Event celebrates milestones in media information literacy

AMMAN — Minister of Culture Bassem Tweissi on Thursday reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to boosting Media Information Literacy (MIL) among Jordanian youth.

The minister was speaking during the announcement of the results and achievements of the EU-funded “Youth Empowerment” project, which works to advance MIL to foster the informed use, consumption and production of media and internet among youth in Jordan. 

The event was organised by the EU and UNESCO offices in Jordan. 

“The Jordanian government is committed to spreading the concepts of MIL, as this commitment is included in the government’s 2019-2020 priority plan,” Tweissi said.

MIL is considered a tool of empowerment for Jordanian society “in dealing positively with social media and other sources of information”.

“It is our chance now to grasp the latest technologies and integrate them with other communities in a positive manner,” the minister added.

The government will soon announce the launch of the national executive plan for the dissemination of media and information literacy, the minster told the gathering, which was primarily made up of youth.

EU Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou thanked partners and beneficiaries for their "strong engagement" and for raising MIL awareness across Jordan.

“The importance of developing MIL skills works as an effective response to promoting tolerance, mutual understanding and dialogue, and to counter hate speech and polarisation,” Hadjitheodosiou said.

The achievements of this EU-funded project exemplify how institutions and civil society organisations can work together to raise awareness among youth and equip them with the necessary tools to make informed decisions as users and producers of information, she noted.

UNESCO Representative to Jordan Costanza Farina, for her part, acknowledged that youth have the potential to act as agents of change, given that they are equipped with the needed skills and capacities to actively engage in sustainable development.

“Youth is a priority area for Jordan, and UNESCO’s work is fully aligned with that vision. As we celebrate today, we should collectively recall the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the international community’s commitment to supporting Jordan in its realisation,” Farina added.

Launched in mid-2018, the EU-funded “Youth Empowerment” project has succeeded in strengthening the MIL capacities of public institutions (universities and schools), media, youth organisations and education professionals across the Irbid, Zarqa, Ma’an and Mafraq governorates, according to a statement from the event organisers.

It has also worked to promote active engagement of young people through information and communication technologies, the statement said. 

In close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of State for Media Affairs, UNESCO has convened and mobilised national authorities, schools, local radio stations and civil society organisations to empower youth with MIL skills, combat hate speech and encourage critical thinking in the quest to build inclusive knowledge societies, according to the statement.