Petra | Feb 20,2012 | 23:21 JORDAN TIMES

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, chairman and founder of the Arab Thought Forum (ATF), on Sunday said the Arab Spring should be transformed into a 10-year development plan that focuses on the interests of the Arab nation.

During a ceremony yesterday to appoint the new ATF secretary general, Sadeq Faqih from Sudan, the Prince emphasised that change should come from the inside and not from the outside, which requires the Arab world to generate its own knowledge.

He said the popular movements the region has seen emerge over the past year should deal with issues related to the whole Arab nation, not only their own desires.

Senate President Taher Masri, deputy president of the ATF board of trustees, stressed the need for Arabs to support the efforts exerted by Prince Hassan.

Pointing to the challenges facing the Arab world, including dependency and separation, Faqih said the ATF would work to bridge the gaps between intellectuals and people with authority in order to facilitate dialogue between them.