A well thought out piece that I thought worthy of reposting
Open Letter to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan
Your Majesty
We write this letter not as heads of tribes or declared notables of Jordan. We write this letter as a group representing the diversity of the people of this country. We have been fortunate because we are the result of institutions that were built by a special leader like your father, His Majesty the late King Hussein. We have been educated, have worked, and have gained experiences that have allowed us to expand our vision and see the different sides of life. We transcend race, religion, gender, culture, and all labels that have become controversial to others. We are taxpayers and we have loans. We are local and expatriates who long to return home. We are employees and employers. We are the People and we care about every aspect of our national life.
We also represent the people who are committed to this country and will not leave on their private planes in case of instability. We support wholeheartedly the institution of the monarchy, and we know that our one objective, as it should be for every citizen of this country, is the prosperity of Jordan. We do not ask for personal recognition but we do ask for representation.
Some people in Tunisia and Egypt paid the ultimate price for change. This took place because the people reached a breaking point and took matters into their own hands. While the normal progression of change indicates that things usually get worse before they get better, we know that education has served broadly as an equalizer in this regard. We have learned from history and we believe that there can be a positive roadmap for change. Change can take place in a positive way for all, and avoiding tragedies is only a matter of a making the right choices at the right time.
“Rome is burning!” Unemployment is high. Prices are on the rise. The country is in financial distress. The political system whereby governments change repeatedly has left a sense of inconsistency and a lack of continuity. Emotions are raw. The people distrust public institutions. There is an underlying feeling of discontent and confusion as to the direction in which the country is going. What’s more disturbing is that few solutions are being offered or adopted by the government to help mend the current state of affairs. Furthermore, citizens have been reduced to a finger-pointing fiasco, blaming one another for failures. The people are looking to hold someone accountable for these failures.
We believe the fundamental change we need to make is for each one of us to hold ourselves accountable for the current state of affairs. The unfortunate reality is this will not happen today. There is a sense of a lack of prosperity and the lack of a chance of future prosperity. This is compounded by the fear of instability and a growing social divide that is setting in. There is a lack of participation. There is a lack of structure that provides people with a platform to participate. Given these facts one must ask: what is my country doing for me? The basic needs of the people are not being met and therefore our problems are more serious than ever! Solving our problems requires so much more than just the new set of “harrateen” Ministers. Our problems need a national mobilization of individual responsibility and accountability. Our problems have become serious and the absence of a platform for citizens to engage in change or even a plan for a platform will only serve to make these problems more entrenched and harden the negative attitudes that people already have.
There’s an old African proverb that says “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” The road ahead requires everyone’s effort. However, there are necessary ingredients that would make people go together and these ingredients are currently missing in Jordan. These ingredients are those that build the platform of social and national responsibility and they are represented in the pillars of the institution of democracy. What is democracy other than the implementation of a full circle of responsibility and accountability and a set of checks and balances? Elections alone do not bring with them democracy and will not build the foundations of such an institution; as a case in point, Egypt and Tunisia have been staging elections for the office of the president for quite some time, but that has not materialized into a democratic system for their citizens
In recent days there have been many calls for change: some have been positive and constructive ones for elections and political reforms, and others simply do not serve the nation. We certainly support all the calls for positive change and reject the ones that create divisions in our country. We are educated and pragmatic and we believe that certain criteria must be met in order to ensure that true democracy becomes rooted in our national fabric. We therefore propose a set of steps aimed at fundamental reform. We believe that those changes are best championed by your Majesty as the Reformer-in-Chief, as the Monarchy represents the core unifying factor in our nation. The proposed steps are:
· A declared goal: An elected Prime Minister by the year 2015
· A series of milestones that we must achieve to make us reach this goal, such as:
o A constitution which, at its core and in practice, guarantees the rights and the freedoms of the people including the rights of free speech and assembly
o A fundamental bill of rights that guarantees basic freedoms for all Jordanians, and from which no Government can derogate. This bill of rights will be protected and guaranteed by the Monarchy
o A free standing judiciary that will ensure the rights of the people are always and consistently upheld and that no one, regardless of their background and status, is above the law
o A security system that is loyal to the constitution
o An independent press corps that is free to report on the current state of affairs as it sees it without fear of censorship or retribution
o A political system that embraces a diverse set of platforms and parties who are free to organize and compete in the marketplace of ideas without unnecessary restrictions
o A parliament that is based on the concept of representative democracy, with primary accountability to the people, where all representatives in both houses are elected and not appointed, with fixed terms, free from the threat of dissolution or suspension
o An economic system based on openness and fair competition, and free from protected monopolies
o An educational system that teaches and upholds the meaning of liberty, freedom, and the constitution.
· The will and the leadership to take Jordan through these changes
The only constant is change. The world is changing. The demands of the world are changing and only increasing. We must be ready to meet those demands and we must be responsible in preparing our citizens for the challenges of this new era. We are confronted with a unique opportunity to craft a future worthy of our nation and its people. Success will require us to harness the power of each individual within a climate of empowerment and responsibility. We need a system that will unleash the power within all of us and hold us accountable for the choices we make. The challenge is too large for any individual or small group of elites to solve. Our solutions will come from the people of this country who represent our greatest national asset. Let us take this opportunity to turn a new page. Let us give people the tools and the system we need to prosper. Let us trust our people to shape our shared destiny.
Open Letter to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan
Your Majesty
We write this letter not as heads of tribes or declared notables of Jordan. We write this letter as a group representing the diversity of the people of this country. We have been fortunate because we are the result of institutions that were built by a special leader like your father, His Majesty the late King Hussein. We have been educated, have worked, and have gained experiences that have allowed us to expand our vision and see the different sides of life. We transcend race, religion, gender, culture, and all labels that have become controversial to others. We are taxpayers and we have loans. We are local and expatriates who long to return home. We are employees and employers. We are the People and we care about every aspect of our national life.
We also represent the people who are committed to this country and will not leave on their private planes in case of instability. We support wholeheartedly the institution of the monarchy, and we know that our one objective, as it should be for every citizen of this country, is the prosperity of Jordan. We do not ask for personal recognition but we do ask for representation.
Some people in Tunisia and Egypt paid the ultimate price for change. This took place because the people reached a breaking point and took matters into their own hands. While the normal progression of change indicates that things usually get worse before they get better, we know that education has served broadly as an equalizer in this regard. We have learned from history and we believe that there can be a positive roadmap for change. Change can take place in a positive way for all, and avoiding tragedies is only a matter of a making the right choices at the right time.
“Rome is burning!” Unemployment is high. Prices are on the rise. The country is in financial distress. The political system whereby governments change repeatedly has left a sense of inconsistency and a lack of continuity. Emotions are raw. The people distrust public institutions. There is an underlying feeling of discontent and confusion as to the direction in which the country is going. What’s more disturbing is that few solutions are being offered or adopted by the government to help mend the current state of affairs. Furthermore, citizens have been reduced to a finger-pointing fiasco, blaming one another for failures. The people are looking to hold someone accountable for these failures.
We believe the fundamental change we need to make is for each one of us to hold ourselves accountable for the current state of affairs. The unfortunate reality is this will not happen today. There is a sense of a lack of prosperity and the lack of a chance of future prosperity. This is compounded by the fear of instability and a growing social divide that is setting in. There is a lack of participation. There is a lack of structure that provides people with a platform to participate. Given these facts one must ask: what is my country doing for me? The basic needs of the people are not being met and therefore our problems are more serious than ever! Solving our problems requires so much more than just the new set of “harrateen” Ministers. Our problems need a national mobilization of individual responsibility and accountability. Our problems have become serious and the absence of a platform for citizens to engage in change or even a plan for a platform will only serve to make these problems more entrenched and harden the negative attitudes that people already have.
There’s an old African proverb that says “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” The road ahead requires everyone’s effort. However, there are necessary ingredients that would make people go together and these ingredients are currently missing in Jordan. These ingredients are those that build the platform of social and national responsibility and they are represented in the pillars of the institution of democracy. What is democracy other than the implementation of a full circle of responsibility and accountability and a set of checks and balances? Elections alone do not bring with them democracy and will not build the foundations of such an institution; as a case in point, Egypt and Tunisia have been staging elections for the office of the president for quite some time, but that has not materialized into a democratic system for their citizens
In recent days there have been many calls for change: some have been positive and constructive ones for elections and political reforms, and others simply do not serve the nation. We certainly support all the calls for positive change and reject the ones that create divisions in our country. We are educated and pragmatic and we believe that certain criteria must be met in order to ensure that true democracy becomes rooted in our national fabric. We therefore propose a set of steps aimed at fundamental reform. We believe that those changes are best championed by your Majesty as the Reformer-in-Chief, as the Monarchy represents the core unifying factor in our nation. The proposed steps are:
· A declared goal: An elected Prime Minister by the year 2015
· A series of milestones that we must achieve to make us reach this goal, such as:
o A constitution which, at its core and in practice, guarantees the rights and the freedoms of the people including the rights of free speech and assembly
o A fundamental bill of rights that guarantees basic freedoms for all Jordanians, and from which no Government can derogate. This bill of rights will be protected and guaranteed by the Monarchy
o A free standing judiciary that will ensure the rights of the people are always and consistently upheld and that no one, regardless of their background and status, is above the law
o A security system that is loyal to the constitution
o An independent press corps that is free to report on the current state of affairs as it sees it without fear of censorship or retribution
o A political system that embraces a diverse set of platforms and parties who are free to organize and compete in the marketplace of ideas without unnecessary restrictions
o A parliament that is based on the concept of representative democracy, with primary accountability to the people, where all representatives in both houses are elected and not appointed, with fixed terms, free from the threat of dissolution or suspension
o An economic system based on openness and fair competition, and free from protected monopolies
o An educational system that teaches and upholds the meaning of liberty, freedom, and the constitution.
· The will and the leadership to take Jordan through these changes
The only constant is change. The world is changing. The demands of the world are changing and only increasing. We must be ready to meet those demands and we must be responsible in preparing our citizens for the challenges of this new era. We are confronted with a unique opportunity to craft a future worthy of our nation and its people. Success will require us to harness the power of each individual within a climate of empowerment and responsibility. We need a system that will unleash the power within all of us and hold us accountable for the choices we make. The challenge is too large for any individual or small group of elites to solve. Our solutions will come from the people of this country who represent our greatest national asset. Let us take this opportunity to turn a new page. Let us give people the tools and the system we need to prosper. Let us trust our people to shape our shared destiny.
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What a fantastic letter. Thanks for reposting!
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