Projects of Improvement, Continuities of Neglect: Re-Fragmenting the Periphery in Southern Rural Jordan

This paper analyzes projects of improvement and continuities of neglect found in two peripheral regions in the rural south of Jordan. These areas have been framed as poverty pockets and singled out for special attention. Yet, despite the multitude of improvement projects targeting them since 1990, they have remained on the periphery. I argue that this has resulted from certain dynamics found within current strategies of intervention. These put people in their place as "locals" and render their concerns inferior to "national" or "global" interests. Accordingly, the transformations witnessed are best described as a socio-spatial re-fragmentation of governing strategies

Learning from the Jordan Compact

Analysis of the implementation of the Jordan Compact offers three key lessons: governmental approval is important but not sufficient, the incorporation of critical voices is crucial, and meeting numeric targets is not the same as achieving underlying goals

Aprender del Pacto UE-Jordania

El análisis de la implementación del Pacto UE-Jordania ofrece tres lecciones clave: la aprobación gubernamental es necesaria pero no suficiente, la incorporación de voces críticas es crucial y llegar a objetivos numéricos no equivale a cumplir los propósitos subyacentes

The politics of pledging : reflections on the London donors conference for Syria

Representatives of national governments, international organisations, businesses and NGOs assembled on 4 February in London for the high-profile conference "Supporting Syria & the Region", jointly hosted by the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the United Nations. After three previous pledging conferences on the Syria crisis that barely scraped together the necessary funding to keep Syrian refugees in the neighbouring states alive, this year witnessed a change in tack. Not only were funding expectations largely met, but the conference also aimed to develop an entirely new formula for integrating refugees into the neighbouring states that host them. Besides improving access to education, this centred on ways to allow Syrians to access the labour market. Now that the dust has settled a little, it may be time to ask: what are the chances for these aspirations to actually materialise? This policy brief first looks at how the overall context of the pledging conferences has changed, and surveys the main promises and plans presented in the course of the conference. It then takes a critical look at the situation in Jordan - currently seen as the most promising candidate for sweeping policy change regarding its Syrian refugee population. It shows how the devil is in the details of governing Syrian labour and socio-economic development projects, and traces previous attempts for such changes. It argues that changing labour market regulations is not the silver bullet hoped for by the international community, but that real change can only come about if Europe rethinks its priorities vis-à-vis the Syrian crisis.The MPC is co-financed by the European University Institute and the European Unio

Poverty and Poverty Reduction Policies in Jordan

The extent, depth and profile of poverty have been the subject of much debate since poverty became an issue in Jordan in the late 1980s. Until then poverty among the general population was low (estimated at below 3%), and it was only within the realms of UNRWA and its Special Hardship Cases Program that it was discussed as an issue. However, since the economic crisis of the late 1980s and the IMF and WB-sponsored structural adjustment programs of the 1990s poverty has significantly risen and ..

Poverty and Poverty Reduction Policies in Jordan

The extent, depth and profile of poverty have been the subject of much debate since poverty became an issue in Jordan in the late 1980s. Until then poverty among the general population was low (estimated at below 3%), and it was only within the realms of UNRWA and its Special Hardship Cases Program that it was discussed as an issue. However, since the economic crisis of the late 1980s and the IMF and WB-sponsored structural adjustment programs of the 1990s poverty has significantly risen and ..