Culture Minister Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh said the Jordanian national narrative project represents an integrated national initiative that tells the story of the land and its people, documenting what people have achieved on this land throughout different historical periods and successive civilizations. He said the project reflects Jordan’s deep civilizational, cultural and human heritage.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking on Sunday during a session titled “The Jordanian National Narrative: How Has the Media Understood and Presented It?” at the Future of Media and Communication Forum, organized by the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists at the Landmark Hotel in Amman, Al-Rawashdeh said the project is based on scientific and scholarly documentation. It aims to present Jordan’s narrative through contemporary approaches that combine historical information with cultural and artistic expression and a human dimension.
He added that the national narrative is not merely a review of historical events, but an integrated project that tells the story of Jordan and the people who lived on its land and contributed to building it. Archaeological and historical evidence across the Kingdom’s north and south, from the desert to the Jordan Valley, highlights the land’s civilizational significance and the succession of civilizations it has witnessed, he said.
Al-Rawashdeh explained that the project draws on a team of specialists and researchers working through committees dedicated to history, archaeology, anthropology, sociology and other fields. These teams are responsible for documenting and verifying historical and scholarly material before presenting it in engaging narrative formats that appeal to both reason and emotion.
He noted that the Ministry of Culture is creating opportunities for Jordanian society to participate in documenting the national narrative through platforms that receive documents, accounts, stories, songs, folk chants and other materials that form part of the country’s collective memory. He stressed that the project is open-ended and ongoing, and will not conclude once the documentation phase is completed. Instead, it will serve as a reference for researchers, interested readers and future generations.
Al-Rawashdeh emphasized the importance of presenting the national narrative in a way that strengthens Jordanians’ confidence in their country and its future, while highlighting significant milestones in Jordan’s history and its cultural and civilizational heritage. He said Jordanian identity rests on interconnected national, Arab and human dimensions, and that a unifying narrative should reflect the achievements of the people who have lived on this land, without regional or sectarian considerations.
He also noted that Jordan’s cultural and social diversity is a defining feature of its identity, and that the country’s experience of coexistence and social cohesion forms part of the national narrative that should be documented and highlighted for future generations.
In a related context, Al-Rawashdeh stressed the importance of keeping pace with digital transformation and using artificial intelligence technologies in cultural and media work. He said the ministry had established a specialized directorate to keep up with technological developments, while emphasizing the need for careful verification and adherence to values, principles and historical and national foundations when producing content using these technologies.
The session, moderated by Hossam Gharaybeh, also featured journalist and former culture minister Basma Al-Nsour, as well as writer, researcher and journalist Mufleh Al-Adwan. Participants discussed the concept of the Jordanian national narrative, ways to document and present it through the media, and the media’s role in conveying history and collective memory to the public through professional, contemporary approaches.
Resource: Al-Ghad.
