Remembering Abdullah Jonathan Wallace

Abdullah Jonathan Wallace was educated at Westminster School and St Catherine’s College, Oxford University. He spent a lifetime working in journalism and magazine publishing. From 1965 he was editor, and later, publisher, of the weekly Middle East Economic Digest (MEED). He became a Middle East Editor for BBC news in the early 1970’s and later Middle East Editor for United Press International (UPI).

In 1989 he founded ADT, later RAPt, now The Forward Trust, as a charity with a mission to bring 12-step abstinence based addiction treatment into UK prisons. Abdullah Jonathan worked with Peter Bond to adapt Minnesota Model treatment used in US prisons. Together with a small group of our founding trustees, in 1991, he raised the money and opened our first programme in a Portakabin at HMP Downview in Surrey. For the next four years he spearheaded our growth opening three further units in HMP Coldingley, HMP Wandsworth and HMP Holloway.

In 2004, Jonathan moved to Bahrain where he set up the Institute of Journalism with City University London where he had been a lecturer. He spent the last 19 years of his life in Bahrain as a journalist, lecturer, educator and publisher. He was CEO of the Royal Court ISA Cultural Centre, founder of the weekly business magazine The Gulf and also of ABA’s Bahrain Banker.

Jonathan worked tirelessly for 38 years to bring recovery from addiction to many thousands who owe their lives to his dedication and service.

Reflecting on his life, John McKeown, a co-founder said:

“One thing I remember when Jonathan visited the Serenity Shack in HMP Downview, is as he walked toward a packed very loud group room he said: “What is all this laughter about!” He genuinely meant it but of course he was so happy that people were getting well despite where we were. He was a lovely man with a huge heart.”

Our thoughts are with his wife Meriel, and his family, children and grandchildren.