May 1, 2006 7:15 pm US/Central
Chicago Delegation Visits Abuse Center In Jordan
City Helped Establish Safe Haven For Domestic Abuse Victims
by Jay Levine
AMMAN, Jordan (CBS) ―
A prominent Chicago couple is joining Mayor Daley on the first leg of his Middle East trip. He's in Amman, Jordan, which is a sister city to Chicago. CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports on how the generosity of Chicagoans will be felt there for years to come.
In Amman Monday, Mayor Daley led a Chicago delegation through a series of events aimed at bridging the gap of understanding, which has led to tension between Americans and the people who live here in Jordan and throughout the Middle East.
He watched as youngsters from homes plagued with domestic violence, some victims of child abuse, learned how to cope, and how not to repeat the mistakes of their elders.
It is a center named for Jordan's queen, Rania, but funded in part by adopted Chicagoans Phil and Gita Condit. He's the former head of Boeing. She was born in Jordan, and now heads Chicago's Amman Sister City Committee.
"I believe very deeply that education, more than anything else in the world, is what helps bring us together," Phillip Condit said.
Teaching mothers how to use a computer is certainly useful, but also may end up paying dividends we never expected.
"To grow with our children up, to know how to let them learn things in good ways. We have to know how to use a computer," said mother Haifa Ahmad Dour.
"If she doesn't understand what her children are doing, and she now knows the term 'chat room,' she can't steer them and guide them and mentor them in the right direction," said Gita Condit.
The mayor came bearing gifts, too.
"I want to share more than just ideas," Daley said.
He presented five of Chicago's mobile intensive care units, which are to be upgraded by the U.S. State Department, then delivered to Amman's emergency response agency.
"Allow me to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude for your kind gift," said a Jordanian general.
The ceremony, which took place in a heavily fortified U.S. embassy, underscored the challenges both countries face. A series of hotel bombings here last November were attributed to Jordan's alliance with Washington and tolerance of Israel.
Mayor Daley was briefed on security Monday and was impressed by its intelligence operation in the wake of those bombings.
"How the community came forward in Jordan to basically give them information about any individual they thought was one of the suspects. That was amazing," Daley said.
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