About 20 young Jordanians from different educational and professional backgrounds were invited to a discussion at the European Union Delegation in Amman to meet with EU representatives and learn more about bilateral cooperation between Jordan and the European Union. This is the first in a series of “Coffee Talks”, organised in collaboration with the European regional communication programme, EU Neighbours South, and its focal point in Jordan “Leaders of Tomorrow.”

The objective of this first Coffee Talk was to provide a platform for open discussions around the EU-Jordan partnership and existing joint initiatives on education, training, capacity building, mobility, social inclusion and entrepreneurship support. Special attention was given to the challenges and difficulties faced by the youth in Jordan and the opportunities offered to them by the EU. The group of enthusiastic young individuals positively engaged in discussions with H.E. Maria Hadjitheodosiou, EU Ambassador to Jordan and representatives of the EU Delegation in Amman, the “Leaders of tomorrow” team and its Executive Director, Dr Sami Hourani, as well as EU Neighbours South representatives.

The EU Ambassador underlined the importance of youth engagement and participation in the economic and political modernisation Jordan is undergoing in order to build a better, greener, digital and inclusive future. “The youth in Jordan can act as energetic representatives of this transformation and push economic growth and political participation.  Instilling hope in young men and women is part of the aim of our initiatives and programs in Jordan because we believe that empowered youth leads to a stronger society and to sustainable economic growth and social cohesion.  We need innovative thinking, and new ways of connecting and learning from each other, but crucially we also need young people to tell us not only about the challenges they face, but also share with us ideas and proposals for solutions that we can integrate in our approach.”

The European Year of Youth 

The European Union declared 2022 “The Year of Youth”, calling upon young people in Europe and around the world to contribute to joint efforts to build a better future that is stable, green, inclusive and digital. The EU youth strategy is the backbone of European cooperation in youth policy. It supports youth involvement in democratic life and aims to help all young people actively participate in society. 

In support of the European Year of Youth, the EU Neighbours South programme launched the EU JEEL CONNECT network covering 8 countries and territories in the Southern Neighbourhood region, namely Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. EU JEEL CONNECT is an initiative that aims to create better awareness of the EU and promote the opportunities it offers to young people.

EU JEEL CONNECT activities are implemented in partnership with 8 focal points in the 8 countries. Each focal point has extensive experience in collaborating with and rallying young people in each country to give them a voice and defend values and causes that the EU and young people feel strongly about.

Coffee Talk in Jordan: more to come

This Coffee Talk in Amman was the first in a series of events that will be organised in other cities, involving young Jordanian and representatives of the EU in Jordan. Thrilled with the success of this first initiative, members of “Leaders of Tomorrow”, the focal point in Jordan, are ready to resume the experience and mobilise more young people through upcoming Coffee Talks, to join the network and become “EU JEEL connectors” themselves.

“Jordan realizes the importance of unleashing the potential of its youth, and turning these empowered, energized, and tech-savvy young people into leading global citizens and entrepreneurs. Building on his majesty’s King Abdullah II initiative for political reform and modernization, Leaders of Tomorrow seeks to create a new culture in which social equality, and economic opportunities are widespread and accessible to all. We believe that active citizenship and genuine youth engagement are crucial in making this vision a reality,” stated Dr Sami Hourani, Executive Director at “Leaders of tomorrow”.

For more information

EU JEEL CONNECT: a 1st Coffee Talk in Beirut gathering EU representatives and young Lebanese from diverse backgrounds

EU JEEL CONNECT: A convivial first meeting between the European Union Ambassador to Morocco and young Moroccans

Launch of EU JEEL CONNECT network: Connect, Act & Lead !