Jordan Times
Sunday, June 4, 2006
Queen Rania launches JRF in UK
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania attended the
launch of the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in the United Kingdom last week,
where channels of collaboration were established between the foundation and
several British institutions.
JRF signed agreements with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children (NSPCC), the Soil Association, the International Business Leaders Forum
(IBLF) and two universities in the UK.
In her address at the launch, the Queen underlined the importance of such
partnerships in building strong bridges of trust between peoples and nations.
“As my husband has said, our people have much in common. We all want our
children to grow up in a world of opportunity, security and hope. We all believe
in the rule of law and the equal dignity of people. We all value freedom,
tolerance and peace — proud features of British democracy and, at the same time,
ideals that have deep roots in Islamic heritage,” she said on Wednesday.
“Yet even though what we have in common is far more important than our
differences, we live in a time when fear and mistrust risk driving our peoples
apart,” she added.
“As people get to know one another across boundaries of distance and culture,
they will be inspired to work together and go farther than either one could go
alone,” Queen Rania reminded the audience.
“And that is the logic behind the Jordan River Foundation’s approach. Its
partnerships are not just deals on paper. They put human beings at the core...,”
she said.
In an effort to establish links between people in both countries, JRF initiated
several accords at the event. These include a partnership with the NSPCC to
complement JRF’s activities related to child safety and prevention of abuse.
Through its partnership with IBLF’s Youth Care Initiative, JRF seeks to promote
youth education opportunities in the country’s tourism sector, while its
partnership with the Soil Association is designed to promote sustainable
economic opportunities through organic farming.
In addition, with the support of the British Council, JRF facilitated
partnerships between Al Balqa Applied University and the Hashemite University,
and the University of Reading and Brunel University in Britain. This
collaboration will address the need for greater social work expertise in Jordan,
and develop social work education and training models suitable for the Arab
world.
JRF Director General Maha Khatib, an adviser to the Queen, provided an overview
of JRF programmes at the event, saying the foundation had in the past decade
developed several initiatives that enriched the lives of individuals and
communities throughout Jordan.
“In 2005 alone, 14,500 parents, children, youth and professionals benefited from
the [Queen Rania Family and Child Centre’s] training and awareness activities,”
Khatib said, citing other statistics showing the deep impact JRF has had in
Jordan since its inception over 10 years ago.
Since its registration with the UK Charity Commission in August 2005, JRF has
assembled a six-member board of trustees to govern JRF activities in the UK.
By establishing its presence in the UK, the foundation seeks to cultivate
channels of cooperation with British entities, which lead to enhanced programme
implementation in Jordan through knowledge transfer and exchange of expertise
not readily available in the country.