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Fadi Zaghmout

The Jordanian Dream

How many times have you heard the phrase “The American Dream”?

Plenty of TV Movies were built on that idea. The dream that most American believe in, which is the potential everyone of us have inside to excel and succeed in this life.

Just few days ago, Oprah was hosting Will Smith to discuss his latest movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” which is build on a real story of a homeless man who fought hard in his life and ended up being a millionaire. Oprah claimed that this can only happen in the US. Will Smith nodded in agreement. They both cheered for the American dream and for the real model they have at hand.

Thinking about globalization, and the way America has dominated the world with everything, and how much Jordanian way of life is getting more and more Americanized in every aspect, I can see that we have also reached a state where we can be proud of our own dream. The Jordanian Dream.

We have many success stories that we don’t emphasize on like in other countries because of the lack of decent media outlits especially TVs station.

One can look around him and admire the experience of Nuqul’s Group, National Paints, Jawico and others as of successful factories who were started by Jordanian people with a dream.

One can look at the success of food chains like Al-Kalha, AL-Dai’a, Chili house, Falvours, and others who were started by Jordanians.

One can admire the success Diana Carazon, Fadi Ghazawi, Tony Qattan in the music fields.

One can admire the courage of our designer Haitham Al-Daoud who made it to the mission fashion in his attempt to pursue his dream.

One can admire this country and the potential it gives for those who believes in themselves, for those who can dream, for those who can measure themselves with the vastiness of their dreams.

One can never know how much he can go high untill he spreads his wings.

It is good to acknowledge that we have our own dream – The Jordanian Dream

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Responses

  1. Qwaider قويدر Avatar
    Qwaider قويدر

    Some of the successes you mentioned are really not successes at all, or were the collaboration of a whole national campaign to make them succeed (aka Karazon) or the descendants of people with wealth, influence, resources and connections!
    Only in America, someone without all of that could they really become a WORLDWIDE house hold name. Think Madonna! Not Karazon!Edison, not Kalha!
    If there is a Jordanian dream, I’m sorry, I haven’t seen it happen yet!
    (oh there is a poor girl marrying the rich billionaire, that doesn’t count as achieving the dream and I’ve seen a bunch of these in Jordan)

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  2. kinzi Avatar
    kinzi

    I totally agree. Jordan has a unique wedge in the global world, developing country done good. There is just enough freedom to dream, just enough initiative to latch on and run with it. Jordan has taken on enough of the best of the West to make it happen.

    Qwaider, it may not be on a global scale, but is is at every other level. It has to happen at individual and community levels before global. I am by nature an optimist, but even that aside, it’s happening!

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  3. The Observer Avatar
    The Observer

    Qwaider, even if some cases as you said required a national campaign to make it success, it doesn’t eat from the model of success itself. For instance Diana Karazon was a normal girl with a dream. A Jordanian Dream that she achieved.

    There are definatly cases that didn’t success because of the reasons you stated. Have you read about the start of Nuqul’s group? Arab Bank? National Paints? Aramex? Maktoob? Eskadenia? Estarta? …etc.

    As Kinzi said, we do have enough freedom to dream. We have inherit some of the aspects of the American model. Everyone has a chance. We can dream and we can achieve our dreams.

    You are right Kinzi, it is happening 🙂

    I think what we need is just more emphasize on our success stories by our media to make others believe in their potentials.

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  4. Qwaider قويدر Avatar
    Qwaider قويدر

    Diana Karazon!? A Palestinian, Born and lived all her life in Kuwait, has a Jordanian nationality and she’s the model of a Jordanian dream?
    Give me a break!
    Arab Bank, trace it’s roots to outside of Jordan check Shoman’s history.
    I don’t think anyone one the ones you mentioned (although I consider them successes) have started from Zero!
    I mean, someone didn’t have anything to eat (IN JORDAN) and didn’t go out side or collect his money illegally … etc etc etc

    As much as I would LOVE to be wrong 😦 sadly, what I see is not the case. And I sincerely pray to god that I’m wrong
    (PS, don’t think I’m against Jordanians of different decent, I belong to that segment too)

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  5. The Observer Avatar
    The Observer

    Do you want to go there? How many of the American population are American’s by origin? This is the beauty of the dream, the potential the country gives its people. It doesn’t matter where orginially they have been born or where their father’s came from, what matters is the they do hold the Jordanian nationality. They do succeed in Jordan and they benefitted of the potentials this country provides us.

    What is the definition of the Zero? A couple of decades ago, most of the Jordanian population were living in poverty especially those refugees coming from Palestine. Look how much things changed since then? Yes many started from zero and became millionaires.

    Have some faith in us 😉

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  6. Haitham Avatar
    Haitham

    Fadi, Thanks for this post. i do believe it is happening here, Qwaider, NOTHING starts from ZERO! for whomever u want to consider/name didnt gain success over a night! they have always wanted the thing they achieved, and it took time till they got to where they are now, it is so hard for someone to follow his/her dream with everything around that might disappoint them or frustrate them, i dont wanna make the whole issue about Diana Karazon, but im sure Diana always wanted to achieve this thing, im sure she started by singing to her family and friends, then at school, then started seeing her dream, im sure she applied to many contests, had dreams and big hopes, and slowly she started her first steps and she is now gaining success…im sure she is still looking for more.
    and i believe it is a matter of time before we start having artists, stars, and rolemodels from Jordan. and i think what we SHOULD be doing is to encourage those who have dreams and to support and guide them whenever we can inorder for them to achieve their goals. and i think whether u are in the states, Jordan, or anywhere else, if you have a dream, and if it is something you REALY want, i believe u will achieve it sooner or later! 🙂

    Thanks! 🙂

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  7. Average-Moh Avatar
    Average-Moh

    The only difference is that the jordanian dream is sooooooooooooo much harder to achieve but it’s possible , so that’s why I have so much respect for those who made it (and by that am NOT talking about Diana karazon or the others you mentioned) .
    when Jordanians have a dream , instead of being supported by people and government they are encouraged to QUIT , for example I know a guy who had a dream of making his own software company here in Jordan and while I always encouraged him, other ppl always told him it’s never gonna work , and btw , he have his own company now and he’s very successful and he just got a partnership with Microsoft, and btw I’ve known the guy for years and yes he started from ZERO , he started with a dream , but he struggled for years to make this .

    and from the ones you mentioned I consider nuqul group and the chilihouse the only 2 jordanian dreams that came true .

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  8. Qwaider قويدر Avatar
    Qwaider قويدر

    You know what Fadi? I stand corrected. There might be some cases of success, allow me to tone down my objection a little bit to something like…
    It’s harder to succeed in Jordan than elsewhere. There are successful people everywhere in the world and it’s not limited to the US. You’re absolutely right
    And therefore I agree with Average-moh

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  9. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    This blog has me asking myself; what is success according to Marie, not my peers, not my parents, not society? I have been living outside the U.S for about 10 yrs now (I’m 28) by choice. Mainly working here and there, not to gain wealth but to see the world and meet as many people in the world and gain some type of understanding; of what? Not sure what it is. A lot of my friends back in the states always ask me, why don’t I come back home buy a house and have a family get a good job, try to become rich yadda yadda yadda the list goes on….. I know if I was to do those things I (Marie) would not be happy. I have thrown out the idea of the “American Dream” and I have decided to live out what I consider to be success……. .Marie’s Dream. What more could I ask for?

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  10. manal yusuf Avatar
    manal yusuf

    what!!! only dreams come true in the U.S. ofourse not…i do not like to only connect success by how many millions you made so im generalizing… it deffentely can happen anywhere else than the U.S.
    ofcourse its more possible to achieve it in the U.S. but then again they make a big fuss about everything and about “the american dream” …which is good in this case, cause its provocative and a proof for others to pursue and follow thier dreams,

    so many people had thier dreams come true in jordan whether it was big or small, about money or a career, being recoginse only by their families or becoming famous, as long its achieved with a passion and credibility it is a dream than came true and can happen anywhere.

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  11. The Observer Avatar
    The Observer

    Haitham, you are right, the person can be measured up by the volume of his dream. Everyone can achieve his own by persistant and hard work.

    You have your own. I believe that you will make it some day. You know that you can, that is what will make it come true. It is what makes I admire in you.

    Average-Moh, thanks for giving us this real example about your friend. Here we are talking about an average man without the hype of the media, who had an idea, was courage enough to implement it, and did succeed in that.

    Maybe Jordan doesn’t offer the same opportunity as America, but I believe that we do have a decent chance for everyone especially at the current period of time where the king and the government are focusing in making a different to our economic situation and where Jordan is providing a healthy atmosphere and good invetment conditions for everyone.

    Qwaider, I am glad you stand corrected :). It may be harder to succeed in Jordan than in America, but I think we have a better chance of success than a lot of other countries around the world. Let us create the notion of the Jordanian Dream and be proud of it to give better hope and encouragement for other Jordanians to pursue their dreams.

    Marie, I guess success has different meanings to different people. Maybe your dream is to go around the world. To experience new things, to explore, to interact with people, to live free. If you are happy then yes, you are successful. You pursued your own dream, and seem to do well in achieving it. Bravo 🙂

    Manal yusuf, I agree with you. Why don’t we make a big fuss about a Jordanian Dream? Why do we have always to look at the dark side in us? We do have many successful stories. Why don’t our media concentrate on them? Why don’t we glorify them? Why don’t we focus on our success stories and built on them?

    We do have much potential. We can have our own dream. The Jordanian Dream 🙂

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  12. bakkouz Avatar
    bakkouz

    You know what I think, I think the best example of the Jordanina dream does not manifest in individuals, but in the country as a Whole, even though Jordan is a country with very limited resources, small in size and really has nothing that would distinguish it localy or globally, it has grown to become a major player to be reckoned with in the middle east and has achieved a status in social economic and political that depended solely on the power of the human work force, and that, if you ask me, is pretty damn impressive 🙂

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  13. redrose Avatar
    redrose

    where this post was hidden? I’ve missed it!

    Jordanian Fadi are ambitious and have thier own dreams ,they believe they can do it desoite tomatoe kilo is more expensive than apple!..what do u think of Mr.Alaian (The owner of AlGahad TV. & newspaper)is good model i guess.

    Take me as an example, I have dream (bs ma t2ul to any, coz ma yesr2u el idea ;)) to make Tea House, we have many coffeshop but 0 tea houses..just serving cookies and diffrent worldwide tea sorts with sof music..i like to spend my days to direct such place! that’s my own dream..still dream since it needs a lot of money you know! If you can find fund tell me 😉

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  14. The Observer Avatar
    The Observer

    Redrose, a tea house? Sounds like a good idea to me 🙂

    I am sure that you will find a way to make it happen. Maybe you will end up running a successful chain of tea houses.

    It all starts with an idea.

    Let me share a secret with you as well. I am going to start an ice cream shop soon. Hope it works. I will post more details later 🙂

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  15. redrose Avatar
    redrose

    Ice creaaaaaaaam..I luv it dude I luv it wallahi! I’ll be the first customer 3endek ;)Snickers with nut plz 😉

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  16. redrose Avatar
    redrose

    I forgot to tell you the brandname of my shop it’s Raye2 “Tea House”:)

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  17. The Observer Avatar
    The Observer

    Ahlan o Sahlan feeke 🙂

    I will make sure to have the snickers with nuts 🙂

    Nice brand name. Good luck…

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  18. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Browsing through the internet I came across this mmm nice article I can say.This article was written about a year ago, and I very much believe that few points are negotiable. Success for me is not necesserly success for others. But I know for a fact we MUST be proud of those that try to accomplish their never ending dreams!!Why shouldn’t we consider Diana Karazon part of the so called “Jordanian Dream”?Big part of the lack we have regarding the “Jordanian Dream” is that we are never proud of the accomplishments of our people!!!Be proud you people and i promise you we could accomplish even more!!!*Jordan First*-Jordanian Dream Believer

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