Khaberni - At the moment when His Highness the Crown Prince spoke about the Jordanian narrative, he was establishing a new phase of national awareness, a phase based on the premise that Jordan’s history is only written by its own people, and that the Jordanian narrative must be crafted by the Jordanians themselves, with all their details, diversity, and experiences.
What I have witnessed over the past years confirms that the royal guidance is no longer just a speech, but has become a steady approach advancing towards documenting the national identity and preserving the collective memory of this nation.
As a researcher in youth, security, and peace issues, I had the honor of documenting part of this effort in my master's thesis titled:
"The Role of Member Organizations' Programs in the National Coalition for Resolution 2250 in Reducing Crime from the Jordanian Youth’s Perspective".
This was not just an academic work, but a realistic reading of the effects of a royal approach adopted by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, since 2015 when he stood at the United Nations defending the youth's right to be peace-makers, not just peace recipients.
Here, research meets approach, science meets action, and documentation meets the greater national project, which is the project of protecting the Jordanian narrative with all its details.
The narrative is not just texts or books, but it is a daily act participated by the people in all their categories. When a Jordanian documents an important national event, or publishes historical information, or presents content that introduces Jordan’s history and culture to the world, they are adding a new thread to the fabric of this history that we preserve generation after generation.
And this is what we see today on the Moab Cultural Blog affiliated with the New Moab Municipality, which is reprinting history, preserving local narratives, and documenting the region's memory through content based on solid research sources, with efforts that are commendable by those involved.
Because the Jordanian narrative is not just an internal discourse, but a window through which we access the world, I took with me in my participation in the "From Youth to Youth" forum in Azerbaijan – Baku, pictures of Jordanian landmarks, such as:
Karak Castle
Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
Wadi Rum, the enchanting valley
Aqaba, the bride of the Red Sea
Wadi Al Rayan
Ajloun Cable Car with its distinctive view
Dana Reserve and its gazelles
The Roman theater with its heritage
Umm Qais with its beautiful columns
I presented these photographs to friends from different countries, and to their surprise, two of them visited Jordan later after seeing just one picture of this beauty. This clearly indicates that every Jordanian is capable of being an ambassador for their country without a title or position, just by their ability to portray Jordan as it deserves.
And this is what influential young Jordanians are doing on a global level, like the travelers Abdulsalam Al-Ajarmeh and Wassam Al-Kharasha, who carried Jordan from one continent to another, presenting an honest picture of this country's stunning history and geography.
And similarly, Noor Al-Madadhah, who travels across Jordan "lens by lens" to preserve its beauty, and presents it to people in a manner befitting it.
The Jordanian narrative is not just a government duty, but a responsibility of the people, a researcher, a young person, and everyone who belongs to this country.
And with every step we take in documenting an event, or publishing information, or enhancing a positive image, we have written a new sentence in the never-ending book of Jordan.
May God protect Jordan, its nation, its people, and its leaders. And may our Jordanian narrative remain firm, as intended by the Hashemites, and carried on by the generations, generation after generation.
