This workshop comes as a response to a priority need expressed by Jordanians – both civil society cultural operators and officials during different roundtable meetings held by Med Culture earlier in 2014 and 2015 – as well as to the Ministry of Culture’s decision to draw a national strategy for culture. It is equally inscribed within the framework of a broader regional action that marks most of Med Culture’s activities across South Mediterranean countries, as the idea of organising it has been practically reinforced during a regional meeting , which took place in Amman in June 2015, to discuss methodology, approach and processes towards the definition of a strategic action plan for culture

Strategies are important because they address the sector within its context at many levels:

1. They define the vision
2. They define the respective roles of the stakeholders
3. They define the objectives and their corresponding policy guidelines
4. They define priorities for action plans with foreseen steps and operational budgets for short term.
5. They define the perimeters for monitoring and evaluation.

The aim of this workshop is to provide a space for representatives of the Ministry of Culture, representatives of line ministries, local governments and cultural operators to set a common vision for culture, and define its perimeters and objectives as a first step towards the definition of a strategic action plan.

Their contributions and input will provide the principal elements for a first draft of a strategic action plan for culture, which will be disseminated and reviewed in time for the second workshop. 

National authorities that recognise the value of culture and its role for the development of societies and nations, mobilise all available resources to translate this value into a real cultural project that promotes coherent and long-term support measures for the sector, regulating it at national and local levels, and providing it with adequate policies, funding, etc.

If culture counts for its citizens, then they should be part of the planning process that makes it viable for their healthy well being as individuals and as groups and associations.

The present National Consultative Workshop, under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and the patronage of H.E. Mrs. Lana Mamkegh the Minister of Culture in Jordan and with the technical contribution of the Med Culture programme and input of cultural operators, aims to provide a space where citizens and relevant stakeholders can express their images of desirable cultural development. It aims to put together representatives of the Ministry of Culture, representatives of line ministries and cultural operators to set a common vision for culture, and define its parameters and objectives as a first step towards the definition of a strategic plan.