Jordan Times
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Queen Rania volunteers at INJAZ class
AMMAN (JT) — Around 30 students from different
parts of the Kingdom were overwhelmed to find that their volunteer teacher for
the day was Her Majesty Queen Rania.
Teaching a class of ninth graders, the Queen highlighted the qualities of a good
leader, most importantly the significance of utilising these skills to effect
positive change and development in society.
This was illustrated through a case study that was reviewed by the students,
followed by an interactive discussion with the participation of INJAZ
co-volunteer Linda Qarous from the private sector.
Students from 15 government schools from Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa attending
Tuesday's INJAZ class at Queen Zein Al Sharaf School were inspired and
encouraged by Queen Rania's interest in issues and active participation in the
dialogue.
The class discussed how a successful leader should possess and uphold the
virtues of honesty, modesty and delegation of responsibility, and capitalise on
experts in the field in order to bring about positive development.
The case study showcased how a chemical plant affected a nearby agricultural
village and its inhabitants. The students split up into groups to come up with
solutions to the problem. During the discussion, Queen Rania noted that all
aspects of the problem need to be studied and thoroughly addressed while making
citizens aware of the issue in order to lobby for change in a positive and
effective manner.
Underlining that the approach should be objective, the Queen discussed the
solutions to the problem presented by the students, noting that individuals have
a major role in making their voices heard, based on concrete knowledge and
raising awareness on the issue.
“A good leader controls and contains the problem, and is able to turn the
negative aspects to achieve positive change for the better,” Queen Rania told
the class, adding “an obstacle or problem should be our incentive to find
solutions and improve any situation.”
Queen Rania said the problem-solving approach adopted in Tuesday's class could
be applied to any situation, citing as an example the issue of the group that
was planning subversive acts in the Kingdom. She stressed that citizens'
awareness of preserving the country's stability and security reflected their
loyalty to the country.
The Queen noted that Jordanians demonstrated they were sharing the
responsibility together with officials and security forces to abort any plans
that could undermine the country's and citizens' best interests.
The Economic Opportunities for Jordanian Youth Programme (INJAZ), the country's
first initiative aimed at building the skills of Jordan's future workforce to
help the economy compete globally, was initiated in 1999 and launched as a
Jordanian nonprofit organisation by Queen Rania in 2001. Supported by 60 private
sector companies and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), INJAZ
operates in Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, Maan, Tafileh and Aqaba, serving Ministry of
Education, UNRWA and military schools. The initiative provides learning
experiences for young people aged between 14 to 24 to increase their economic
opportunities and empowering Jordanian youth to realise their dreams
Reaching 16,701 students a semester, private sector volunteers serve as role
models giving 15 hours of their time to work with a class of 25 students based
on the participatory learning approach, which fosters creative thinking,
critical problem-solving and interpersonal communication skills to help students
develop life skills and gain an understanding of business and economics.
The Queen joined students in previous sessions organised by INJAZ bringing
together students from different parts of the Kingdom with officials, allowing
youth to take an active role in issues of concern to the country at large.
With over 60 per cent of the population under the age of 25, Queen Rania is
active in promoting a better understanding of the needs of young people and the
means to address them. She supports initiatives to promote communication and
dialogue among young people and with the nation's decision makers, underlining
“youth are the tools of change and we must reap the benefits of their
contributions.”