Initiative/program Country Website/social media platform Media and Digital Literacy Academy of Beirut (MDLAB) Lebanon https://mdlab.lau.edu.lb/ Lebanese Association for Rehabilitation and Awareness Lebanon https://laraa.org/home/en Media and Information Literacy Center The Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation (PYALARA) Media Literacy Project in Iraq Jordan Palestine Iraq https://www.jmi.edu.jo/en/mil-media-center https://pyalara.org/projects/25.html https://mlpiraq.wordpress.com/ DigiTale Egypt https://www.facebook.com/DigiTale2.0 Sudanese Center for Media and Information Literacy Sudan https://www.facebook.com/Sudanesecentermil/ Media Education Libya Libya https://bit.ly/3yiuwKg Media Research and Education Center (CREM) Morocco https://www.facebook.com/crem.maroc/ Media and Info Literacy Algeria Algeria https://bit.ly/2UORIS3 Tunisian Association for Media Education Tunisia https://bit.ly/3y5XE7N Edu Media Tunisie Tunisia https://www.edumedia.tn/en/ Alternative Media Tunisia https://bit.ly/3y8MVcx Tamakan Media Oman https://www.facebook.com/Tamakan.media Table 10: Media literacy programs and initiatives in the Arab world organizations. It is evident that media literacy is still underdeveloped in many other Arab countries. Despite the many efforts and initiatives, media literacy specialists in the region agree that Arab countries are just beginning to initiate and strengthen media literacy. Many obstacles hinder the existing efforts and slow down the introduction of media and information literacy into school curricula. Unfortunately, many Arab governments and educational systems have not yet recognized the benefits of integrating media literacy into basic education. They do not realize that such an education would enhance students’ critical thinking abilities when dealing with media outlets and social media, and would therefore help counter the spread of mis- and disinformation. In spite of the abovementioned obstacles, a number of important initiatives and programs have emerged in Arab countries. A number of these are presented in the following subsections, along with a discussion of what they have achieved and the challenges they face. I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH 5.1 JORDAN THE NATIONAL PLAN TO DISSEMINATE MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY Jordan’s national plan to disseminate media and information literacy (2020–2023) was launched by the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of State for Information Affairs, the Ministry of Youth, and the Jordan Media Institute. In July 2020, the strategic plan was approved for the adoption of media and information literacy. The initiative aims to integrate media and information literacy concepts and skills into the educational system at schools and universities and in the activities of youth and civil society organizations, which constitute the target of the initiative. With regard to targeting schools, the aim is to introduce media literacy concepts and skills into the curricula. As for universities, curricula and training manuals for students will be developed. Additionally, the strategic plan for spreading media literacy in Jordan includes establishing media education clubs in a number of schools, universities, and cultural and youth organizations. The initiative launched an electronic portal, Thekatna, which covers its projects and activities. Middle East and North Africa – 42