Call for scientific expertise on the Palestinian Heritage -...

Call for scientific expertise on the Palestinian Heritage:
From Terraces to Settlements: The Testimony of Masar Ibrahim landscapes

For the European project
Promoting Governance and Citizenship in Palestine
ENI/2017/390-692

BACKGROUND
The present call for scientific expertise is part of a wider program funded by the European Union titled “Promotion Governance and Citizenship in Palestine”.
French and Palestinian organizations including AFRAT, Tétraktys, Institute for Community Partnership/Bethlehem University and the Palestinian Centre for Rapprochement between People, have launched this program in order to contribute to strengthening the Palestinian identity and citizenship through re-appropriation of historical and cultural heritage (research, preservation, promotion) along the Masar Ibrahim (Abraham Path).

The 4 partners have previously collaborated in the “Rural Development Program along the Abraham Path” that establishes a trekking route across the West Bank. This program is currently financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the World Bank, and French local authorities. The Masar crosses the West Bank from north to south, passing through towns, villages, encampments and refugee camps, thereby reflecting Palestinian identity in all its plurality and complexity.

Based on this previous partnership, the EU program aims to consolidate the social cohesion between the different components of the Palestinian population through the re-appropriation of historical and cultural heritage along Masar Ibrahim.
Working at enhancing social cohesion means to act at different levels:
- Bonding social cohesion is about the relations between people of the same social group or community.
- Bridging social cohesion is about the relations between people from different groups or communities.
- Vertical social cohesion is about the hierarchical interactions or relations between people with different levels of power.
- Horizontal social cohesion is about the relations between persons with equal levels of power.
The program’s approach aims at enhancing these four types of relations/links in order to positively influence peaceful relations between people from complex and fragmented Palestinian society.

During the 30 months of the program’s duration, the following complementary objectives will be fostered:
Improve knowledge about Palestinian heritage
Strengthen local governance and enhance the capacities of key actors to preserve and promote heritage and involve national authorities
Raise awareness about cultural diversity and appropriation of Palestinian identity

The first activity of the program was to establish a Researcher Committee composed of Palestinian and French researchers, who supported the project team to determine six particularly relevant topics on heritage along the Masar Ibrahim.
During a brainstorming meeting held in Palestine at the beginning of March, the members of the Researcher Committee selected the six topics below:
The Maqâm as a place of popular practices: evolution and diversity.
From terraces to settlements: the testimony of Masar Ibrahim’s landscapes.
“The one who has olive oil will never be poor”. Material and political aspects of a Palestinian symbol.
Necessity of water and problems: source of life, claim for heritage?
Architecture and ways of living: traditional and modern Palestinian villages and cities.
Hikayat Palestine through the Masar Ibrahim: dialects, oral memories and histories.
Today, 6 calls for scientific expertise are launched in order to inventory the scientific researches that already exist on the 6 determined topics, synthesize the information, and fill the gaps through field research when is needed.
The 6 expertise will be shared through an online platform and they will be the input for the creation of educational tools, which will be the base for the training and raise awareness activities of the EU program.
Here below the ToR for the topic:
From terraces to settlements: the testimony of Masar Ibrahim landscapes

DEFINTION of the TOPIC
Under this general topic, the research committee of the EU program pointed out three mainly sub themes:
Differences and the relationship between villages and cities.
The researcher should focus his/her study on the landscape along the Masar, the relationship of the countryside and the cities, in terms of economic and social conditions, and current control of this relationship. Try to highlight the obstacles to the continuity of the natural relationship between the Palestinian countryside and the cities. Of course the expert will focus on villages and cities along the route of Masar Ibrahim.

Tensions and relations between traditional and modern housing.
Two types of house predominated in Palestine from the second millennium BCE through to the modern era: the simple house found commonly in rural areas and the courtyard house found mostly in urban centres.
The modern houses are structured with regard to specific social customs and economic conditions, different from those of ancient Palestine.
The expert will elaborate and highlight the background for the structures of houses according to the differences between traditional and modern housing in Palestine with focus on the social and economic conditions.

Tension between Palestinian identity and Israeli occupation.
Traditional Palestinian architecture covers a vast historical time frame and a number of different styles and influences over the ages. The urban architecture of Palestine prior to 1850 was relatively sophisticated. The expert will highlight the great impact of occupation and the effects on the Masar Ibrahim landscapes now a day.

DUITIES & RESPONSABILITIES
The purpose of the assignment is to undertake a literature review of the scientific researches that already exist on the topic, synthetize them and fill the gaps through research field when is needed.
The selected expert will provide the Project team with the following deliverables:
- A research paper (max 20.000 words) gathering the scientific research results that already exist on the topic, updated and synthetized them.
- A syntheses of the research paper (max 3.000 words). The aim of this synthesis is to “vulgarise” the research paper and make it accessible for large public. Furthermore, the syntheses will be used to create educational tools on the topic.
- A public presentation: The expert will present the research paper during a seminar in Palestine (October 2018).

TIMEFRAME

"The expertise shall begin from the 2nd July 2018 and be completed by the 15th October 2018 "

EXPECTED OUTPUTS & DELIVERABLES
Under the direct supervision of the project team and the referents of the Research Committee, the selected expert will be expected to submit the following:

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT
During all the process, the expert will be consult with and submit interim reports to the two members of the Research Committee:
Dr. Omar Abed Rabo, research fellow and lecturer of History & archaeology at Bethlehem University
Dr. Kévin Trehuedic, Research fellow and lecturer of History & archaeology (Paris Est-Créteil University).

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
The successful candidate must have the following:
Research experience (a minimum of 3 years) in one or several fields of study that include: geography, archaeology, anthropology, land use planning, sociology…
Fundamental knowledge of own discipline
Fundamental knowledge of the Palestinian and the Middle East culture is an advantage
Flexibility and adaptability to uncertain environments
Ability to work independently and find solutions
Prior international experience
Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on topic related issues
Excellent communication, drafting, presentation and reporting skills (2 copies of previous researches to be submitted)
Fluency in oral and written English is a must. Good Arabic is an advantage.

SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL
The range of the contract value is between €8,000 and € 10,000 (Incl. VAT).
The financial proposal will include a breakdown of the amount (number of anticipated working days).
In country cost relating to field missions and to the participation in the seminar (October 2018) in Palestine (in country transport costs, accommodation and subsistence) are included in the total amount of the financial proposal.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS
Candidates wishing to be considered for this assignment are required to submit the following documents to demonstrate their qualifications:
CVs of the expert/s who will undertake the assignment.
A short concept note including proposed approach and brief methodology (no more than 4 A4 pages).
Academic references.
Maximum 2 examples of previous researches conducted by the applicant on related topics.
A financial proposal.

EVALUATION
The evaluation criteria will be the following:
Research experience: 20 points max.
Fundamental knowledge of own discipline: 15 points max.
Fundamental knowledge of the Palestinian and the Middle East culture is an advantage: 10 points max.
Prior international experience: 5 points max.
Excellent communication, drafting, presentation and reporting skills: 10 points max.
Fluency in oral and written English: 10 points max.
Good Arabic: 5 points max.
Technical proposal with clear methodology: 25 points max.
Maximum obtainable points: 100 points max.

DEADLINE
Applications to be sent no later than the 23rd June 2018 to Anna Castelnuovo – [email protected] and to Maysoun Ramadan - [email protected]
Please, indicate “MASAR Landscapes -expertise EU project ENI/2017/390-692” as subject of your e-mails.

CONTACT DETAILS

AFRAT - Association pour la Formation des Ruraux aux Activités du Tourisme www.afrat.com [email protected]
Anna Castelnuovo - International Project Manager [email protected] +33 (0)4 76 95 35 08

Bethlehem University, Institute for Community Partnership- ICP http://icp.bethlehem.edu - [email protected]
Maysoun Ramadan, EU national Project Manager, [email protected] , +792562140071