Dedicating a whole ministry to youth affairs is understood
as epitomizing, in principle, the willingness and will on the part of the state
to embed youth issues into government priorities.
اضافة اعلان
Additionally, financing dozens of periodic meetings and
conferences — over the past few years in particular — which are meant to
“connect” with youth and to closely examine their situation, especially in the
context of a demographic bulge, is also significant too; in principle.
The problem, however, is with the impact deficit of the
ministry and conferences’ deliverables.
Outcomes are modest — some say poor. Why?
Firstly, conferences in both academic and non-academic
sectors in our society do not generally lend themselves to transferable,
operational schemes boosting youth’s economic and political mobility, civic
engagement, and community participation. They are, rather, seen as an end in themselves
instead of being tools of empowerment and impact.
This might, among other things, be the result of
institutions being trapped in a narrative, rather than focused on
implementation and action.
Secondly, the disconnect between studies and research produced
by universities, and societal needs and demands, has led to a loss of
intellectual capital, since much of the research ends up being “shelf
research”, rather than actionable research.
A knowledge transfer unit at universities is simply not
available to help bring about outcomes and deliverables that could, in part at
least, help with impactful policies on youth.
Thirdly, current studies have conveyed that the performance
and skill gaps in the Jordanian labor force is indicative of the poor compatibility
between expected educational outcomes and competencies, and the actual demands
and requirements of the workplace and society at large.
This has led, among other things, to a high unemployment
rate among youth, which surged to 24.7 percent in 2020, leaving youth
vulnerable to feelings of apathy, frustration, and hopelessness.
Trading the aspirations of young Jordanians — fulfilling job
opportunities and successful careers — for the largely “commercial tourism” of
university education is ultimately jeopardizing the future of Jordan and its
youth. Universities should be committed
to national priorities to affect a paradigm shift in universities’ learning
strategies, pedagogies, and spaces in order to sync with the exponentially
changing world and epistemic structures.
We, as institutions and people, owe youth the right to be
grounded in quality education and lifelong connected learning environments that
bring them up as independent, creative individuals, and agents for social
change.
Another aspect that must be considered seriously, as far as
youth empowerment is concerned, is the landscape of public spaces.
Are cities and governorates designed to be inclusive of
youth? Are these spaces conducive to
youth’s talents, creativity, and civic engagement? Are there enough centers and
clubs of sorts that nourish their cultural, artistic, intellectual, and
creative energies? Is there a holistic ecosystem that encourages the natural
engagement of youth so that they may achieve their full potential?
Unfortunately, cities and provinces in Jordan are expanding
too randomly and haphazardly to take youth’s actual needs into account. But
they also, in their mad expansion, cater largely to commercial and consumerist
needs.
Pharmacies, gas stations, hubbly-bubbly cafes, grocery
stores, and malls take up the largest and most pivotal spaces in cities and
provinces.
What is in them for the youth?
Places and spaces best reflect what societies succeed or
fail to do, for their inhabitants as a whole, and for their youth in particular.
What message are we sending to our youth today, and what
does it actually mean to have a youth ministry?
Clearly, we need to re-examine both our thinking and our
approach regarding youth in order to start impacting things that make a
difference in their lives and effectively increase their opportunities through
mainstream inclusion policies targeting young Jordanians.
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