Amman, Dec 16 (Petra) - His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, president of the Arab Thought Forum (ATF), on Tuesday took part in an intellectual seminar titled "The Nation State as an Arab Horizon," which discussed a range of intellectual and political issues related to the concept of the nation state and its challenges in the contemporary Arab context, in the presence of a group of Arab thinkers and researchers.

The seminar addressed several key themes, most notably citizenship as a fundamental element of the modern state, the role of the citizen as the focal point of the nation-state, and the intellectual and political transformations taking place in Arab societies amid regional and international changes.

In his speech, Prince El Hassan began by addressing the dilemma of modernity and the concept of the modern state, stressing the importance of distinguishing between modernity and modernization and the need to approach modernity as an intellectual and value-based system, rather than merely a set of tools or technical manifestations.

He also referred to what he described as "cantons" that have become the language of the age, in reference to narrow exclusionary discourses and the polarization and hatred they generate, warning of the dangers of such tendencies to state cohesion and social unity. He emphasized that the modern state is not built on division but on pluralism governed by the values of citizenship and human dignity.

During the session, Prince El Hassan focused on the importance of human capital as the cornerstone of building the modern state, stressing the necessity of continuous negotiation among ourselves as a means of managing differences, the pivotal role of youth in shaping the future, the importance of redefining our Eastern identity, and strengthening self-reliance.

He also pointed to the importance of reaching people through precise scientific tools, including the application of the Multidimensional Poverty Index adopted in a number of countries, for its role in providing a deeper understanding of social and economic realities. He affirmed that human dignity is the common denominator and that the dignity of society stems from the dignity of its individuals.

The Arab Thought Forum, chaired and sponsored by Prince El Hassan bin Talal, is a non-governmental Arab intellectual organization established in 1981 following the 11th Arab Summit, on the initiative of a group of Arab thinkers and decision-makers.

The Forum aims to diagnose Arab reality, anticipate its future, and formulate practical solutions and options by providing a free platform for dialogue that contributes to shaping contemporary Arab thought on issues of unity, development, national security, liberation and progress. Its General Secretariat is based in Amman.

//Petra// AF