Queen commends youth volunteers for ‘uplifting nation with passion’

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday expressed her gratitude towards all Jordanian volunteers for “uplifting the nation with their passion” during a meeting with members of the Nashmi Centre for Youth Empowerment, according to a statement from Her Majesty's Office.

Speaking at a gathering with Nashmi members at Beit Shams in Jabal Amman, Her Majesty said that she is always eager to meet with volunteers for their crucial role and important efforts to advance their communities. The Queen spoke with the youth volunteers about the importance of positivity and constructive criticism, which should be followed by “reform, hard work, and collaboration”.

Her Majesty was received by Nashmi founder, Ala’ Al Bashiti, and Shams founder, Maha Dahmash Malhas. Following an overview from Bashiti on the organisation’s work, the Queen joined a number of the centre’s youth volunteers for a discussion on volunteerism in Jordan.

Her Majesty explained how social media has changed the face of volunteerism, providing it with new avenues that did not exist 10 years ago. Commending the Nashmi Centre for creating sustainable, data-driven initiatives, Queen Rania highlighted the importance of gathering statistics in developing effective initiatives that meet the public’s needs.   

Launched in 2016, the Nashmi Centre for Youth Empowerment is a non-profit organisation that promotes social work and volunteering across Jordan. 

Among the 21 initiatives it supports, Nashmi lobbies against the use of firearms at public events, raises awareness to protect youth from cybercrime, performs repairs and maintenance at primary schools, and works to assimilate people with disabilities into society.

According to Bashiti, Nashmi was built upon the values of dialogue, honest work, and productivity. At the meeting, he shared the organisation’s strategy for 2018, which aims to launch initiatives that counter extremist ideology, encourage school students to perform community service, and shed light on the importance of maintaining parks and other public spaces.