Arab Woman Media Center
Who We Are
Message from the Director Mrs. Mahasen Al Emam
Please allow this brief introduction to serve as a message of good will and communication for a global community of welfare and better That was the first block in our strategy and a candle to light our mission understanding, by means of mutual interchanging, views and culture to prepare ourselves
Firstly I would like to introduce myself, I am a registered Jordanian journalist, my name is MahassenAl Eman, and I have foundered this NGO which for a new era of global co-operation and support name is Arab Women Media Center (AWMC) eighteen years ago
.Currently I am its Director
Our Goals
We are concerned with media work frames that focuses onwomen, children and family rights and on democracy education
Commonly in Jordan and Arab countries it is recognized as journalist only who is working in print media; the others who work in radio or television are not included as members. AWMC has been founded as an umbrella to sheltering Jordanians and Arab women journalists working in all media agencies
Our purpose is a free media system alongside with journalism ethics. Adopting such a media philosophy and efforts aims to introduce an idea of media privatization in practicing and performing, according to the following questions
?What is our status globally? Why we still have human rights violations? How we should develop our self towards modernization
Our strategy, along side with workshops, training and seminars, goes towards collecting data and reports, creating networks with national and international NGOs, organizing film festival and pamphlets
We target Arab youth, women activists and governmental decision makers in the MENA region. We work in showing and illustrating media ethics, and how free-media help building up the society by our media to non media trainingIn the short term we aim at publishing media to non media education to cover all youths living in all provinces in Jordan and we are introducing our media literacy. More we are producing documentary films, as well as we have proposed SANA – Soutn Al Nissa Al Arabiat– as local radio station to addressing the country through audio and video
As long term objective we aim to move to neighboring states to spread new concepts of national free media and freedom of expression
The next step is to publish all media to non media activities directly on line
AWMC Story
Dates back to 1998 the first meeting attended by Jordanian women and colleagues who have strong experience in media affairs (press, TV, radio) with a minimum experience of twenty years. Before 1998 we took part in most of NGOs activities in Jordan about women’s rights and children as well as family rights.
It was clear that those subjects were not covered neither by the media nor by NGOs’target actions, so we decided to start our research to establish a media center to serve this belief and doctrine.
In the early 1999 we finished all the processes to transform our dream into reality; we obtained license and registration as well as we rented an apartment in Amman within the old and most cultural place in the town, Jabell Alwaibdeh
The 5th of December 1999 Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal cut the ribbon
The 10th of August 2001 AWMC moved to a new location closer to city center, at Al Abdali
In September 2001 Princess Basma opened our website and accepted to represent AWMC as honorary president
An occasion of renaming a street where AWMC is located came in July 2002, and it was named after the center Al Ellamiatt Al Arabiatt Street that means in ArabicArab Women Media Street
On October 8th 2002 Mahassen Al-Emam, journalist and founder of the AWMC received the Knight International Press Fellowship Award in Washington. The Award honors individuals who demonstrates journalistic integrity and independence under difficult circumstances, and who have made remarkable contributions to the media in their region.
Since then the AWMC is involved in many projects and programs, such as media training, publications about human rights and democracy, youth media to non media awareness and films on violence against woman productions
Accomplishments
Since we started our work we have accomplished many programs and functions, such as panel discussions, press dialogues, training media courses
So far we have called for eight conferences, about Arabic journalism law, networking in media, media freedom, media role in democracy and human rights, role of Arab woman in media and in the fighting against racism
Each 12th of March we dedicate ourselves to organize the Arab Women in Media Day, recurrence which started in 2000. Along side with it we have art galleries and products of local Jordanian women. In 2000 AWMC honored five older and three young Jordanian journalists. In 2001 thirteen distinguished women in media were honored. In 2002 AWMC honored ten women in media, including one from Baghdad and Nazareth. Years after it The AWMC with the partnership of UNESCO created AYAMM in 2001, an on-line magazine in Arabic and Englishfor Arab youths and modern mediahas become a national day, still celebrated with participation
Ministry of Information
The major elements of the center consist of the followings
AMWC GM Mrs Al Emam Mahassen, advised and assisted by two major committees, the AMWC Higher Board of Advisor and the AMWC Board of Founders. The committees are lead by media women from the Jordanian Television, radio station and newspapers.Early each year the center calls for a general assembly meeting to vote the new AWMC committee
Members (membership is open for all Jordanian media women to join the center) working as volunteers and directed by a young MWV Her Royal Majesty Princess Bassma Bint Talal is the AWMC honorary preside committee. Liaison Affairs Committee in charge of coordination and with local and international NGOs cooperation
The legal advisory of the center is the lawyer Miss Nour Al Emam, with experience in human rights issues. She was as well in charge of a hot-line project for abused women in Jordan. The center also has a capable staff to assist in all forms of media, press, TV and radio
Statement
The 6th Arab Media Women Conference organized by AWMC & KAS in Amman from 26th – 28th June, 2007 under the auspices of HRH Princess Basma bint Talal, have agreed on the following principles to adhere to as the “Arab Media Women’s Code of Ethics
Respect of human dignity
Commitment to search for the truth and pass it on with entire accuracy, credibility, transparency,fairness, objectivity and impartiality
Maintain the confidentiality of information sources
Respect the right of reply and correction
Respect privacy of others
Keep media work and private interests separate while avoiding extortion and abuse
Solidarity with male and female media representatives when their rights are violated
Avoid incitement to violence, based on a discrimination and hate speeches
Give voice to the voiceless, such as children and the marginalized groups
Avoid giving payments to sources of information
Avoid mixing media work up with advertising work
Avoid all forms of agitation and indecency
Avoid mixing up arts with media work
Respect pluralism, accept others’ opinions and avoid discrimination on the basis of religion, race, color, sex, or culture
Merge a gender approach into media work and avoid prejudice and stereotyping in the media message
Strengthen and support the independence of media as the fourth power
After this introduction we hope we will meet your support and any help will be appreciated regardless its nature (we engage ourselves in a voluntarily and public service, and we will not sustain the private sector if a proper finance support is not guaranteed, at least to cover our expenses as well as a budget for equipment and staff).
Lighting candles is better than damning darkness: we are in Jordan witnessing a new era of transition, democracy, free economy, globalization so we are offering our services to the Jordanian people in behalf of the government as an NGO.