our programs continue to reflect its needs and priorities.
Despite the obstacles linked to this strategy, such as maintaining the thin line
between the personal and the professional, and the difficulty of finding individu-
als with the necessary practical experience, we were able to form a 25-member
team, 80 percent of whom are from within Jabal Nathif and in which every mem-
ber is an active contributor to the development process of the organization and the
community.
On a different front, the magnitude of the challenges ahead was revealed dur-
ing our rounds and field visits in Jabal Nathif as part of our community outreach
program, where we found that many residents of the community live in houses
that are extremely small and lacking basic sanitary services. These visits also
allowed us to better experience first-hand the spirit of the community and the feel-
ing of shared purpose thar exists within it. This led to the launching of the “Jeeran”
(Neighbors) Program. The program seeks to activate the role of the local commu-
nity in finding effective solutions for the problems facing them through working
with the members of the community not only as beneficiaries, but also as partners
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A Partnership for Development
in the development process. The program started with the idea of activating the
participation of young men and women who have received scholarships in
improving the conditions of houses in the area that are most in need. Jeeran has
now become a real symbol of the principle of partnership regardless of financial
resources. Youth lacking financial resources became key participants in assisting
other members of the local community, and volunteerism became a regular and
expected act by the youth of Jabal Nathif.
the
From
start,
Ruwwad’s doors were open
for volunteers from within
the community and from
elsewhere who are willing
to provide technical and
educational expertise to
university
students and
children visiting the library
through a program called
“Shababeek” (Windows).
Through
this program,
training workshops are held
to discover the creative
potential of both the volun-
teers and the participants. During these workshops, communication with the chil-
dren seeks to help them discover their dreams and confront their fears.
By presenting the private sector
as a serious partner and a major
player in the field of social
development, Ruwwad has paved
the way for a real partnership
between the private sector, civil
society, and the community
The “Dardashat” sessions held every Saturday have given us the opportunity
to meet with students from various Jordanian universities majoring in different
fields. This has generated a new kind of culture, namely, the culture of place and
specializations. Through this program, we meet and get to know some public fig-
ures and to hear new experiences and success stories. It is here that I discovered an
old concept in a new form. I had never really considered the importance of volun-
teerism before, but now I’ve found a true sense of enjoyment in being socially
responsible. It also allowed me to discover my inner self, talents, and skills, as well
as spending free time in a more advanced and proactive way, not to mention learn-
ing the skills of constructive dialogue and confidently presenting one’s point of
view.
It is worth mentioning here that this initiative has faced many difficulties, as
well as resistance from the outset by some individuals and groups within the com-
munity. This was expected, as we were strangers to the community of Jabal Nathif
and doubting our intentions was normal since there were no examples of similar
programs in the area. As time passed, however, and with continued interaction
with the community, and by fulfilling the promises we made and striving to offer
creative solutions inspired by the identity of the area, the residents of the commu-
nity now take it upon themselves to defend the organization and its presence.
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Fadi Ghandour
There is no doubt that the continued success of Ruwwad requires constant
hard work and that many challenges still lie ahead, but the results are certainly
worthwhile. This initiative has worked hard to create innovative solutions to meet
the needs of the local community in harmony with their priorities, mobilizing all
parties in the framework of an active partnership where all the roles are integrat-
ed. In addition, Ruwwad has had the foresight to view the local community as an
active partner in the process of change, instead of as a web of complex and isolat-
ed problems.
I can safely say that a new phase has begun, led by the private sector, with a
true realization of its responsibilities to support the process of development.
Ruwwad’s programs are an integral part of the daily life of the community in Jabal
Nathif through the partnership program with the schools, Shams Al-Jabal Library,
the Mousab Khorma Youth Empowerment Fund, or Shababeek and Jeeran.
Today, when I have some spare time away from work, I head for Ruwwad. I
recall a question asked by one of the contributors who had visited Jabal Nathif at
start of the project, and who visited us recently. After we took a tour around the
two buildings and observed the various activities of Ruwwad, including the nurs-
ery, the furniture repair workshop, the computer lab, and others, and after we wit-
nessed children of all ages, university students, and more than 25 employees work-
ing as librarians, trainers, and social workers, he turned to me and asked, “How
could all this have materialized in just two and half years?!”
When I drive down to Jabal Nathif , by the time I reach Ruwwad’s offices, I will
have stopped several times to ask Abu Ali about the latest developments in the
Jabal, and to be greeted by Abu Ahmad, Abu Yahya, Mohammed, Nora, and other
friends and neighbors. I have a very busy life and had not been looking for new
friends, but I cannot deny that the experience of Ruwwad has added a new dimen-
sion to my life that I could not have anticipated.
The significance of this project is not limited to the development taking place
in Jabal Nathif or other communities in which Ruwwad is working, such as Beidah
in the south of Jordan, and other areas in the Arab World, nor to the impact it has
on the people who are in direct contact with the organization. It goes far beyond
that. By presenting the private sector as a major player in the field of social devel-
opment, Ruwwad has paved the way for a real partnership between the private sec-
tor, civil society, and the community. That partnership ensures the sustainability
of the development process. The private sector can play a key role not only as an
advisor to government and civil society organizations with regard to development
policies, but also as an active participant in policy implementation.
26
innovations / fall 2008
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