Jordanian Youth Conclude “New Horizon” with Direct Dialogue with Decision-Makers and a Unified Discourse for Political Modernization

Jordanian young men and women concluded, on Wednesday, the activities of the project “New Horizon: Unifying Youth and Women’s Discourse to Support Modernization in Jordan,” implemented by the Politics and Society Institute (PSI) in partnership with NAYA Community Network and supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), through a large closing ceremony attended by prominent local and international officials, alongside wide youth participation representing all governorates and regions of the Kingdom.

The closing event marked a pivotal milestone crowning a two-year journey. The project was not merely a training program or a series of scattered activities, but rather a cumulative process aimed at building a unified youth and women’s discourse and strengthening their role as real actors in the public debate on political, economic, and administrative modernization in Jordan.

From Concept to Impact: Two Years of Continuous Engagement

Throughout the ceremony, participating youth and women shared their experiences and success stories, highlighting their transition from capacity-building programs to active engagement in national discussions and the presentation of policy-oriented, evidence-based perspectives. They also presented summaries of the policy papers they developed across multiple thematic areas, in addition to showcasing the results of their digital and on-the-ground campaigns, which reached more than one million direct and indirect interactions through digital platforms, universities, and various community spaces.
These campaigns reflected a unified youth and women’s discourse that approached modernization as an integrated state project, not limited to political reform alone, but extending to economic and administrative dimensions, and establishing a new relationship between citizens and decision-makers based on participation, transparency, and accountability.

Policy Papers: From Local Reality to Decision-Makers

During the sessions, participants reviewed their journey from capacity building to active participation in public debate and opinion shaping. The policy papers they presented addressed key issues including political participation, integrity and governance, justice and the rule of law, media and political communication, and environment and climate change.

These papers offered practical approaches rooted in the local realities of the governorates, based on diagnosing challenges and proposing implementable solutions, reflecting an advanced level of political and research maturity among participants and confirming their ability to engage official institutions using the language of public policy rather than general demands.

Direct Dialogue in a Non-Traditional Setting

The dialogue sessions constituted one of the most prominent components of the event, providing an open and non-traditional space for direct discussion between youth and women on one side and decision-makers and government officials on the other.

Participants discussed their vision for political modernization and stressed the importance of moving from viewing youth and women as target groups to recognizing them as genuine partners in public policy formulation and decision-making at both national and local levels.

Participants emphasized that their experience in the project reshaped their relationship with public life and reinforced their conviction that political participation is not a privilege, but a right and a responsibility, and that building a unified discourse enhances their ability to influence and sustain impact.

Al-Khawaldeh: A Mature Discourse Aligned with the State’s Vision

Dr. Ali Al-Khawaldeh, Secretary General of the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs and patron of the event, said that what youth and women presented throughout the project reflects a qualitative shift in the nature of political participation in Jordan, stating “What we witnessed today in terms of ideas, policy papers, and direct dialogue confirms that Jordanian youth have become conscious partners in the political modernization project and are capable of presenting a responsible discourse aligned with the state’s vision for reform and modernization.”

He added that the government views positively initiatives that promote structured dialogue with youth and women and help translate their aspirations into implementable policies and programs, stressing the importance of building on the outputs of such projects and benefiting from their recommendations within national modernization pathways.

Impact Beyond Numbers

For her part, UN Resident Coordinator in Jordan, Sheri Ritsema-Anderson, praised the project’s outcomes, noting that New Horizon represents a successful model of partnership between national institutions and international organizations in supporting democracy and promoting sustainable political participation.
She said “This project demonstrated how youth and women, when given the space and the tools, can lead mature and responsible dialogue about the future of their country. What has been achieved over the past two years goes beyond numbers and reflects real and sustainable impact on political awareness and practice.”

She emphasized that UN support for such initiatives stems from a firm belief that engaging youth and women is the cornerstone of building inclusive and resilient democracies capable of withstanding political, economic, and social challenges.

Over One Million Interactions and a Distinctive Discourse

Reviewing the project’s results, Dr. Rasha Fityan, Executive Director of the Politics and Society Institute, stated that the project was based on a fundamental conviction that political modernization cannot succeed if it remains an elite-driven dialogue, nor if youth remain mere recipients or hesitant to engage.
Therefore, New Horizon aimed to work with youth, not on their behalf, listening to their differences and transforming diversity into common ground and a responsible political discourse that reflects their aspirations and expresses their issues within the framework of the state and the reform process. She added
“What we are most proud of today is not only the activities or outputs, but the spaces of trust that were created and the ability youth developed to formulate positions in clearer political language, more connected to reality, and more prepared for dialogue with both decision-makers and society.”

She noted that the project reached more than one million interactions through digital campaigns, university days, and community discussions, reflecting the level of interest and engagement with youth and women’s discourse across the governorates.

“What distinguishes this project is not only the volume of interaction, but the quality of the discourse—one based on knowledge, analysis, and national responsibility, capable of addressing decision-makers in the language of policy, not slogans,” she added.

She further explained that the Institute focused from the outset on equipping youth and women with tools for research, analysis, and public policy formulation to ensure sustainability of impact after the project’s conclusion and to enable participants to remain active contributors to public life.

From Beneficiaries to Policy Partners

Meanwhile, Ra’fat Badaran, Director General of NAYA Community Network, affirmed that the project embodied a practical model for shifting from working with youth as beneficiaries to engaging them as partners in shaping solutions, stating
“We firmly believe that real investment lies in youth awareness and their ability to organize, express themselves, and formulate public positions. What we witnessed in New Horizon is a clear transition from symbolic participation to impactful participation, and from general debate to producing policies and initiatives that can be discussed with decision-makers.”

He added that the project’s strength lies in combining knowledge empowerment, fieldwork, and engagement with official institutions, emphasizing that civil society plays a complementary role to the state in advancing reform pathways.

“Political modernization requires conscious youth bases capable of understanding policies, holding them accountable, and contributing to their development. This is what we sought in our partnership with the Politics and Society Institute: to build real bridges between youth and decision-makers, not merely protocol meetings,” he said.

Badaran reaffirmed NAYA’s commitment to continuing efforts to expand youth and women’s participation spaces across the governorates and to build on the project’s outcomes through future initiatives supporting political modernization and sustainable local development.

A Platform Beyond the Project

The event concluded by affirming that New Horizon was not a time-bound project, but rather a foundational platform for a unified youth and women’s discourse, capable of continuity, growth, and effective contribution to Jordan’s comprehensive political modernization process.

Participants also emphasized that their experience reshaped their role in political life and cemented their belief that their participation is not marginal, but central to building the country’s political future and strengthening trust between citizens and institutions.

The closing ceremony reflects the shared ambition of the Politics and Society Institute and the United Nations Democracy Fund to enhance civic and political participation of youth and women and to present a practical model for transforming youth energy into a force for proposal and influence; making this project a solid and advanced step in Jordan’s path toward modernization and democracy