A collection of photographs from the Palestine Exploration Fund is available on Flickr. The collection shows mainly antiquities but also has some images of people and towns in Palestine in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/palestineexplorationfund/with/5226286805/
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Monday, 13 December 2010
Updated profile on internal displacement in Azerbaijan - IDMC and NRC
The International Displacement Monitoring Centre have updated their profile on internal displacement in Azerbaijan. Click on the picture above to go to the webpage or click here for the PDF
Sunday, 5 December 2010
CONF./CFP- Comparative Perspectives on EU Democracy Promotion, Ghent U., Jun 24
Call for Papers
Workshop: "Comparative perspectives on the substance of EU democracy promotion"
Organised by:
Fabienne Bossuyt (Aston University), Jan Orbie (Ghent University),
Michelle Pace (University of Birmingham) and Anne Wetzel (University of Zurich)
Friday, 24 June 2011
Centre for EU Studies, Ghent University
Democracy promotion in third countries has been on the EU's agenda
since the early 1990s. Over the past 20 years, EU democracy promotion
activities have been substantiated through a 'learning by doing'
process. In parallel with the development of the EU's democracy
promotion policy, a vast academic literature has emerged on the topic.
While many studies have focussed on the impact and effectiveness of EU
democracy promotion in third countries, others have dealt with the EU
as a democracy promoter itself and, in particular, with its democracy
promotion instruments and strategies. Attention is now also being paid
to the democratic substance that the EU promotes. Scholars focussing
on the issue of democratic substance aim at disaggregating the content
of the EU's democracy promotion activities into single aspects such as
support for elections, the promotion of civil rights, rule of law,
good governance and support to the development of civil society etc.
However, the EU is not the only promoter of democracy.
Rather, it acts in an environment that comprises a variety of other
democracy promoters. While there are studies that compare the
strategies and instruments of EU democracy promotion with those of
other actors, including the US and international organisations such as
the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and
the Asian Development Bank (ADB), similarities and differences in the
substance that is promoted have not yet been thoroughly and
systematically explored. This workshop aims to address the question of
how the substance of EU democracy promotion compares to what other
democracy promoters advance in third countries. By other actors, we
mean (i) EU Member States that maintain separate national democracy
promotion programmes with varying foci, such as Germany, Spain, the
Netherlands and Sweden; (ii) Non-EU countries that have substantial
external democracy promotion programmes, such as the US, Canada,
Norway and Japan; and (iii) other international organisations that
promote democracy, such as the United Nations, the OSCE and the ADB.
The workshop wishes to address the above questions and invites papers
that deal with one or several of the following topics:
- Is there a particular EU-specific conception of democracy
underlying its democracy promotion activities?
- How can we characterise the substance that other actors promote in
third countries and how does the substance of EU democracy promotion
differ compared to other actors?
- Does the substance that EU Member States promote through their
national policies differ from the substance that the EU advances, and
if so, how? What factors account for possible differences?
- How do EU Member States influence the substance of EU democracy promotion?
- How does coordination between the EU and other international
democracy promoters shape the content of the EU's policy (e.g. by
sharing the work, hiding behind other actors)?
- Is the substance of EU democracy promotion influenced by policy
paradigms that were developed by other international actors? Can we
detect learning processes in EU institutions that concern the
substance of democracy promotion? Is the EU a norm maker or a norm
taker in this regard?
Please send an abstract of max. 600 words by Friday, 3 December 2010 to:
comparativeperspectives@yahoo.com
You will receive a notification of acceptance from the workshop
organisers by 17 December at the latest.
We are planning to include several advanced papers into a special
issue on the topic of the workshop.
At the moment we are unfortunately not able to announce the
reimbursement of travelling costs. However, we may have some funds to
cover travelling expenses by June 2011.
Workshop: "Comparative perspectives on the substance of EU democracy promotion"
Organised by:
Fabienne Bossuyt (Aston University), Jan Orbie (Ghent University),
Michelle Pace (University of Birmingham) and Anne Wetzel (University of Zurich)
Friday, 24 June 2011
Centre for EU Studies, Ghent University
Democracy promotion in third countries has been on the EU's agenda
since the early 1990s. Over the past 20 years, EU democracy promotion
activities have been substantiated through a 'learning by doing'
process. In parallel with the development of the EU's democracy
promotion policy, a vast academic literature has emerged on the topic.
While many studies have focussed on the impact and effectiveness of EU
democracy promotion in third countries, others have dealt with the EU
as a democracy promoter itself and, in particular, with its democracy
promotion instruments and strategies. Attention is now also being paid
to the democratic substance that the EU promotes. Scholars focussing
on the issue of democratic substance aim at disaggregating the content
of the EU's democracy promotion activities into single aspects such as
support for elections, the promotion of civil rights, rule of law,
good governance and support to the development of civil society etc.
However, the EU is not the only promoter of democracy.
Rather, it acts in an environment that comprises a variety of other
democracy promoters. While there are studies that compare the
strategies and instruments of EU democracy promotion with those of
other actors, including the US and international organisations such as
the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and
the Asian Development Bank (ADB), similarities and differences in the
substance that is promoted have not yet been thoroughly and
systematically explored. This workshop aims to address the question of
how the substance of EU democracy promotion compares to what other
democracy promoters advance in third countries. By other actors, we
mean (i) EU Member States that maintain separate national democracy
promotion programmes with varying foci, such as Germany, Spain, the
Netherlands and Sweden; (ii) Non-EU countries that have substantial
external democracy promotion programmes, such as the US, Canada,
Norway and Japan; and (iii) other international organisations that
promote democracy, such as the United Nations, the OSCE and the ADB.
The workshop wishes to address the above questions and invites papers
that deal with one or several of the following topics:
- Is there a particular EU-specific conception of democracy
underlying its democracy promotion activities?
- How can we characterise the substance that other actors promote in
third countries and how does the substance of EU democracy promotion
differ compared to other actors?
- Does the substance that EU Member States promote through their
national policies differ from the substance that the EU advances, and
if so, how? What factors account for possible differences?
- How do EU Member States influence the substance of EU democracy promotion?
- How does coordination between the EU and other international
democracy promoters shape the content of the EU's policy (e.g. by
sharing the work, hiding behind other actors)?
- Is the substance of EU democracy promotion influenced by policy
paradigms that were developed by other international actors? Can we
detect learning processes in EU institutions that concern the
substance of democracy promotion? Is the EU a norm maker or a norm
taker in this regard?
Please send an abstract of max. 600 words by Friday, 3 December 2010 to:
comparativeperspectives@yahoo.com
You will receive a notification of acceptance from the workshop
organisers by 17 December at the latest.
We are planning to include several advanced papers into a special
issue on the topic of the workshop.
At the moment we are unfortunately not able to announce the
reimbursement of travelling costs. However, we may have some funds to
cover travelling expenses by June 2011.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Mideast Youth iPhone App
The Middle East and North Africa has a growing web presence. Previous to this app, we spent too much time going through separate websites and feeds on Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed and various blogs and websites from the region in an attempt to find out what people here are talking about. This app gathers the best of all in a single location, whether you're trying to see what people in Friendfeed are saying from Iran, Iraq, Syria, etc or whether you're trying to connect with Twitter users in the Middle East, or trying to explore how Facebook is being used to spread awareness about various human rights abuses in the region - this app has it all!
http://www.mideastyouth.com/iphone
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Afghanistan's treasure comes to the British Museum
(Picture from the Guardian)
Some of Afghanistan's most beautiful treasures will be on display at the British Museum this spring, including a crown made for a princess 2,000 years ago that was believed lost as war engulfed the country but survived thanks to the courage of staff in the national museum.
(For the rest of this article from the Guardian, click here)
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Grant for photographers from Central Asia, Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Pakista
GRANTS- Photography from Cent. Asia, Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Pakistan
Posted by: Jeff Yarborough
The Open Society Foundations Documentary Photography Project
(http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography) and Arts and Culture
Network Program (http://www.soros.org/initiatives/arts) announce a
grant and training opportunity for documentary photographers from
Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Pakistan.
The grant is being offered to:
* visually document issues of importance in the region; and
* provide training and support to photographers from the region.
Approximately 10 cash stipends in the amount of $3,500 each will be
awarded to photographers to produce a photo essay on a current human
rights or social issue in the region. Grantees will participate in two
master-level workshops on visual storytelling through photography and
multimedia. These workshops are led by internationally-recognized
photographers and industry professionals who will then provide ongoing
mentorship and support throughout the six-month grant term.
The Open Society Foundations will pay travel and hotel expenses and
provide a per diem to cover meals and incidentals for the workshops.
The deadline for proposals is December 3, 2010.
For more information on the grant, please visit:
http://apply.docphoto.org
Posted by: Jeff Yarborough
The Open Society Foundations Documentary Photography Project
(http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography) and Arts and Culture
Network Program (http://www.soros.org/initiatives/arts) announce a
grant and training opportunity for documentary photographers from
Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Pakistan.
The grant is being offered to:
* visually document issues of importance in the region; and
* provide training and support to photographers from the region.
Approximately 10 cash stipends in the amount of $3,500 each will be
awarded to photographers to produce a photo essay on a current human
rights or social issue in the region. Grantees will participate in two
master-level workshops on visual storytelling through photography and
multimedia. These workshops are led by internationally-recognized
photographers and industry professionals who will then provide ongoing
mentorship and support throughout the six-month grant term.
The Open Society Foundations will pay travel and hotel expenses and
provide a per diem to cover meals and incidentals for the workshops.
The deadline for proposals is December 3, 2010.
For more information on the grant, please visit:
http://apply.docphoto.org
GRANTS- Central Asian Energy Fellowship at BIC, Washington, D.C.
From Central Eurasia list:
Bank Information Center is pleased to announce a call for applications
for the BIC Energy Fellowship for residents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan and Russia.
Europe and Central Asia Program Call for Applications Fellowship on
Energy Strategies and the Multilateral Development Banks Bank
Information Center (BIC) is pleased to announce a call for
applications for a 2-4 week fellowship program in Washington, DC for
civil society organizations interested in advancing citizen interests
and participation in energy projects or policy supported by
multilateral development banks (MBDs). The fellowship is open to
applicants from Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The
fellowship is an opportunity to learn about multilateral development
banks and their projects and policies, their impact on the development
of energy sector in fellow's countries and role of public oversight
and advocacy. The fellows will also learn advocacy skills, network
with civil society, meet decision makers and take part in BIC's Energy
Campaign during spring of 2011. The fellows will have a chance to
develop a coherent strategy to advocate civil society concerns
vis-à-vis international investors. The fellowship will focus on the
World Bank and BIC's accumulated experience in project monitoring and
policy setting work. BIC welcomes proposals from fellows that
elaborate on long-term cooperation between the applicant's
organization and BIC on a concrete World Bank project, program or
policy.
Application instructions:
Applicants need to submit the following documents in Russian or
English to fellowship@bicusa.org , no later than December 31, 2010.
* The application form,
* Narrative proposal describing the specific issue they would like to
address according to proposal criteria below, not exceeding 3 pages.
(See proposal criteria below)
* Resume
Proposal criteria:
* The proposals should involve multilateral development banks,
preferably the World Bank, and be related to energy sector;
* Clearly state an opportunity or a problem in the energy sector that
the applicant would like to address and why;
* Propose how you intend to bring about change in the specific
project, program or the energy sector in general;
* Elaborate how BIC and the fellowship can help achieve the stated
goals, during the fellowship and after its completion;
* Elaborate what you want to accomplish with skills and knowledge
obtained from the fellowship.
Eligibility:
* Be a national and current resident of Russia, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan.
* Have a track record demonstrating commitment to social change in a
professional setting;
* Have a working knowledge of English language;
* All encouraged to apply, but early and mid-career professionals
will receive preference.
Expenses: The fellowship will cover applicant's trip to Washington,
DC, accommodation and per diem during the period of stay between 2 4
weeks. BIC will also cover fellow visa expenses.
Please contact BIC for the application form.
Said Yakhyoev
Associate, Europe and Central Asia Program
Bank Information Center
1100 H Street NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 624 0639
syakhyoev@bicusa.org
www.bicusa.org
Bank Information Center is pleased to announce a call for applications
for the BIC Energy Fellowship for residents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan and Russia.
Europe and Central Asia Program Call for Applications Fellowship on
Energy Strategies and the Multilateral Development Banks Bank
Information Center (BIC) is pleased to announce a call for
applications for a 2-4 week fellowship program in Washington, DC for
civil society organizations interested in advancing citizen interests
and participation in energy projects or policy supported by
multilateral development banks (MBDs). The fellowship is open to
applicants from Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The
fellowship is an opportunity to learn about multilateral development
banks and their projects and policies, their impact on the development
of energy sector in fellow's countries and role of public oversight
and advocacy. The fellows will also learn advocacy skills, network
with civil society, meet decision makers and take part in BIC's Energy
Campaign during spring of 2011. The fellows will have a chance to
develop a coherent strategy to advocate civil society concerns
vis-à-vis international investors. The fellowship will focus on the
World Bank and BIC's accumulated experience in project monitoring and
policy setting work. BIC welcomes proposals from fellows that
elaborate on long-term cooperation between the applicant's
organization and BIC on a concrete World Bank project, program or
policy.
Application instructions:
Applicants need to submit the following documents in Russian or
English to fellowship@bicusa.org , no later than December 31, 2010.
* The application form,
* Narrative proposal describing the specific issue they would like to
address according to proposal criteria below, not exceeding 3 pages.
(See proposal criteria below)
* Resume
Proposal criteria:
* The proposals should involve multilateral development banks,
preferably the World Bank, and be related to energy sector;
* Clearly state an opportunity or a problem in the energy sector that
the applicant would like to address and why;
* Propose how you intend to bring about change in the specific
project, program or the energy sector in general;
* Elaborate how BIC and the fellowship can help achieve the stated
goals, during the fellowship and after its completion;
* Elaborate what you want to accomplish with skills and knowledge
obtained from the fellowship.
Eligibility:
* Be a national and current resident of Russia, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan.
* Have a track record demonstrating commitment to social change in a
professional setting;
* Have a working knowledge of English language;
* All encouraged to apply, but early and mid-career professionals
will receive preference.
Expenses: The fellowship will cover applicant's trip to Washington,
DC, accommodation and per diem during the period of stay between 2 4
weeks. BIC will also cover fellow visa expenses.
Please contact BIC for the application form.
Said Yakhyoev
Associate, Europe and Central Asia Program
Bank Information Center
1100 H Street NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 624 0639
syakhyoev@bicusa.org
www.bicusa.org
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