Samar Dudin سمر دودين
Born	(1962-12-24) December 24, 1962 (age 62) Amman, Jordan
Education	Santa Clara University, California (B.A. in Theatre Arts)
Occupation(s)	Educator, Theatre Artist, Community & Youth Organizer
Spouse	Saed Karajah
Father	Marwan Dudin

Samar Dudin (born 24 December 1962) is a Jordanian Educator, Theatre Artist, and Community Organizer. She is the Regional Director and Head of Programs at Ruwwad Al Tanmeya, a community development organization focusing on youth organizing, education, and civic engagement. In 2024 she was elected as the first woman secretary general for the social democratic party in Jordan and led the electoral union list Al Tayyar Al Democratic. She resigned after the party lost the elections and continues to support the social democratic movement focused on youth. Dudin's interdisciplinary career integrates education, theatre arts, and community action to drive social change.

Samar Dudin was born in 1962 in Hebron, Jordan, to a Palestinian-Jordanian family. Her mother is from Gaza, and her father is from Hebron. She completed her secondary education in Jordan before pursuing higher education in the United States. Dudin obtained a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts from Santa Clara University in California. Her academic background in theatre has informed much of her subsequent work, particularly in the fields of education the arts, and social activism.

Samar Dudin is married to Sa’ed Karajah and has three daughters.

Samar Dudin is the Regional Director and Head of Programs at Ruwwad Al Tanmeya, a Jordan-based non-governmental organization focused on education, youth empowerment, and community support. Under her leadership ruwwad developed a youth centric neighbourhood specific and grassroots educational model which focuses on Youth organising , child development and community support . She coached and led several initiative including the "6 Minutes Safe Homes"^[1] campaign, which empowers communities to address child safety through creative learning. These efforts emphasize the use of the arts as tools for personal and community development.^[2][3][4][5]

Dudin is considered a pioneer in theatre education in Jordan, having directed and co-authored more than 17 plays that focus on Socio-political themes addressing to young people and children.^[6] Her participatory methodologies foster co-authorship and creative collaboration, using theatre as a medium to challenge social norms and advocate for justice. Her work impacted an innovative and courageous approach to informal education , social and political activism and theatre practice.^[7][8]

Samar has been engaged in social and political movements at a young age, she joined the anti-apartheid movement as an organizer when she was a student at Santa Clara University and mobilized against the Zionist occupation of Palestine which remains a calling and a mission that shaped Samar's activism. As an artist educator in the 1990s Samar focused on applying an emancipatory approach to education through the use of drama and the arts as mediums for relevant Socio-political issues. She participated in movements concentrated on women’s rights, child protection, and cultural rights. She has engaged in the civic movement since 2011 with the progressive movement “Tayyar Qawmi Taqadumi” and joined efforts that consolidated the Maan list which pushed for the rule of law, social justice, equal citizenship, and individual and public freedoms.

In 2016 she joined the Civil Alliance party which didn’t pull through and became a member of the social democratic forum. After the political reforms were launched in Jordan in 2021  Samar was actively engaged as a volunteer in developing Youth leadership in organizing and driving campaigns to support social justice and freedom of speech and expression in the public domain. She joined the Social Democratic Party and was elected as secretary-general on February 24th, 2024. She led the party towards the national elections and resigned in September 2024 after losing the elections. She remains committed to supporting the leadership development of young people who belong to the progressive leftist movements in Jordan.

Dudin's vision centers around creating an inclusive society where youth, women, and marginalized communities are actively engaged in shaping the country's future. Her approach to leadership reflects a commitment to social justice, often merging educational reform with cultural activism. Through Ruwwad and her volunteerism in many initiatives she continues to enable young people and support culture and arts leadership initiatives.^[9]