Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Challenges and Opportunities

Date

Sep 24, 2015

Time

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Speaker

Dr. Yasser Rajjal

Affiliation

German Jordanian University, Amman

Language

en

Main Topic

Willkommen

Other Topics

Willkommen

Host

Leibniz-Institut für ökologische Raumentwicklung (IÖR)

Description

Diversity refers to human qualities that are different from one group to another living within the same geopolitical boundaries. Aspects of diversity include religious beliefs, ethnicity and race, social status, gender, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation, educational background, job classification and other dimensions. Jordan, in the past two decades, have received a substantial number of refugees from the neighboring countries, specifically, Syria and Iraq, seeking a more safe environment, and resulting the abnormal growth in population. Refugees have been considered, by both the government and public, as a socio-economical and security burden causing the increase of demand on the economy and infrastructural networks. They have been also considered as a source of cheap and illegal labor adding to the existing unemployment problem, as well as consumers of subsidized services and utilities, such as school education, transportation, oil, electricity and water. This presentation suggests accepting the reality of the “Refugees” and managing their diversity by introducing them as “Mobile Stakeholders” with high potentials for inclusion with the “National Stakeholders” living in Jordan. The aim is to develop human and physical environments by valuing the differences and maximizing the potentials. This involves an intentional and active commitment to embrace difference and create a sense of belonging for the purpose of achieving a commitment to equity and justice, cross-cultural understanding, and the creation of respectful, open communities, where everyone has an opportunity to fully participate in creating success and where each is valued for his/her distinctive skills, experiences and perspectives. These require more than tolerance, acknowledgement of differences, or awareness of others, they require intentional dispositions and practices. Yasser Rajjal holds a Ph. D. degree in urban design from the University of Glasgow, UK, with diversified 30 years of experiences in architecture, urban design and planning. His experience covers consultations, design review and evaluation, educational planning and training, and management. He is the Assistant to the President of the German Jordanian University (GJU). He was the founding Dean of the School of Architecture and Built Environment, where he was directly involved in the establishment of the School and its various undergraduate and postgraduate programs in architecture, design and visual communication, spatial planning, and architectural conservation. He was also the former Director of the Urban Studies Department in the National Resources Investment and Development Corporation, where he was involved in a number of major real-estate development and investment projects in Jordan. He is a special area consultant in urban design and planning for a number of consulting firms in Jordan and the region.

Last modified: Sep 9, 2015, 5:41:34 PM