June 15

Today the entire delegation attended a meeting with His Excellency Mr. Nasser Shraideh the Secretary General of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.  Also in attendance were Miss Feda Gharaibeh, the Director of the Coordination Office for the Reconstruction of Iraq and members of her team.  The meeting focused mainly on the impact that Iraqi refugees have made on the planning work of the ministry, particularly pertaining to services and resources.  Unemployment was also mentioned as a central concern for the Ministry of Planning, as the increase in employment opportunities continues to be drastically outstripped by the growing number of educated young people in Jordan, a challenge compounded by the number of educated Iraqis without jobs or permits allowing them to work in the formal economy.  These concerns of the Jordanian government regarding the Iraqi "guests" led into a discussion of Jordan's role in supporting political resolution in Iraq.  This past week the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki to Jordan highlighted the growing cooperation and involvement of the two neighbors.  

For the afternoon and evening, the subtopic groups attended meetings pertaining to our particular research focuses, with the group focusing on refugees attending a meeting at UNHCR, and the group studying political reform rejoining with a prior contact and other journalists to discuss our understanding of the issues facing democratization.  Over nargila and with the European Cup in the background, we discussed pillars upon which the establishment in Jordan stands (from their assessment) - the young economic reformers, the tribal leaders, and the security services - and the stability of these pillars given the economic challenges facing Jordan, especially in terms of the distribution of wealth and development.  We also touched on the American election and the expectations that Jordanians have from either a McCain or Obama Administration.  It was a refreshing experience to informally discuss the issues we've encountered in our interviews and broaden the scope of topics of our discourse.  We will return to our formal meetings with a new set of questions and issues to broach.

On a separate note, I am consistently amazed by the importance of soccer in immediately connecting people across cultures.  In my travels, the key to segueing into more candid conversations with people from other countries has been passion for soccer.  The European Cup as the back drop to the evening facilitated a debate not just about who will win the tournament but about how US public diplomacy might benefit if the American public paid greater attention to the global game. 

-Alex Taylor