"Zaha Cultural Center" holds the first meeting of the advisory committee in preparation for launching the "My City Cares" project
Amman3 min read
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The first meeting of the advisory committee for the "My City Cares: Towards Child-Friendly Cities" project was held at the main Zaha Cultural Center, in preparation for launching the project within the Urban95 program network. The meeting was chaired by the Ministry of Local Administration, in a step that reflects a national commitment to developing safer and more inclusive environments for children and families.
The project comes as a partnership between the Zaha Cultural Center, under the supervision of the Ministry of Local Administration, and with support from the Van Leer Foundation, in line with the shared vision of supporting early childhood and enhancing services provided to children and caregivers. This is achieved through building institutional capacity, implementing practical local interventions, and strengthening participatory work between government agencies, municipalities, universities, and the local community, in accordance with national trends for local development. This confirms the leading role of the Ministry of Local Administration in directing national efforts toward integrating the needs of children, especially in the (0–5 years) age group. This also aligns with the Zaha Cultural Center's vision of building a conscious, creative, empowered, and innovative sustainable society that contributes to enhancing social justice and improving the quality of life and well-being of children and families.
The Executive Director of the Zaha Cultural Center, Rania Sbeih, praised the successful experience implemented in partnership with the Van Leer Foundation within Zaha Cultural Centers, which achieved positive results in supporting early childhood and enhancing services provided to children and families. She emphasized the center's aspiration to invest in and expand this success in cooperation with municipalities under the "My City Cares" project, to promote widespread impact and integrate children's needs into urban planning and local decision-making.
The project aims to strengthen municipal initiatives that support childhood by integrating early childhood development principles into urban planning and local programs, improving services and public spaces, and launching the "Child-Friendly Cities Challenge" to stimulate municipal innovation and develop scalable models at the national level.
This project aligns with the economic growth drivers within the Economic Modernization Vision, particularly in the areas of early childhood development, education, quality of life, and environmental sustainability. It contributes to supporting development efforts, urban development, and improving the level of services and public spaces provided to children and families in various regions of the Kingdom, thereby enhancing the construction of more inclusive and sustainable communities and improving the quality of life.
The project adopts a participatory approach that brings together municipalities, government agencies, universities, and the local community, enhancing the integration of efforts and achieving a sustainable impact at the city and community levels.
The advisory committee includes a group of representatives from national and international entities, chaired by the Ministry of Local Administration, represented by the Director of Local Development at the Ministry, Engineer Areej Zureiqat, and includes as members: Rania Sbeih, Executive Director of the Zaha Cultural Center; Farah Jadallah, representative of the Van Leer Foundation – Jordan; Dr. Mohammad Miqdadi, Secretary-General of the National Council for Family Affairs; Dima Abu Thiab, Head of the UN-Habitat office; Dima Amisail from the Queen Rania Foundation; and Taghreed Al-Thunaibat from the Cities and Villages Development Bank.
In addition to Dr. Diala Al-Tarawneh from the University of Jordan, Dr. Yasmeen Akour and Dr. Nermin Dalqamouni from the Jordan University of Science and Technology, and Dr. Fadi Al-Humaidat from Al-Hussein Technical University.
