The World Economic Forum is over as of 4 hours ago and I have to admit it was quite the experience to blog it live via our new online project 7iber. I hope others enjoyed reading what I had to say as much as I enjoyed saying it. The WEF I think is one of those events where there is just too much to talk about and too many sessions to attend, too many conversations to over hear. I wish I had my laptop somehow surgically attached to my waist with my digital camera in a holster, my recorder in my left holster and wires attached everywhere to create something similar to Batman’s utility belt; but that would’ve just made me look strange and suspicious. On the other hand, with all the security following me I would’ve also been the second most protected man at the WEF.
We wanted to use the WEF and specifically the new art of live blogging to introduce 7iber in a tangible way. Hopefully I managed to succeed on some level to blog something so big and relevant as the WEF in Jordan, from an on-the-ground and in-the-room perspective. This is one of the many things we hope to accomplish with 7iber and hopefully more and more people will become engaged and in the process become part of the process. This is essentially what it’s about. Not the opinion of one person writing a blog, or a group of four people who are running a blog, it’s the collective opinion of many. I would argue there is even a difference between having your opinion articulated in a post or in a comment. The difference is almost akin to vocalizing your opinion and publishing an opinion. One has a more authoritative quality to it and can even be taken more seriously. So in reality, everyone’s opinion should be in a post for the world to read until the end of time (or whatever the lifeline of the Internet may be).
I hope it was a good way to introduce the project and I hope it caught the interest of some and got the wheels turning in their own minds. This is the point I suppose. It’s not like a blog where you essentially come back to read the opinion of one person but more like a journal or magazine where people such as yourself get to do the writing instead of simply reading what a journalist had to say on the matter, or what a journalist reported on someone else’s say on the matter.
So when I say I hope it got the wheels turning in some minds I’m saying this also in the hopes that those people will step up and participate in the process of growing 7iber by contributing rather than just reading or just commenting.
And let that be our joint experience as citizens of this country; let that be our online legacy.
p.s. you can check out all the live blogging posts I wrote for 7iber in the past three days by clicking here.
Way to go man!
When we Jordanian will do the right thing just for once,just for once, for how long we are going to keep inviting those Zionazis to our country ,did we forget our POW such as Sultan Al Ajlouni and many others like him in Israeli jails, neglected and tortured??When are we going to do the right thing????just for once??
عنديسوئال واØÂد ÙÂقط متيسانقوم Ù†ØÂنالأردنيونبعمل واØÂد صØÂيؠاليشعبنا مثل المطلابه بل Ø£ÙÂراج عنسجؤنئنا القابعينÙÂيسجونهذا العدو الئيم متيمتيمتي؟؟؟
الاØÂزاب الاردنية : الاموال التيانÙÂقت على منتدى البØÂر الميت كانالاولى انتنÙÂÙ‚ على الاردنييÙâ€
Ù†ÙÂØ° ملتقى عمانلمؤسسات المجتمع المدنيالمناهضة للهيمنة اعتصاماً رمزياً أمام مجمع النقابات المهنية ÙÂيعمانأمس اØÂتجاجاً على تنظيم المنتدى الاقتصاديالعالمي“داÙÂوس الشرق الأوسط†الذيأنهى أعماله أمس على شاطئ البØÂر الميت ÙÂيالأردنوقالت لجنة التنسيق العليا لأØÂزاب المعارضة الأردنية (14 ØÂزباً) ÙÂيبيانإنانعقاد مؤتمر داÙÂوس للاقتصاد العالمي“يهد٠إلى نشر سياسات الرأسمالية النيوليبرالية، الساعية للتوسع ÙÂيالسوق الØÂر مندونقيود، وخصخصة خدمات الصØÂØ© والإسكانوالتعليم والاتصالات وغيرها
وأضاÙÂت انالأطرا٠المشاركة ÙÂيالمنتدى “لم تأت ØÂباً ÙÂيالشعوب الÙÂقيرة، أو سعياً Ù„ØÂÙ„ مشكلاتها، وإنما جاءت لتØÂقيق أهداÙÂها ومصالØÂها الخاصة ÙÂيالعمل، ويØÂمل المنتدى ÙÂيطياته مخاطر كثيرة، تهدد جدياً اقتصادنا الوطنيبÙÂتؠالسوق أمام الشركات العابرة للقارات، مع التخليعندور الØÂماية التيكانت تقوم به الدولة سابقاً، وينس٠قدرة المؤسسات القائمة على الرأسمال المØÂليÙÂيمناÙÂسة نظيراتها القادمة منالخارج
وطالب البيانبتوجيه المبالغ “الضخمة†التيأنÙÂقت لرعاية المنتدى إلى “خدمات أساسية مهمة للمواطنينالأردنيينأو بناء مشاريع تعود بالنÙÂع على الاقتصاد الأردنيالوطنيâ€ÂØŒ معتبراً المنتدى ÙÂرصة Ù„ÙÂتؠأسواق المنطقة لاØÂتضاننشاط الاØÂتكارات “الإسرائيلية†المختلÙÂØ©ØŒ وبوابة لعولمة الاستغلال والاØÂتكار ÙÂيسبيل نسب أعلى منالأرباؠللمشاركيÙâ€
واستغربت قوى المعارضة انعقاد هذا المؤتمر على أرض الأردنتØÂت شعار “تÙÂعيل التعدديةâ€ÂØŒ ÙÂيوقت “تقتل ÙÂيه الديمقراطية والتعددية بشتى الوسائل والأساليب، خصوصاً العديد منالقوانينالمقيدة للØÂريات التيأقرتها الØÂكومة مؤخراً، واختتمتها بقانونالأØÂزاب الذييوجه لطمة كبرى للØÂياة السياسية والØÂزبية ونبذ التعددية والتداول السلميللسلطة†بØÂسب تعبير البياÙâ€
….on the other hand one could argue that most of the conference costs were covered by the wef organziation itself, as well as local event hosting companies that employed a lot of their workers. not to mention the amount of money that was generated with hotels, catering, public relations, cleaning, transportation, etc etc. not to mention the million dollar deals struck with local companies.
im sure whatever costs the government paid for, such as security and transportation, couldve been used to buy jordanians a shawarma sandwich. but im guessing they would be hungry the next day.
its easy to knock something when you insist on looking at it from strictly one perspective.
just a thought
لا يا سيد نسيم ,منقال لك أنالشعب ألاردنييريدhandouts أو
ساندوش شاورمه كما تÙÂطلت لا يا نسيم,Ù†ØÂننطالب وانسلأ ماذا ØÂقق ØÂقق هذا الØÂذث,أذهب وسئل أهل معانوالطÙÂيله وأربدوالزقاء ÙˆØÂتيالمواطنÙÂيالعاصمه عمانأذا سيتغير وظعهم المزري,ألجواب عليهذا السوئل ØÂتمآ سيكونلأ
….how do you set an expectation for an economic forum to solve the financial worries of the average jordanian when it never promised to do so in the first place? let alone one held in three days.
moreover the argument is a fallacy in its totality. it’s the same argument used to suggest that, for example, had nasa not gone to the moon then america would have less poverty and better education
in other words
people are not any poorer because we hosted the forum
and they’re not any dumber either
Nas,,who told I was expecting anything from this silly economic forum??My argument is not a fallacy,how much money did Jordan spent on security I suspect millions of $$$$, and you and I will never be able to find out,and who pays for that?of course ,the Treasury, and who feed the Treasury?of course it’s people like you and me and millions of Jordanians who are living under sever economic deprivation because we keep fooling our selves that “free” market economy is going to solve our problems and at the same time we host WEF that want us to promote and facilitate foreign investment thinking and some of us are believing that “Free” Market is going to be our Salvation,which I will argue, its going to be complete disaster and wholesale of our economic collapse,and future will prove my argument.
By the way ,here in the US civil society and want Environmental Movements want to curb and eliminate Nasa’s budget for lots of reasons,1 is envermental,2 too costly,3 unnecessary and many other reasons which I don’t have the Time to discuss with you right now.
“and you and I will never be able to find out”
actually you can find that out if you ask the ministry for a budget report for 2007. the numbers are for public consumption. this isn’t communist russia in the 60s
“that “free†market economy is going to solve our problems”
what do you suggest, a command economy?
moreover i see you’ve no provided a whole other argument than the one you’ve been trying to form in the last few posts. which one are you going with?
Nas ,,I challenge you right now ,go and try to find from the ministry for a budget how much money was spent on this waste of money and time WEF,and I want that in documents,are you trying to tell me?security expense is a matter of public record?? in Jordan,come on NAS,I wasn’t born yesterday,
Again ,please don’t put word in my mouth,did I suggest Command economy in my comment.
….ministry of defense and planning are included in the budget, you can get your own copy as ive read my own…although do note that usually doesnt factor in “waste of time”.
you were suggesting that a free economy doesnt work, so im asking you what does in your opinion
and more importantly, how its relevant to a three day forum at the dead sea
Well nas,,I suggest more compassionate economy that is based on economic justice such as the one in Sweden or Denmark’s Economy is based on human needs not corporate needs,economy that promote environmental protection and sustainability,if you will, a mixed economy that provide free medical care,free education an economy that is based on public oversite and scrutiny economy that is based on economic security for all of us,not just few of us, does my answer satisfy your question now,are the proposal i suggest for the economy sound as command economy???
I forgot to mention,an economy is based on the rule of human rights and not the law of the junjel,an economy that is based on public referendum,an economy that protects our environment and the Eco system,an economy that promotes and encaurge organic farming,an economy that protect the water we drink and air we breath.
Are my proposal suggest a command economy to you??,Nas
One more question to you Nas,What is the significant of this and I might add this silly 3 days economic Forum to Jordan? what will Jordan gain out of this ???and I tell you, next year ,I will have the same question for you.and Iam expecting convincing answers.
“does my answer satisfy your question now,are the proposal i suggest for the economy sound as command economy?”
it sounds more between a utopian economy and a welfare state, neither of which a country like Jordan can possibly afford at this point in time. and even welfare economies are industry driven. and even the greatest economies in the world have tremendous difficulties addressing the issues you outlined, so your demands of jordan are a bit premature but more importantly what you envision has absolutely nothing to do with the presence of the wef in jordan or lack thereof.
“what will Jordan gain out of this ?”
there is a huge domino affect. many local businesses benefited from attending and signing deals with international corporations and investors.
every jordanian at the wef was running around looking for money, literally. from equity firms to holding companies to ngos; and many were successful.
i’ll give you one small example: soraya salti who chairs injaz al-arab was literally running around the wef trying to promote injaz, which has a huge impact – and will continue to – on public schools in jordan and the arab world. she made many bold moves during the forum with her students and garnered the interest of a lot of important people. abc, the arab business council; one of the strongest networks of arab business leaders, later announced that it was partnering up with injaz to do the adopt-a-school program that will renovate many schools to international standards and help thousands and thousands of public school students.
that is just one small success story that took place in those 72 hours.
local businesses benefited ?what local businesses,movenBeck and all the Multinational companies ,is that what you call local businesses?,.the people who benifeted from this ,are Hotels owners and their sharholders thats it and meybe some Transotation companiess and you brought the example of Ingaz,well good for ingaz but how long can we keep looking for handsout?is that how we build an economy that could sustanin it’s self?.And on the Utapian state and wellfair economy,are not fantacies, they are reality for millions of people around thge World.
…no not just hotels, i’m referring to the many businesses that were able to sign deals, establish contacts and seek out investors. they used the forum to showcase themselves where they ordinarily could not in such an international manner.
injaz is an ngo and an ngo by definition depends on donations and support or as you refer to them “handouts”. it doesnt seek to make a profit but rather to improve education in the arab world and create future entrepreneurs