ACHRS initiates a project addressed to University students on leadership and democracy

Throughout the months of August and September eighteen university students from Jordan have engaged in a series of discussion sessions concerning topics related to political engagement and leadership.

The initiative is an extension of the Jordanian Institute for Women Leaders Project, that has occurred since 2010 and it is specifically aimed at training in workshops groups of women between the ages of twenty and forty on arguments regarding human rights, political parties, elections and leadership skills. Following in the footsteps of the previous program, ACHRS is presently hosting eighteen students from different Jordanian universities for a twenty-four days seminar during the months of August, September and October on voluntary basis: although the subjects treated are the same as in the Women Leaders Project, the participants are now mixed students, among which women make up the majority. 

Furthermore, the Youth Program has originated from an ACHRS creative initiative that extended the initial idea to involve a hundred students in three visits to the Jordanian Parliament to the decision to engage twenty-five of them in a writing competition about the right to speak, right to think, right to participate, right to life and women’s rights. Finally, these activities eventually developed into the implementation of the Leaders Project for university students.

During the month of September, the ACHRS staff has interviewed some participants of the program and the feedback from their experience turned out to be very positive:

Rand, 19-year old medicine student says that “the most important thing that I’ve learned from this workshop is to be able to share your ideas without fear. Life is not just about school, marks and studying, in fact, I believe that it is fundamental to be an effective part of society and participate in the political process”.

According to Mohammad (19), “the best quality of a leader is wise management. A leader must have a powerful personality, and he must be able tousehis/her knowledge to make sensible decisions and to understand his/her people”.

Finally, pharmacy student Leen (19) feels enthusiastic about what she has learnt and she is looking forward to continuing the seminar,

and after participating at twelve sessions she is confident that the right to speak is a unalienable right: “I must defend my rights in every situation and I think that it is our duty to try to find innovative ways to safeguard human rights”.

The centre is looking forward to proceeding with the upcoming appointments and would like to wish a brilliant future to all the students participating at this special program.