At Search for Common Ground, we believe that media and storytelling can lift diverse perspectives, shed light on societal issues, and build emotional connections that inspire people to take action. Our project Our Shared Heritage in Jordan is an example of our approach to mobilizing storytelling and media towards the greater good.
This initiative, led in partnership with the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS), focuses on Jordan’s cultural and religious heritage. We involve local communities in conversations on the importance of a shared national heritage and improve young people’s ability to communicate about Jordan’s diverse religious and cultural sites to national and international audiences.
One of the key milestones of the project is working with youth storytellers to produce digital stories that shed light on the cultural richness and religious diversity of the Hashemite kingdom. Ahmad Al Karaki, a young Jordanian radio host, is one of 95 champion youth storytellers. His dedication to promoting Jordan as a model of diversity and coexistence comes from a deep sense of belonging and commitment to the cause. “The goal of our work is to mobilize storytelling and media in order to share the uniqueness of Jordan as a model for coexistence and harmony. Where I come from was, and still is, a hub for diversity. We have people that are aboriginal Jordanian people, Syrians, and Palestinians[…]. Their presence in my region wasn’t the result of the crisis in Syria or Palestine, but they have been living here for hundreds of years.”
Ahmad’s background and environment transmitted him the values of coexistence and inclusivity — values that he wants to share with the world. “During Ramadan, you can see that Christian households in Al-Karak have more celebration decorations than Muslims. That’s their way of celebrating the holy month and sharing their happiness with their neighbors in faith. I am Muslim and I decorate my house during Christmas, and you can find Christmas trees in many Muslim households including my parents’ and my grandparents’”.
Jordan is a melting pot of nationalities, languages, cultures, religions, and customs in the Middle East. It is home to religious and cultural heritage sites of global importance to Christians, Muslims, Druze, and other faith communities. These sites are not only sacred spaces for global religions but also central elements of Jordan’s national identity that are at risk of being marginalized and forgotten.
“Humanity is what unites us, and I want to share with generations to come that we are all the same despite our differences. Learn from diversity and you will achieve true peace.” Lamia Shawbaki
Lamia Shawbaki, another champion storyteller, applied to be part of the project to share her personal story. “I am Muslim and my brother is Christian — I love sharing that with people. I don’t have to talk about Jordanian religious diversity from a high tower. I can just talk about my family and how proud I am to live in such a unique environment. I am always happy to see a church, the same way I am happy when I see a mosque. I have even prayed in both and the faith of other people is as important as mine.”
The 95 storytellers of Our Shared Heritage aspire to inspire. These Jordanian youth will mobilize their creativity and skills to produce digital stories covering six cultural sites in Jordan and lead a social media campaign to immortalize Jordan’s forgotten heritage and display the power of coexistence and harmony in a divided world.
Our Shared Heritage Project is implemented by Search for Common Ground in partnership with the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies and with support from the US Department of State.
