Rabee’ Zukreikat is pioneering an innovative approach to change the adverse social and economic conditions of communities in Jordan through the concept of exchange development, through which communities can exchange resources, knowledge, experience, and skills. The concept denotes a personal equal relationship that shatters stereotypes on both sides, thus easing ethnic and social friction, while stimulating socio-economic development.

Rabee’ launched this new model in 2007 after visiting a rural community bordering the Dead Sea, which is home to an indigenous tribe of Afro-Arab inhabitants known as the Ghawarna. The Ghawarna are subject to racial discrimination and marginalization, as their geographic isolation on the Kingdom’s periphery has allowed their situation to be overlooked by the majority of Jordanians residing in the capital city of Amman.

Seeking to narrow this socio-economic divide in Jordan, Rabee’ founded the Zikra Initiative, which means memory in Arabic, to bring communities closer together to bridge social gaps and stereotypes. The initiative creates positive experiences between urban and rural communities through various activities ranging from trips to workshops to stimulate social development. To achieve this, the Zikra Initiative has two distinctive programs: Exchange Tourism and Development Through Arts & Culture.

In Exchange Tourism, groups of young and affluent residents of Amman visit Ghor al Mazra'a for a day to work side-by-side with the local community on different projects and activities that reflect the unique culture and rich beauty of the region. Through activities such as tomato-picking, traditional crafts and skills, hiking, and a communal meal, participants interact and exchange resources and experiences.

Rabee’ invests the proceeds of the trips back into the community by providing microloans to a local entrepreneur, preferably a female, to start a small local business. Using the concept of exchange Rabee’ introduces participants to the entrepreneur to establish a connection between donor and recipient to spread empathy and bring the problems of the area to the visitors’ attention. To date, Zikra has served over one thousand Jordanians and is currently offering microloans to twenty families and two university students who now have sustainable incomes.

The Zikra Initiative also encourages self-expression, creativity, and the preservation of indigenous culture through Development Through Arts & Culture. Zikra recruits urban residents and Amman-based organizations to conduct skill-development workshops with the local community in Ghor al Mazra’a as another method to advance Zikra’s mission of “exchange development.” Through workshops teaching the visual arts and handicraft production, Zikra reinforces the cultural identity of local villagers, while educating the outside world about the lifestyle and challenges facing the Ghawarna.

The workshops provide community members who excel in the workshops the opportunity to launch paid services such as filmmaking and traditional handicraft production, as another form of income-generation. The program also launches competitions that provide a creative yet challenging environment for the local community and gives those with talent and skills an opportunity to shine. In exchange, the local community that participates in the workshops must provide community-service hours for Zikra as a way to compensate for the services they received.

In May 2009, Rabee’ was awarded the prestigious King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA) and was honored at the World Economic Forum in Jordan by H.E. King Abdullah II and H.E. Queen Rania. He also received the Ashoka fellowship and was interviewed on Al-Jazeera for his innovative work in the field of exchange tourism. Additionally, Rabee’ was named by Arabian Business Magazine in their list of “Top 30 Under 30” for recognition as a young entrepreneurial leader in the region.

In addition to raising awareness and establishing valuable connections, Rabee’’s initiative has placed Ghor Al Mazra’a on the national and international tourism map, and the city is now featured in the Lonely Planet travel guidebook and Trazzler.com.

In the coming years, Rabee’ will replicate his model in other impoverished villages throughout Jordan as well as bring the model throughout the Middle East and North Africa.