I did not write this article from the spectators' seats, nor from a position of theorizing far from reality, but rather I write it from an experience whose details I lived in the field of electoral work, and from a conviction I formed that public work is not measured only by the results it achieves, but by the impact it leaves behind.
I have delved into the depths of electoral work within a tribal alliance, and I was part of a team that took charge of planning, prioritizing, and reading the electoral scene, in an experience that culminated in victory and winning the majority of seats. There, I realized that results do not come by coincidence, and that organization, good planning, and teamwork are factors that make the difference in moments of decision.
And here I am today preparing to undergo another experience, through the gateway of partisan work within the university, through a party whose idea I believed in, and in whose project I saw a space for participation and contribution to Jordanian political life. Between the two experiences, I find myself facing a question worth discussing: Do parties in universities succeed in building minds, or do they settle for competing for seats?
One cannot talk about youth empowerment without referring to the efforts led by the Hashemite vision in this field; His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein has emphasized the importance of youth participation in public life, while His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II continues to support their presence and empowerment, in line with the political modernization paths that seek to expand the base of participation and create a generation capable of bearing responsibility.
In a previous article, I criticized the absence of Jordanian parties from universities, and wondered about the reasons for their distance from a youth segment that is supposed to be at the forefront of their interests. Today, fairness requires us to appreciate the step, and to thank the parties that have begun to knock on the doors of universities, and realize the importance of presence among youth, for criticism was never an end in itself, but a call for action and change.
Just as it was my right to criticize the absence yesterday, it is my duty today to appreciate the presence. Fairness is to encourage positive steps, without abandoning our right to question and review; because the success of the partisan experience is not achieved merely by entering universities, but by what it offers within them.
Competing for seats is a legitimate right, and winning is a natural result of organized work and good planning, but the problem begins when the seat becomes an end, and the student is absent from the calculations of building and qualification. For a party that attracts youth to harvest their votes, and then does not give them a real opportunity to learn, participate, and make decisions, may achieve an electoral victory, but it does not build a sustainable political project.
The electoral experience taught me that planning, organization, and reading the scene are essential factors for achieving results, but I believe that university partisan work goes beyond the limits of the electoral battle; because we are not dealing only with numbers and seats, but with young minds being formed, personalities looking for their role, and energies that could one day be part of national decision-making.
There is a big difference between succeeding in attracting a student to your party, and succeeding in preparing them to be a person of thought, opinion, and stance.
The former adds a member to the party's records, while the latter adds value to Jordanian political life. Hence, the success of parties in universities should not be measured by the number of seats they win alone, but by their ability to qualify cadres who understand politics and legislation, improve dialogue, present initiatives, and realize that public work is a responsibility before it is a position or a title.
We need to move from attracting youth during electoral entitlements to involving them in work throughout the year, and from dealing with them as numbers in electoral equations to giving them a real space in decision-making. Youth do not only need those who ask for their votes, but those who trust their minds and invest in their capabilities.
Here, the responsibility does not lie with the parties alone, but extends to universities and student frameworks, which should provide an environment that respects difference, supports responsible dialogue, and allows students to practice public work with awareness and maturity. The university is not isolated from political life, but is one of the spaces where youth learn the meaning of participation, test their ideas, and gain experience that qualifies them for the future.
From this perspective, the trend of parties towards universities is a step worthy of appreciation, but it needs continuity and development, so that their presence is not seasonal and linked to elections. Jordan needs parties capable of building young leaders who possess thought, competence, and integrity, believe in institutions and the rule of law, and are prepared to bear national responsibility.
Perhaps my electoral experience and my readiness to undergo the experience of university partisan work have reinforced my conviction that winning, despite its importance, is not the end of the road; seats are decided at the ballot boxes, while building a human being requires time, will, and continuous work.
I am not raising these questions to diminish the partisan experience, but out of belief that a successful experience is one that has the courage to review itself, and gives youth a real role that goes beyond electoral mobilization to participation in decision-making.
Ultimately, I do not see that the most important question is: How many seats did the party win inside the university? But rather: How many minds was it able to build, how many young people did it prepare for the future, and how many real opportunities did it provide for a generation that wants to be a partner in national decision-making?
If seats are the outcome of the electoral battle, then minds are the outcome of a successful political project. Between investing in minds and the race for seats, the real test remains for every party that enters the walls of the university: Did it come to harvest votes, or to contribute to creating a generation capable of carrying the responsibility of the nation and its future?
