The movie showing in Jordan will have subtitles in Arabic.
Many young people in Europe and the Middle East find that sports and arts is an alternative way to express and challenge themselves. The Danish contribution to the EU Film festival deals with the themes of intercultural dialogue and youth expression through sports; “Fighter” is about a young Turkish-Danish girl who is not only fighting to improve her Kung Fu skills, but also struggling to cope with the intercultural complications and expectations of society, family and friends as she creates her own identity.
The Danish Embassy and MS Action Aid would like to invite you to participate in two events together with the leading actress from the movie, Semra Turan, where you will have the opportunity to debate and experience different ways of self expression in company of young engaged athletes and artists from Denmark and Jordan:
The 5th of November in Amman at King Hussein Cultural Centre at 6pm: A debate about ways and limitations of youth expression with engaged young athletes and artists from Denmark and Amman, including the leading actress. Movie starts at 8 pm.
The 6th of November in Amman at Al-Hussein Cultural Centre at 5pm: You will have another chance to view the movie “Fighter”.
The 7th of November in Zarqa at King Abdallah Cultural Centre at 3pm: Engaged young athletes and artists from Denmark, Amman and Zarqa will perform, share and debate different ways of self expression through sports and arts. The screening of the movie will take place at 6pm and be followed by a joint discussion with the audience.
Followers of this blog will know that my country have had its share of bad press coverage. So now to something totally different.
Oprah Winfrey recently visited Copenhagen in Chicago’s unsuccessful bid for the Olympics 2016. During her stay she shot a sequence about danes and the way they live for her show. It is a quite rosy story but it also give some insights to some of the things that Danes value in their life.
I have heard that Ramim should be showing on Sunday November 1st at 18.45 King Hussein Cultural Centre (Ras-al-Ain). It will be the unofficial opening film for the European Film week that starts on the same day. Go watch it before your neighbour…
During the last six months the embassy has been engaged in a nationwide charity distribution of LEGO toys to underprivileged children. Two 40ft containers with in total 1000 big boxes of LEGO – about 12 tons – have (almost all) been handed over to institutions such as Madrasati schools, orphanages, community centres, refugee camps, nurseries and kindergartens, rehabilitation centres and other institutions for children.
Today it was my great pleasure to hand more than 60 boxes over to the Minister of Health. It is the intention to distribute these boxes to 24 Government hospitals with children’s wards or nurseries. If these toys can help children better endure their hospital stay we at the embassy and LEGO would be very happy.
The children at the nursery at Prince Hamzah hospital certainly looked like they knew what to do with their new toys. All were rather quiet when we entered the room with the boxes. That changed when the LEGO was unwrapped and the kids started to play loudly and cheerfully building houses or cars and playing with the small plastic animals.
Of course wherever a minister or an ambassador is received there is some kind of small reception – the hardship of diplomacy – but I sneaked back to the children when they were just playing under the supervision of their nursery teachers. And – boy - were they enjoying themselves? The noise level was noticeable higher than before and they were one big smile. They really made my day.
Jordan is 112th on the list – an improvement from last year. Reading the Methodology paper RSF mentions that the Index ”measure the level of self-censorship in each country and the ability of the media to investigate and criticise” which is probably what puts Jordan in the lower half.
On top of the list you find a group of Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland – and Ireland) – all at an equal high score of zero points meaning full freedom of Press.
The first 15 countries are all small and highly developed countries and no one more than roughly double the size of Jordan in population. It seems that size does matter…and there is room for Jordan in the club.
Posted by Thomas Lund-Sørensen 
Posted by Thomas Lund-Sørensen 
Posted by Thomas Lund-Sørensen 
