Jordanian Women's Organizations and Sustainable Development
Walid Hammad
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 1999
PP. 180, Arabic

This book is the result of a research project meant to evaluate the contribution of Jordanian women's organizations to sustainable development.
The project involved a general survey of the women's organizations in order to study the efficiency of their programs and identify their successes and failures.
It was based on the concept of sustainable development as defined by the UN criteria and on the surveys, literature and studies that involved issues related to women and development.
The book is divided into several chapters, including an introduction tackling the project in general and the historical and social dimensions of the women's movement in Jordan. Subsequent chapters focus on sustainable development and its dimensions, the methodology conducted for the study, an analysis of its resulting data, in addition to the study's conclusions and recommendations.
The book also contains several annexes that define women's organizations, their activities, the social background against which the study was conducted, and the questionnaire used for the research.
A 156-page English version of this book, titled "Jordanian Women's Organizations and Sustainable development", was published, translated by Sadiq Ibrahim Odeh and George Musleh, and edited by Huda Patricia Skandar.

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A Decade of Democracy in Jordan (1989-1999)
Proceedings of a Seminar
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2001
Pp. 350, Arabic

This book contains the proceedings of the seminar "10 years since the launch of the democratic process in Jordan", held under royal patronage and organized by Al-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation between September 6 and 8, 1999, in Amman.
The book is made up of four major chapters, preceded by a lecture by the guest speaker, ex-prime minister and current member of the Upper House of Parliament Taher Al-Masri, titled "The status of the democratic process in Jordan, and its perspectives", and is concluded with the proceedings of a round table discussion, "Democracy and Youth", which focused on the future of democracy in Jordan, and in which an elite group of youth, academics and educators took part.
The first chapter of the book discusses issues related to the civil society, education, and democratic culture, while the second chapter sheds light on the symbiotic relationship between economy and democracy. Chapter three focuses on "Democracy: A Nation of Laws and Institutions", while the last chapter talks about the scope and methodology of strengthening the civil society and the contribution of citizens.
The book is an important reference for researchers on democracy, because it comprises an extensive review of the impediments in the development of the democratic process that Jordan witnessed during the last decade in several vital fields: family, education, economy, legislation, civil society and the media. It delves not only into the performance and behavioral aspects of this process, but also into the requirements for protecting and strengthening it, including the need for a constitutional court of law.

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The Jordanian Professional Associations
The Characteristics of These Organizations and Their Political Role
Omar Khreisho Hamayel
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2001
Pp. 224, Arabic

This book is part of a series titled "Civil Society and Political Life in Jordan". It introduces professional associations, the most important and powerful among Jordanian civil society organizations, the ones with the most impact on public life in the Kingdom.
This very important study, conducted by young researcher, Omar Hamayel, examines professional associations from an important and unprecedented point of view, which is their institutional make-up and its effect on their controversial political role.
The study covers the period from 1985 to 1995, which is very important in the history of Jordan and in that of professional associations because it witnesses the launching of the democratic process, with the parliamentary elections of November 8, 1989. This allowed the researcher to scrutinize the details of the controversial political role of professional associations during a period that underwent the most extensive political liberalization in the history of the country and marked the establishment of political parties with various ideologies and agendas.
In addition to its three major chapters, the book comprises summaries in Arabic and English and several annexes. The first chapter of the book is a general introduction to professional associations. The second focuses on their institutional characteristics based on standards of adaptability, independence, internal homogeneity, organizational structure and geographical distribution. The last chapter, discusses the institutional characteristics and their political role, internally and externally

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Jordan's Accession to the World Trade Organization… Challenges and Perspectives
Discussion Group
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 98, Arabic

This book is a report on the proceedings of a workshop conducted by the Jordanian Forum for Economic Development, titled "Jordan's Accession to the World Trade Organization… Challenges and Perspectives", during which the current deputy prime minister and the secretary general of the Ministry of Industry and Trade at the time, Dr. Mohammad Al Halayqah, discussed the prospects of Jordan's accession to the World Trade Organization and the future challenges and perspectives in light of the fast-moving globalization process.
The report describes the importance of this event and its impact on the Jordanian economy, in addition to displaying the challenges that will face Jordan upon joining this organization, and the possibility of alleviating the negative impact of some of these challenges and turning them into positive factors. The report also describes the negotiations that took place with WTO representatives and the difficulties the Jordanian delegation faced in convincing member countries of its need to join. It also describes the "initiatives" that Jordan has become a part of and their impact on the Jordanian economy, in addition to a description of the discussions following Dr. Halayqah's lecture, in which a large number of economists and experts from the private and public sectors took part.
The book also contains a summary of the discussion session in English.

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The Jordanian Pharmaceutical Industry and the Challenges of Joining the World Trade Organizations
Discussion Group
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 120, Arabic

This book comprises the proceedings of a discussion session organized by the Jordanian Forum for Economic Development on the challenges facing the Jordanian pharmaceutical industry as a result of its accession to the World Trade Organization, which was held at the Institute for the Development of Exports and Trade Centers. It includes the working papers presented by Dr. Nizar Jardaneh, from the Arab Union of Pharmaceutical Products, in which he describes the status of and the difficulties faced by the pharmaceutical industry in Jordan, identifies the role of the WTO, and analyzes the provision of the Agreement on Intellectual Property Copyrights, the requirements for its implementation and its impact on the pharmaceutical industry in Jordan.
The book also includes the proceedings of the discussion session and the comments on the working paper contributed by Dr. Adli Mansour, the marketing director of the Middle East Pharmaceutical Industries Company, Dr. Bassem Talhouni, the head of the Jordanian Society for the Protection of Intellectual Property Copyrights, Dr. Mazen Al-Qattou, the dean of pharmacy at the Isra University, Dr. Maysa Saket, the dead of the Medicine Department at the Ministry of Health, and Dr. Oday Aridah from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Applied Sciences.
Moreover, the book describes the challenges the WTO Agreement poses to the Jordanian pharmaceutical industry, and the requirements necessary to abide to it, which will serve to transfer weak spots in the industry into strength.
The book also contains a summary in English.

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The Status of the Jordanian Economy
(A Report on the Status of the Jordanian Economy During the Year 1999)
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 114, Arabic

This report, issued for the second consecutive year by the Jordanian Forum for Economic Development (JFED), the economic arm of Al-Urdon Al-Jadid Research Center, describes the status of the Jordanian economy during 1999, in addition to presenting an objective and realistic picture of its overall performance, the achievements of its various sectors, and of foreign trade, in addition to the status of the internal and foreign debt, issues related to unemployment and inflation, and the outcome of the monetary and financial policies during the last year of the 20th Century.
The report highlights the most prominent indicators of the Jordanian economy during the year 1999, and includes some expectations and forecasts regarding the performance of the economic sector in the forthcoming period, thus presenting an insight into the direction that the government and the private sector's efforts should take, in order to improve the performance of the economy. The report also presents an analysis of the relevant economic policies and discusses their efficacy in achieving their goals.

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A Guide to the 13th Jordanian Parliament (1997-2001)
Hani Hourani, Ayman Yassin
Sindbad Publishing House, 1999
Pp. 232, Arabic

This book is part of Al-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center's continuous effort to present details of the Jordanian Parliament to the public; it follows the publication of a guide on the previous Parliament (1993-1997), published in 1995.
The book comprises three major sections. The first describes the history of legislative and parliamentary life in Jordan and depicts the Jordanian political system in order to identify the approach and the role Parliament plays in it. It also contains a study on the impact of the Electoral Law on the formation of the 13th House of Representatives. This section is concluded with a chronological account of the milestones and developments of Jordanian legislative and parliamentary life during the period 1921-1998.
The second and third sections are dedicated to the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament, respectively, the members in each House and their Curricula Vitae, and the way these Houses operate within the system
The book also includes annexes that contain useful information to help the reader better understand the nature of each House, in terms of their formation, policies and the political parties involved.

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Professional Associations and the Challenges of Democratic Transformation in Jordan
Proceedings of Workshops
Translated by Sadeq Ibraheem Odeh and George A. Musleh
Edited by Warwick M. Knowles
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000

This book is the most important reference published to date on the professional associations in Jordan, since it comprises unprecedented research prepared by a select group of professional writers and researchers specialized in the field of professional associations issues. The book also looks at the historical development of the political role of professional associations (1950/1998), the internal institutional and democratic characteristics of these associations, mandatory versus voluntary membership in the associations, the vocational and political role of professional associations, women and professional associations, professional associations as part of the civil society organizations, and the work relationships and rights of associations in Arab and international documents.
These results of research were presented during five workshops organized by Al-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center between September 15 and 26, 1998, and were discussed by several authors, academics and researchers, in addition to representatives from various civil society organizations.
The 256-page Arabic version of this book was published in April, 2000, by Sindbad Publishing House.

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The Civil Society Directory
Hani Hourani & Others
Hussein Abu Rumman (Editor)
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 456, Arabic

The directory is the first of its kind in Jordan, and it comprises a general overview of the civil society organizations (CSO) since their inception, and their historical development. It identifies 11 types of CSOs in Jordan, categorized as follows:
1. Social Organizations and Establishments
2. Professional Societies and Associations
3. Cultural Leagues and Societies
4. Youth and Sports Clubs
5. Human Rights and Democratic Advancement Organizations
6. Political Parties
7. Women's Organizations and Societies
8. Labor Unions
9. Businessmen Organizations
10. Environment and Nature Conservation Organizations
11. Health Care and Protection Societies

The directory also introduces the establishments at the periphery of civil society, which are not CSOs but are active in the fields related to civil society, like public benefit establishments and foreign NGOs who have representatives or branches in Jordan.
The directory introduces 225 organizations, societies and institutions and gives important information about them and about their activities. Contact information for more than 1,500 of these establishments is also included, making the directory a vital reference point for those concerned with CSOs and their likes. The information also enables the various government, private and international organizations and individuals to identify these organizations, facilitating direct contact with them.

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The Perpetrators of Life: as seen by a Jordanian Military Officer
Butros Ishaq Hamarneh
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 280, Arabic

Dr. Ma'arouf Bakhit, and ex-Brigadier General in the army describes this book saying: "This is a genuine and scrupulous record of the life that my friend, Butros Hamarneh (Abu Mustafa), a distinguished Military Officer, lived. He describes the characteristics of a certain period of time, from all its aspects. I was very impressed with Mr. Hamarneh's spontaneity in the way he recited his life story... with dignity and pride, without, at any point, being pretentious.
"I heard much about Butros Hamarneh at the start of my own military career, and later got to know him well. In my opinion, he is a man with morals and ethics, a man with noble principles and rigorous traditions, and a man who is very cultured, making him a very special kind of Military Officer, who, along with his colleagues, installed professionalism and civilized traditions in the Arab Army. Despite the difficulties he faced during his distinguished military career, he was rewarded with the fact that he was way ahead of his time."
Dr. Bakhit then adds: "This book is a characteristically different addition to the library of the Arab world, especially in the Political and Military field, and I hope that it will become a model for other pioneers, and will encourage them to record the history of Jordan, especially the role of the Armed Forces, which is the pride of its Commander-in-Chief, H.M. King Abdullah II, and the pride of all Jordanians."
As for the renowned journalist, Bassem Sakijha, he introduces this book by saying: "These are not memoirs, and this is not a diary, and they are not images you conjure up from memory to foretell the future... this is a book that is the outcome of a distinguished career in a field about which no-one has written, and it is all of these in one...
I have read the lines, and what is in between them, several times…. And each time I discover something new. But each time the house in Beit Jalla, which I visited with Mustafa, the author's son, comes to my mind.... I asked about the owners of that house, and the reply was "The Hamarnehs of Madaba".... This book is that house that knows only Unity between Palestinians and Jordanians."

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The Legal Framework for the Establishment of Democracy in Jordan
Hani Hourani & Others
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 372, Arabic

This book is a comprehensive reference comprising all the basic legislation and documents that constitute the legal and political framework governing the democratization process in Jordan.
It contains texts from the Jordanian Constitution and the National Charter, and over 15 major laws relevant to democracy and public freedoms. These texts are preceded by an analysis which describes the most important loopholes in them, and recommends amendments that are consistent with the requirements for a nation of law and institutions, and that serve to strengthen and support democracy.
This book is made up on seven chapters that cover the constitutional framework of democratic and public freedom, the right to meet and organize, the Parliamentary and Municipal Councils electoral laws, the freedom of opinion and statement, Jordanian jurisprudence and public freedom, civil, social and economic rights, and judicial authorities and public freedom.
In this scope, the book focuses on the Jordanian Constitution, the National Charter and the judicial authorities, the laws governing political parties, societies, labor unions, professional associations, the Press and Publications Law, and the Protection of State Secrets and Documents law, the law on judicial independence and State Security Courts, a look at the constitutional courts and their assignments, the Labor Law, and the Prisons and Prevention of Crime Law.
This book is a characteristically distinguished addition to the Jordanian Library, due to the specialized insight of the material presented to the numerous readers which include Political leaders and activists, researchers, academics, journalists, students, and all those interested in democratic development and human rights.

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Arab Women and Political Participation
Proceedings of a seminar
Hussein Abu Rumman (Editor)
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 400, Arabic

This book contains the proceedings of a seminar titled "Arab Women and Political Participation in the Arab World", organized by Al-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center between July 7 and 10, and in which a select group of parliamentarians, academics and political and social activists from seven Arab countries participated.
The researches and interventions preceding the seminar describe the different forms of women's participation in the political systems of Arab countries and the challenges they face. It also attempts to answer the questions regarding this participation in terms of extent, form, public extension, perspectives and how it can be developed.
The book is made up of six chapters: the first is titled "Women and Political Participation" and contains three contributions: "Women's Political Participation and Democratic Contribution", by Dr. Dalal Bizri, the Lebanese University; "A new vision to emphasize the political contribution of Arab Women", by Islah Jad, Bir Zeit University in Palestine; and "A different theoretical Vision of Women's Ambiguity, and Means to Develop the Political Participation of Arab Women", by Khadija Habashneh, Jordan.
The second chapter focuses on the status of women's political participation in Egypt, Palestine and Tunisia, with papers presented by: Dr. Niveen Abdel Menem (Cairo University), Dr. Suha Hindiyeh, the director of the Women's Study Centers in Jerusalem, and Dr. Hafitha Shqair, a specialist in the field of law (Tunisia). It also contains two contributions on women's political participation in Jordan by Norwegian researcher Oga Gatelitz and researchers Suheir Tell and Walid Hammad from Jordan.
The third chapter, "Arab Women, Parliamentary Elections and Political Parties", describes Arab women and legislative elections in Morocco, Lebanon and Egypt. The researches presented were by: Dr. Ruqaya Musadaq, Faculty of Law, Fez, Morocco, and, Dr. Margaret Helou, Lebanese University. The papers on the "Political Morals and Stances of Egyptian Women" were presented by Dr. Salwa Juma'a, from the American University in Cairo.
The second section of the third chapter is dedicated to the status of Arab women and political parties in Yemen, Morocco, Algeria and Lebanon, and the papers on this subject were prepared by: Dr. Aroufah Hasan, Sana'a University, Aisha Jundi, a member of the Women's Union Executive Office in Morocco, Juma'a Mazouzi (an Algerian journalist), and Dr. Dalal Bizri from the Lebanese University.
Chapters 4 and 5 comprise experiences and testimonies presented in the papers by: Rawya Shawa, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Awras Naji, a member of the Yemeni parliament, Louisa Hanoon, a member of the Algerian parliament, Dr. Layla Abdel Wahab, a researcher of social sciences in Cairo, Naila Rashdan, a member of the Jordanian Upper House of Parliament, and Dr. Baria'a Nakhshdandi from Princess Basma Center for Women's Affairs. The book is concluded with the proceedings of the roundtable discussions that followed this seminar.

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My Memoirs
Thoul Kafl Abdel Latif
Sindbad Publishing House, Amman, 2000
Pp. 280, Arabic

The memoirs of Thoul Kafl Abdel Latif are an account of the plight of a Palestinian struggler; in his book, he puts forth his testimony of the events he witnesses from the 1936 revolution to the 1948 war, and beyond.
These memoirs, which covers a very important era in the national struggle of the Palestinian people, is marked by two very important characteristics. The first is that it relates history from the field, since the author was a Palestinian struggler himself. Therefore, he relates what he saw with his own eyes, and what he lived through and heard in the field. As the readers will notice, these accounts do not mask reality, nor do they justify it. These memoirs are drastically different from those of historians who, in their writing, justify their positions and blame others.... or the unknown.
The second distinguishing mark of this book is that it reveals a part of Palestinian history that is unknown to many, that is, the relationship between the leaders of the Palestinian national movement, represented by Haj Amin Al Husseini, and the German Nazis, which the author of this book knows first hand due to his involvement in this link as a programs coordinator and broadcaster at the Berlin and Athens Radio stations, then as a military parachutists who landed on Palestinian soil from a German aircraft, as part of a group suicide operation that served to urge the people to renew their struggle.
The author of these pages does not apologize for this collaboration with the Nazis, and does not deny it, but sees that it is justifiable in its historical context, particularly in light of the British (and Western) tendency to support Zionism.
The memoirs of Thoul Kafl Abdel Latif are also a denouncement of the "tribal" attitude of the Palestinian political movement, which have hurt him deeply. The author enriches the historical narration, making it even more lasting.
Publishing these memoirs is part of a movement to print the historical events of the Arab world. These publications will serve to rewrite modern history as we know it now, from a new perspective, and to bring to light facts that were ignored or suppressed by official historical accounts.
Our duty as publishers is to help such writings see the light, even if they are, as in the case of this book, painful, due to the harshness and brazenness of the facts and events it contains. Arab publishers have a substantial responsibility to motivate the dormant authors of modern Arab life and present an opportunity to all the different people to be heard, and for new accounts of modern Arab history to be told.

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