AMMAN — With the aim
of discussing ways to overcome the obstacles to inclusivity in peace, security,
and sustainable development, the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the
Middle East and North Africa hosted the opening session of the "Overcoming Obstacles
to Inclusivity in the Peace and Development in the MENA region" conference.
اضافة اعلان
"When in 2015 the
Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the UN, it
was clearly stated the interlinkages between topics such as poverty, education,
gender equality, and peace and security and how they all relate to each
other," Charlotta Sparre, director of the dialogue institute, said during
the opening session on Thursday.
"Actions in one field will influence the outcome in another," she told
the gathering of 50 participants from across the MENA region and Europe at the
Fairmont Amman.
Citing the MENA region's rising conflicts and development challenges, the
conference, according to Sparre, aims to tackle these challenges through a
series of interactive dialogues.
"We all have a mission in trying to overcome the challenges by … finding
better methods in working together," she added.
The sessions aim to explore mechanisms to enhance interdisciplinary
collaboration amongst the public and private sectors, civil society, academia,
and others.
Speaking to Jordan News, Sparre said the conference's goal is to "identify
challenges and (to find) ideas on how to overcome them. Both in terms of
sharing what has worked — as we sometimes get focused on what is negative — and
in terms of finding fresh ideas."
"Then we want these discussions to become recommendations, to inspire
many, especially those coming from different sectors, to use this in their
respective work," she pointed out.
"This (conference) is not just about politics. It is not just about Sweden
and Jordan. This is about the MENA region as a whole and the EU as a whole. It
is about how can we understand … and collaborate with each other better,"
said chairman of the dialogue institute's advisory committee and former prime
minister, Omar Razzaz.
Lauding the dialogue institute's commitment to "effective dialogue",
Razzaz emphasized: "Dialogue is both an end and a means to all sorts of
networks and actions. … So how can we bring the voices that have not been
properly heard … to the center of the decision-making process?"
The conference began with a panel discussion with Asma Khalifa, a Libyan
activist and researcher who focuses on human rights, women's rights, and youth
empowerment since; Nassif Hitti, a Lebanese diplomat and academic, and former
minister of foreign affairs; Rola Dashiti, the executive secretary of the UN
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; Nadim Houry, the executive
director of the Arab Reform Initiative; Nouha El Milkawi, the dean of the
School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cario;
and Rouzbeh Parsi, head of the MENA department at the Swedish Institute for
International Affairs.
Topics such as the definition of inclusivity, representation, accountability,
public spaces versus private space, and the role of the EU were discussed
during the panel before a roundtable discussion ensued.
Breakout sessions at the conference included subgroup discussions on gender
equality and how to achieve it, intergenerational dialogue, and breaking the silence
between different sectors of society.
"What we are aiming to do — and of course, it is not perfect — is to bring
people who are working at a grassroots level. And while it is not the same
thing as bringing in people who are directly impacted, … we hope that the
people participating will bring in the voices," said Sparre to Jordan
News.
"It is not a question of a top-down impact, but a question of bringing in
voices to add to the discussion," she added.
The conference was held on the margins of the State Visit to Jordan by Their
Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
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