The Chairman of the Board of the Independent Election Commission, Engineer Musa Al-Maaytah, sponsored the opening of the activities of the symposium entitled "Jordanian Youth and Sustainable Community Development" organized by Queen Rania Center for Jordanian Studies and Community Service and the Sustainable Development Studies Center, in the presence of the University President, Professor Islam Massad, the former Minister of Culture, Sabri Erbihat, the former Minister of Labor and head of the Higher Council of Youth, Dr. Atef Odaibat, and the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Ali Al-Khawaldeh. In his speech, Al-Maaytah said that the Independent Election Commission works within the national campaign to promote the public participation in the political life and that it targets the youth coping with royal directives that emphasize educating youth politically, integrating them into the political life, and motivating them to engage in the active political work. Al-Maaytah stressed the importance of educational institutions in spreading the political awareness and enhancing youth’s confidence in the seriousness of reform and modernization conducted by the Jordanian government. In his turn, the President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, welcomed the participants in the activity emphasizing that Yarmouk University has always been a beacon of scientific and civilized energy, and a center for enlightenment and knowledge. He stressed that the issues of the Jordanian youth are a national priority present at the highest levels in Jordan and that the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II have always stressed the importance of giving youth full attention and empowering them in all aspects of economic, political, and social life. For his part, the Director of the Sustainable Development Center and Queen Rania Center for Jordanian Studies and Community Service, Dr. Abdul Basit Athamneh, delivered a speech in which he pointed out that the sustainable community development includes all aspects of life and imposes on the population an economy in the depletion of its non-renewable resources, pointing out that the Jordanian youth are able to overcome various difficulties if they are provided with a stimulating environment, real empowerment initiatives, and solid bridges to cross to a promising future. For his part, Erbihat pointed to the role of universities in the community service wondering whether education shackles individuals so that they do not interact with society. He then stressed the value of having young people aware of their role and value, pointing out that the society needs to formulate appropriate policies for youth so that they get aware of their needs, their power and time, and the availability of management and investment programs in order to benefit from such a constellation in developing the society. Al-Odaibat expressed his pride in the Jordanian youth and their technical skill and administrative abilities, pointing out that the Jordanian youth led qualitative campaigns for the development and modernization of various fields in a number of brotherly countries, which proves that they can do the same for Jordan. He then said that the participation of youth in the political and partisan process is the only way to bring about change and reform and achieve sustainable development, especially with the presence of the supreme political will of the country's leader and the positive legislation that emphasizes the value of youth in achieving the political success. For his part, Al-Khawaldeh thanked Yarmouk University for holding such a symposium that discusses the political participation of youth, which implies their participation in decision-making and government management. He added that youth today has the opportunity to engage in the political and partisan work, as the new legislation removes the obstacles that used to stand against people’s will, which stresses the responsibility of the political parties in presenting partisan development programs. The former president of the House of Representatives, Dr. Hamid Batayneh, who moderated the symposium, said that since the establishment of the Jordanian state, there has been emphasis on the need to train the human cadres to be responsible for building the state and its institutions. He also stressed the importance of the scientific research in addressing various societal issues and challenges, calling for the establishment of a higher authority for scientific research directly linked to the Prime Minister and sponsored by the state treasury. He explained that this authority will be responsible for finding effective solutions to challenges and issues that may trouble the society through scientific research.