Rozana Association for the Development of
Architectural heritage is a Palestinian registered not for profit organization,
based in Birzeit's old Town that aims to network, consolidate, develop and promote
all available cultural, architectural and heritage resources in rural areas of
the West Bank to instill a process of development based on advancing rural
areas competitive advantage as a potential domestic and international tourist
destinations with positive negative impact.
Our campaign intends to raise funds to conduct Birzeit 8th
Heritage week that aims to advance Palestinian cultural heritage and identity.
The heritage week has become an annual icon in Palestine’s summer cultural
activities as it provides a sustainable model about the importance of historic
areas in rural Palestine, which upon rehabilitation, can be employed for a sundry
of cultural, income generation and job creation activities that foster
new-fangled functions for the old houses, attics and architectural spaces. The
heritage week promotes a unique diverse experience tailored to valorize the
Palestinian national cultural identity and to disseminate concepts and ideas of
development among rural communities
Every year the heritage week involves hundreds of young local men and
women in the organization as well as in designing and implementation of its
different activities, hence, ensuring gender equal opportunities for
participation and subsequently accumulation of leadership skills indispensable
to generate capacities in the fields of art, culture, economy and event
organization.
The heritage week remains a platform that seeks to develop opportunities
for exchange with world cultures, expanding, diversifying participation and
completing the cultural mosaic. It creates a first-hand encounter
with the local community breaking the isolation matrix of control of 47 years
of Israeli occupation.
Needless to say, the heritage week has been instrumental in promoting
local Palestinian music, theatre and art productions as it has given a priority
for limelight.
With kind financial support of contributors, Rozana Association will be
able to protect and promote the available and potential Palestinian cultural
heritage and intercultural gender-aware dialogue locally, regionally, and
internationally consolidating social cohesion within Palestine and cultural
exchange with the rest of the world
Rozana Association is in need of 80’000 USD to conduct Birzeit 8th Heritage week. Funds will be used to establish the heritage week administrative team from young men and women mostly from Birzeit town and surrounding villages in cooperation with partner rural CBOs. The administrative committee will monitor and oversee the work of 10 specialized committees who will manage the daily needs of young volunteers (food and beverages), of exhibitions to be displayed, cultural/Folkloric and Artistic events to be conducted, infrastructure and minor rehabilitation works to install the booths, the theaters…etc., the media and promotional materials needed as well as the Souq exhibitions and cinema corner needs. All the expenses will be managed by the Book keeping/finance committee who ensures transparent financial processes and reporting.
The best way to understand a culture is to see its
art so you can understand it far better than a language you cannot speak. Imagine
how Birzeit Heritage Week will provide a first-hand encounter with an
actual Palestinian traditional Wedding and Zaffa that will roam through
the Souq full of cultural and handcrafts booths not only of Palestinian culture
but also of other nations who come to exhibit their own cultural heritage and
goods.
During Birzeit heritage week, every visitor will be
able to meet and mingle among Palestinian families and international expat
communities who are distributed along several cultural corners watching live
how pottery or glass is being made, how carpets are being knit, or to watch a
Palestinian dabkeh or music show, or a cultural film at the cinema corner.
Birzeit heritage week is a place for every member of
the family, no matter what is his/her age, to find something to enjoy in the
midst of a Town that become glowing with cultural activities.
Crafts people at some corners, food making at other
corners, children cultural activities at another and cultural booths and arts
exhibitions extending along the different allies and spaces of the historic
area of Birzeit town.
Attending the
Countryside Flower competition is another
icon of the Heritage Week, where every Palestinian village sends its young
women representatives, dressed in their village traditional dress, to compete
on best knowledge of Palestinian culture including traditional music, dance,
crafts…etc.
Five summers nights in the beautiful outskirt of
rural West Bank (north of Ramallah and Bireh cities) will give a memorable
tourist interaction for each of the 40’000 visitors that reach Birzeit heritage
week annually.
In case Birzeit Heritage 8th Week does not receive the complete funds needed to conduct it, available funds will be used to build capacities of rural women and youth in 2 rural villages in the West Bank including tourist hospitality skills of 25 women with at least 15 homestays both theoretically and practically, train 25 youth as community guides armed with Community Based Tourism principles and interpretation methods to build community touristic programs and extend network for alternative tourism between the two municipalities/local village councils along Masar Ibrahim and Sufi Trails as explored by Rozana Association
Birzeit Heritage Week devises its uniqueness from a variety of elements.
First it employs the rehabilitated old houses and attics in the historic area
of Birzeit as a platform for the cultural and cultural heritage activities
adding a special ambience that is intertwined with the flagged stones of the
Mamluk and Ottoman era houses and attics. This exposes the efforts of
protecting the architectural heritage. Secondly, it offers an unmatched
diversity of cultural life compacted in one event. Thirdly, it connects
and encourages cultural exchange with the international community through the
international “Hosh” providing the space for keen countries to commission
exchange with the Palestinian local community. Fourth, it promotes the
Palestinian cultural identity, creating awareness both locally and
internationally. The peak ventures are the role and involvement of the
local communities that are considered a key factor in the development process as
well as the international exhibitions to strengthen partnerships within the
region and worldwide.
The participation of youth, women and the community at large
will
increase public awareness about the cultural, environmental, historical
process, and the potential values and benefits it may produce to galvanize and
encourage local production through enhancing traditional customs, food, native
dances and ancient handicrafts. The overarching aim is to engage the local
communities in a dynamic process, drawing their attention to planning and
protection requirements to safeguard the outstanding universal values of indigenous
cultural heritage.
During the past 7 Birzeit Heritage Weeks, more than 200’000 people
visited the different activities of the heritage weeks giving high exposure and
pride to Birzeit community and surrounding villages. Local Palestinian rural
population gained revenue at both local and national levels where the sale of
their cultural products, traditional food entangled with traditional fashion
revealed various integral aspects of Palestinian social identity and instilled
life in the alleys and streets of Palestinian marginalized rural areas.
Moreover, local rural producers exhibited their production and gained
financially as well as management wise from these experiences. The
foremost gains were the familiarization of young volunteers with the
terminology and procedures of heritage week including the preparation, planning
and execution of the events. Women organizations got the required exposure to
network locally and regionally to market their products not forgetting the exposure
of local and traditional artifacts and products that were enhanced. Palestinian
folkloric, music, dance and theater productions were promoted including
catering for Children artistic and recreational needs. Exchange with
regional and international cultures were highly fostered.
At Birzeit 8th heritage Week, Rozana Association and its local partner
CBOs and authorities promise you an unforgettable cultural experience for 5
nights under the summer sky of Palestine where we all take pride in our
heritage culture and its exchange for a better word that respects our
histories, cultures and traditions.
Birzeit Heritage week is part of a process to reconcile with a broken
history; every society heritage constitutes a fundamental factor in plumbing
historical and cultural depths whilst it expresses identity and interacts with
the social, political and environmental reality.
The major challenge for Birzeit Heritage Week
remains the availability of the funds that are necessary to build and then
promote the different cultural corners and booths. However, Rozana Association
had gained high trust among the national private sector as well among
international donor agencies that will hopefully contribute to covering some
financial needs.
Rozana Association with its high trust in the
local community due to its community-based approaches, several rural
communities are to contribute to safeguard the needed activities and
participations. People of the world who believe in culture as a tool for
positive change in each developed region, impacting positively the lives of
marginalized rural communities, mainly women and youth, will extend us a
helping hand to achieve our goals in this endeavor.