Letter to Jordanian youth on the occasion of International Youth Day 2007
In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Peace, God's mercy and His blessings upon you,
We have always been keen to hold a dialogue with youth and turn to them for the inspiration that stems from their resolve and ambition. For these are what encourages all of us in Jordan to provide our youth, male and female, with the means of achievement, success and preparedness for a future of promise.
Accordingly, it was my wish, on the occasion of the International Youth Day, to address, through Al Rai (newspaper) youth supplement, the youth of our homeland, specifically and directly, to renew my firm belief in them and reaffirm the hopes I hold for them, and to tell them: you are the bearers of Jordan's message; the ones who, with God's will and grace, seek to achieve Jordan's progress and prosperity.
You, our Jordanian youth, face special responsibilities and challenges. To start with, you are the largest segment of society, and second, you are the ones who are going to live and reap the outcomes of Jordan's developmental process, which we hope will have positive outcomes, with God's help.
And because you carry a heavy load, dear youth, and shoulder a great responsibility, as great as your will and ambitions, you are required to meet this responsibility and be worthy of this load, because Jordan's future is being entrusted to you, and because Jordan's future starts today, and you are the homeland's tomorrow and its limitless horizon. Thus, we will never abandon our support for our young people, and will always be keen to provide you with all the tools of knowledge and skills of excellence, so that you will realise your ambitions and those of the homeland.
You, our youth, are responsible for playing an effective role as a social force that leaves its mark on society. We do not want youth to be denied their own opinions, God forbid, or indifferent to the developments around them, or unaware of the danger posed by the regional challenges surrounding us. We also do not want our youth to have a confined economic horizon, nor do we want them to be reluctant to take initiative, or to give generously and work.
Hence, in our enthusiasm to support youth and to break the cycle of stagnation and lack of initiative in order to encourage youth, the "We Are All Jordan" initiative was launched. It is a first step on the path towards change and modernisation. This initiative was launched to satisfy the wishes and aspirations of Jordanian youth. It is now their own project, and it is no longer just a declaration of intent. Rather, it is a tangible reality, established to provide Jordanian youth with a solid framework for organising, holding dialogue, and rebuilding confidence in institutionalised work that is wise, mature and responsible and aims to realise the homeland's interests through accumulating and polishing expertise.
We expect this initiative to mature and to yield accomplishments that would produce a national youth leadership that is mature and capable of taking the lead – able to assert the political, social and economic role of which youth are worthy, and that demonstrates its worthiness and eligibility for participation in every sphere.
Today we renew our unlimited support for the youth of Jordan, the homeland's hope and future, and say to them: Jordanian youth, we are behind you, supporting you to succeed, because it is with you that we win. We urge you to show loyalty in what you do, and give sincerely and unconditionally to the homeland. And we urge our young people to entrench a national youth culture based the principles of the Great Arab Revolt, which the Hashemites led, followed by the Arab youth in the second decade of the last century. We also say to you that we still face the same challenges, and we urge you to establish a youth culture to be passed from one generation to another, in which all Jordanians stand firmly alongside each other to practice their citizenship and the privilege of their belonging to Jordan.
Our collective national identity, which has always been and will remain the state's backbone, needs enthusiastic Jordanian youth committed to the homeland; young people who will revitalise the state and give it new momentum, who believe in the noble goal of Jordan's renaissance, and who see themselves as responsible partners who are able, through hard work and enthusiasm, to realise that noble goal.
Proud Jordanian youth, we would like this international day to be your day too, so that it will make a real difference in awareness, maturity and shouldering responsibility. Every one in his or her own capacity is required to affect the kind of change and reform that enhances the sense of belonging to Jordan and its people, because reform is the individual's wish before it expressed by the public's mood. It is also normal to yearn for achievement and positive change. We urge you to make our universities minarets of education and incubators of awareness, respect for diversity, acceptance of the other and refusal of isolation and seclusion. And we urge you to make our media Jordanians' eye on the truth and the authority for accountability for the homeland's sake, first and always. And we urge you to make all of our public and private institutions stories of success and excellence, and to make our brave armed forces the homeland's invincible shield.
Youth of our homeland, you should know that our future is in your hands, and that you are the most prominent among those who shape it. You are most qualified to shoulder this responsibility – to carry on national construction, modernisation and prosperity. All of Jordan is behind you, supporting you in every step you take.
May God bless you.
Peace, God’s mercy and His blessings upon you,
Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein
Amman, 12 August 2007
