Under the patronage of Fadi Balawi, Director-General of the Department of Antiquities (DoA), the UNESCO Office in Jordan on Tuesday celebrated the conclusion of activities implemented in Irbid Governorate at Um Qais, Beit Idis and Pella under the EU Madad Fund project titled: “Support to Livelihoods through Cultural Heritage Development.”
The project, which falls under the umbrella of the EU Madad Fund, is implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Department of Antiquities and the International Labor Organization (ILO). It aims to create employment opportunities for vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian refugees through the implementation of employment intensive initiatives in Northern Jordan’s cultural heritage sites.
The ceremony marked the successful completion of the project’s activities in Irbid, where a total of 540 workers carried out basic conservation interventions in Umm Qais, Beit Eidis and Pella over a period of four months. The event provided a platform for project partners, stakeholders and participants to share their experiences and insights, showcasing the progress achieved during the implementation period, said a statement from UNESCO Jordan.
In his opening remarks at the event, Balawi said: "In celebrating the successful conclusion of field activities in IrbidGovernorate under this EU Madad Fund project, we recognise the invaluable contribution of this initiative in preserving and promoting our rich cultural heritage. These efforts have not only conserved our historical sites, but have also created sustainable livelihood opportunities for vulnerable members of our community".
European Union Representative, Mary Horvers, commended the programme for “succeeding to provide access to dignified employment opportunities for Syrians and Jordanians in Irbid and Mafraq. More broadly, the programme also contributed to creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship in the cultural heritage sector”.
UNESCO Country Representative, Min-Jeong Kim, thanked the DoA for the close collaboration and the EU for the generous financial support, saying: “The partnership with DoA and the EU made it possible for hundreds of members of local communities to benefit from short-term employment schemes and to contribute to the conservation of the important heritage sites in Northern Jordan.”
Also present at the ceremony was representative of the International Labor Organization Shailendra Kumar Jha, as well as representatives from implementing partners, members of the IrbidMunicipality, local authorities and the project’s beneficiaries.
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Source; the Jordan Times.