Founder of the 'Color a Word, a Melody' Initiative: Ten Years Carrying a Message of Love and Peace to the World

He explained that 'Color a Word, a Melody' does not view the arts, literature, and media as separate fields. Instead, it works to bring them together in joint events, allowing visual artists to meet poets, writers, musicians, and media professionals in one space, facilitating acquaintance, knowledge, and experience exchange, and opening the door to future cooperation between participants at both local and international levels.

He pointed out that throughout its journey, the initiative has organized festivals, seminars, poetry and literary evenings, artistic events, and various social and cultural activities. It has held many of its activities in cultural and academic institutions and sites within the Kingdom, including the King Hussein Cultural Center, the National Library Department, Philadelphia University, and the Sun Theater, along with other cultural sites and centers.

Shaheen said: 'From the beginning, we believed that the festival should not just be a platform to showcase works, but a real opportunity for creators to meet, learn about each other's experiences, and for society to recognize these talents that may not always find enough space to shine.'

He explained that the initiative has strengthened its presence through an electronic wing that has become a fundamental part of its activity. It has been able to host and involve large numbers of artists, poets, writers, and media professionals from Jordan and different countries, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when cultural and artistic events moved to the virtual space.

He added that the initiative launched a wide range of electronic events during that period, including exhibitions of visual arts, photography, and Arabic calligraphy, as well as poetry, literature, music, and solo singing festivals, and events for children and talents, including 'Hayat', 'Nabd', 'Amal', 'Shajan', 'Whispers of the Soul', 'Fairuz', 'On the Wing of a Pigeon', 'On the Dew', 'I Still Sing', 'Twilight', 'Sunrise', and other events that involved creators from multiple fields and countries.

He stressed that the electronic experience was not a substitute for face-to-face activity but became a parallel wing to the initiative, helping it to expand its circle of communication and reach creators and audiences beyond geographical boundaries. He pointed out that the initiative was able to combine direct presence and the virtual space in one cultural project.

He said that the humanitarian aspect forms a key axis in the work of 'Color a Word, a Melody', noting that the initiative has launched many events that carried clear messages against war, violence, and conflict, including the 'No to War, Yes to Peace' initiative, which featured art exhibitions, literary and musical events, some of which were electronic and some face-to-face.

He added: 'We want to tell the world that culture, art, literature, music, and media can be tools for dialogue and peace, and that the human being is the fundamental value that we must preserve. Therefore, our message has always been love, peace, and rejection of wars and conflicts.'

Shaheen pointed out that the Palestinian issue is strongly present in the initiative's journey through a series of events that addressed the Palestinian cause and honored its symbols and martyrs, including the media martyr Shireen Abu Akleh. Several cycles and events were held in her name, featuring festivals, visual arts exhibitions, poetry evenings, and media events, with the participation of a group of intellectuals, artists, and media professionals.

He noted that the initiative also organized solidarity events with Gaza and its children, launching electronic campaigns under different hashtags, including 'Save the Children of Gaza', 'Help Gaza', 'Stop the Wars', and 'Gaza is Drowning', along with solidarity events with Arab peoples and countries, including Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan, and a series of events to support the people of Al-Fasher under the hashtag 'Save Al-Fasher'.

He explained that the initiative's activity was not limited to major events but also included specialized poetry and literary evenings, such as the 'Soul of Art' and 'Scattering Stars' series, and artistic, cultural, and national events on the occasion of Jordan's Independence Day, World Peace Day, and the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, in addition to art exhibitions and events dedicated to children and young talents.

He said that the initiative continued its activity during the years 2025 and 2026, including cultural and artistic evenings, electronic and humanitarian events, honoring the team of the film 'Hind Under Siege', holding a media lecture titled 'Media Between News Accuracy and Speed', and other activities.

He emphasized that the number of events and participants over the past ten years is difficult to accurately count due to the breadth, diversity, and multiplicity of participants from various sectors and countries. He pointed out that what has been achieved so far represents a part of the initiative's ambition, which seeks to continue discovering creative energies and opening the door for them.

Shaheen concluded by saying: 'We are not looking for numbers as much as we are looking for impact. We want society to see its creators, for the artist to meet the poet, the poet to meet the writer, and the writer to meet the media professional, and for this knowledge to turn into cooperation and new projects. We soar from space to space, carrying with us a message of love, brotherhood, and peace to the entire world, away from color, race, or religion, because in the end, what unites us is the human being.'