Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN4820
2002-08-25 14:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

Jordanian Youth and the Future of Jordan

Tags:  PGOV SOCI PHUM JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004820 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM JO
SUBJECT: Jordanian Youth and the Future of Jordan


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004820

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM JO
SUBJECT: Jordanian Youth and the Future of Jordan



1. (SBU) The following cable was drafted by an FSN member of
the Embassy staff. We thought it was particularly
interesting as a description of the youth scene from the
inside.

--------------
Summary
--------------


2. (SBU) Frustrated and insecure about the future and the
prevailing social and economic situation, Jordanian youth
are now willing more than ever to consider leaving the
kingdom for better opportunities elsewhere. Many young
Jordanians, especially those who have had the chance for a
U.S. or other Western education, feel hampered by limited
job opportunities, constrained free expression, societal
pressures, familial expectations and tribal ties. On the one
hand, the society lives by conservative traditional
standards, and on the other hand Jordan is changing and
globalizing so rapidly that many young people find
themselves in between conflicting worlds. A sense of
alienation drives some to look outside the Kingdom's
borders. End Summary.

--------------
The Familiar Complaints of Youth
--------------


3. (SBU) Jordanian youth across the board feel frustrated.
For some, this frustration centers on a sense that they are
victims of discrimination, favoritism and abuse of power by
a "wasta" connected elite. They don't like how society is
run, but feel powerless to change the situation. A second,
more diffuse complaint focuses on the cultural constraints
that prevent them from living their lives as freely as they
would like, or feeling that they control their own destiny.
Siham, a university student, is typical. She says she wanted
to study art, but was not allowed because her family thought
it's inappropriate and dishonorable for a girl to go into
such a field. Siham now studies Law instead because this is
what her parents want her to do. Like young people
elsewhere, Jordanian youth struggle to express themselves.
There is an inner conflict between wanting to be
individualistic and being bound to live in the shadows of
the family, tribe and community.

--------------
Buffeted by the Political Winds
--------------


4. (SBU) Living in the Middle East, Jordanian youth cannot
help but be caught up in the dual crises on the country's
borders: Israeli-Palestinian violence to the west, and the
seemingly never-ending problems in Iraq to the east. Roughly

half of the population is of Palestinian origin, many with
families still living in the West Bank, so emotional support
for the plight of the Palestinians is intense. Furthermore,
many young Jordanians are willing to overlook what they
recognize as Saddam's brutal nature, and instead see in him
a strong Arab leader, a latter-day Salahaddin, who will
reclaim Arab honor. In a youth culture bereft of credible
leaders, the thirst for an authentic Arab hero - even one as
flawed as Saddam -- is strong. What happens in the West
Bank and Iraq quickly reverberates in Jordan. Political
consciousness peaks during times of intense violence across
the river, and ebbs when relative quiet returns. Similarly,
many feel disappointment with their own government for
prohibiting them from protesting as publicly, or as loudly,
as they would like.

--------------
The Economic Factor and Wasta
--------------


5. (SBU) Popularly-held estimates of unemployment in Jordan
run as high as 35% -- although official figures are less
than half that. So-called underemployment of people working
less than full-time or in jobs beneath their qualifications
is probably substantially higher. The current population
numbers nearly 5 million, with more than 75 percent under
the age of 30. As such, Jordan faces the challenge of
placing 130,000 students into universities and 70,000 new
entrances into the already squeezed labor market each year.
University entrance is difficult even with good grades
because of the limited number of seats. There are certain
quotas or number of seats given to family members of the
armed forces and Royal Court. For example, a Jordanian
student whose father was in the army can get a seat even if
he/she didn't fare better than another student. All
recognize that if you have "wasta" (connections),the rules
can be bent in your favor, and opportunities for advancement
will be far greater. Young Jordanians without wasta fear
not only that they can't compete for well paying jobs, but
that they aren't competitive for any jobs at all. Pessimism
and frustration push some to seek better job opportunities
abroad.

--------------
The Brain Drain and Differences Between
The Haves and The Have Nots
--------------

6. (SBU) Youth who choose to leave, do so for two main
reasons: (1) to make money or (2) to seek greater freedom,
challenge, and adventure. Many upper middle class Jordanian
Youth are finding the Kingdom too small for big
opportunities, the ceiling for personal expression and
freedom too low, and the regional political situation too
unstable. While the government has pursued a "Think Big"
campaign to motivate the country for success, many Jordanian
youth are thinking bigger than what is available here.


7. (SBU) For instance, many upper middle class youth have
the resources to start businesses in Jordan but are afraid
of the future and anxious about putting their life savings
into a country that they perceive as caught in the middle of
an unending regional crisis. They would like to stay in
Jordan and realize their ambitions and aspirations here.
That said, many focus not on the opportunities that could
exist, but on the shortcomings they see around them, be it
in education, work and employment, health, leisure, access
to information, freedom of movement - no matter how
comfortably they live. They complain about the hike in
general taxes, but that doesn't stop them from buying; they
complain about the levels of education, but at least they
can afford to go to schools and colleges; they complain
about not finding good challenging jobs, but they won't
starve if they don't work.


8. (SBU) Lower class youth share many of the same concerns
as their wealthier counterparts, but without the financial
safety net. Jobs are harder to find and when found are
underpaid. The father's income is no longer sufficient to
feed and educate the entire family. Youth are under economic
pressure and complain that the government is not doing
enough to better their situation. Life is a constant
struggle for them and they live day to day and can not
afford to plan ahead or dream too far. For 19-year-old
Ghassan, making a living is a struggle. He spends 16 hours a
day collecting fares on a bus in Amman and gets paid 6
Dinars a day. He says it is hardly enough to support his 6-
member family. Ghassan is one of many youths forced to drop
out of school to join the labor market. Professor Shteiwi, a
sociologist at the University of Jordan, says that young
Jordanians have the will to develop themselves but not the
opportunities, while "the government still lacks a clear
vision to understand the basic needs for social and economic
development."

--------------
Conclusion
--------------


9. (SBU) The growing gap between the rich and poor youth is
a cause for concern. Upper class Jordanian youth have their
education and work secured for them. They have access to
information and are well rounded. They can afford to travel,
and usually speak more than one language - this helps them
integrate into the larger world around them. They have the
know-how and positive attitude that enables them to
challenge convention, and they are thus more able as young
adults to demand their rights. They also have the means to
"vote with their feet" and seek opportunities elsewhere if
they feel unfulfilled here.


10. (SBU) For those with less financial means or wasta
connections, life is often a struggle from the outset: to
enter Universities, to study what they want and later to
have access and acceptance into the very competitive labor
market. They have more limited access to information, and
are not encouraged to grow and to challenge the status quo.
Society assigns them the role they can play, and this can
lead to stagnation and depression. Resentment toward their
richer counterparts grows, and frustration becomes a central
drive. These youths end up propagating the cycle with their
children. They don't push them to achieve and to challenge
because they know the limits.

Berry