Amman - Her Royal Highness Princess Reem Ali emphasized the significance of embedding media and information literacy into school and university curricula, highlighting Jordan as the first Arab country to introduce these concepts into its education sector.
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This statement was delivered during her participation, Thursday, in the fifth session of the Global Media and Information Literacy Week conference, themed "Media and Information Literacy Cities: Building Bridges to Empower Lifelong Learners."
Princess Reem congratulated UNESCO on launching guidelines to promote media and information literacy, aimed at fostering smart cities. She noted the need to integrate media literacy principles into both formal and informal educational curricula, to support a society grounded in mutual respect.
Princess Reem stressed that expanding media and information literacy throughout society would yield positive results, fostering heightened awareness among citizens. She also underscored the importance of spotlighting spaces that embody the concept of media literacy such as cinemas, cultural centers, and discussion venues to promote dialogue, shared responsibility, and equality.
Participants in the session, hosted by UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Government Communication, explored strategies for advancing media and information literacy in urban settings as part of a broader vision for smart, community-centered cities.
The session facilitator, Alexandre Le Voci Sayad, author of UNESCO's upcoming guidelines on media literacy, remarked that integrating media literacy into schools is essential for raising student awareness. He emphasized the need to involve remote communities to ensure wider understanding of media and information literacy.
Sayad further noted the importance of considering public policies that empower citizens to develop media and information literacy skills, as these competencies can help address societal issues. He advocated for stronger ties between libraries and the education sector, suggesting that these links could foster literacy, counter misinformation, and support technological development within cities.
Greater Amman Municipality Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh remarked that cities play a fundamental and strategic role in citizens’ lives and called for building an infrastructure that can lead in media awareness. He added that Amman’s infrastructure, especially public screens on transportation and roadways, could be utilized to broadcast public service messages promoting media literacy.
Shawarbeh explained that cities must actively provide access to accurate information and combat hate speech by using youth centers, information technology facilities, and libraries to increase public awareness.
Dima Abu Diab, head of the United Nations Human Settlements Program in Jordan, stressed the need to empower citizens, especially vulnerable groups, by using accessible communication methods and creating a supportive environment to bridge the digital divide. She emphasized that integrating smart city guidelines could help Jordan achieve effective development, enabling residents to participate in the decision-making process.
Abu Diab further called for involving citizens in urban design, planning, and project implementation to ensure that initiatives reflect their needs, thereby fostering resilient and sustainable cities.
Wallace Gichunge, founder of the Media and Information Literacy Center in Kenya, advocated for unconventional urban planning to advance media literacy. He noted that reaching diverse populations with tailored media messages is crucial for realizing media literacy objectives.
Gichunge underscored that achieving media literacy in cities requires sustainable practices, active partnerships, and collective responsibility from all stakeholders.
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