Global Fund Research Fellows 2009 – 2010
CICR Research Fellows – 2009-2010
Simone Sala, Italy, research on Lebanon
Biography
Simone Sala is an Italian PhD student at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Milan, attending the Graduate school in Plant Biology and Production (Curriculum: “Agriculture and Environment: integration and reciprocal influences”). In 2007 he graduated in Information and Communication Technologies (Master of Science) at the Computer Science Department of the University of Milan, where he primarily focused his studies on the application of ICTs for Development and Environment. After his bachelor degree he managed an ICT-based rural development project in a remote village of the Upper West region of Ghana. After this activity he moved his attention to the application of information systems and technologies for agriculture, natural resources management and climate change adaptation. This topic constituted the starting point of his PhD research, which is currently being carried out in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations. In fact, since 2007 Simone Sala is a consultant for the Communication for Sustainable Development Initiative (CSDI), a FAO Communication for Development project applied to climate change adaptation. His work with FAO is mainly related to the application of ICT for community-based adaptation to climate change, with related field experience in Bangladesh.
Research focus
The research seeks to assess the potential impacts of climate change on water resources and food security in Lebanon, particularly looking at the interaction of the agro-environmental and the socio-economic systems as well as their role within the framework of national and regional security. The study will be carried out with a participatory approach, and the results of the study will be validated with the stakeholders at both national and regional level. In particular, the study will try to: (a) identify the possible impacts of climate change on water resources and food security in Lebanon; (b) define and characterize vulnerabilities, threats and risks for the national Lebanese security, due to the pressure on natural resources, as well as their linkages to the regional security; (c) develop an ad-hoc geographic information system to be used as a participatory tool for discussing the above impacts with national and regional key stakeholders; (d) formulate recommendations for addressing further research and policy dialogue where the model identifies knowledge gaps and/or ambiguous patterns.
Lorena Rossel, Peru, research on Amazon Region
Biography
Lorena Rossel has seven years of academic and professional experience in peacebuilding and development. She has worked in a wide range of conflict and post-conflict environments, including Colombia, Nepal, Kosovo, Guatemala, and Peru. Ms. Rossel has training and experience in conflict analysis, mediation, negotiation, and qualitative research methods. She was born and raised in Lima, Peru and later moved to the United States to pursue her college education. Ms. Rossel graduated magna cum laude and with honors in International Relations from Brown University in 2002. After that, she moved to Washington, DC, where she began working in the field of international development, focusing on conflict and human rights issues. From 2006-2008 Ms. Rossel was a Rotary Foundation Peace Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a dual master’s degree in Political Science and International and Area Studies with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. She is currently working as an independent consultant.
Research focus
In light of the recent conflicts in the Peruvian Amazon, the proposed research study seeks to determine the necessary conditions for viable and sustainable dialogue between indigenous communities and the Peruvian government for the design of development and environmental policies in the Amazon region. In order to do so, the study will examine and assess existing dialogue mechanisms between native populations and the government. In addition, it will explore the necessary requirements and conditions of a viable dialogue process between the parts and provide recommendations for its design and implementation. The proposed study uses a mixed method research approach, including desk research, a survey, and in-depth interviews with key informants.
Peter Olu Jack, Nigerian, research on Niger Delta
Biography
Peter Olu Jack (Nigerian) is a third year PhD Student of the International Information Technology Policy Program, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, South Korea. He holds a BSc. In Chemical Engineering, University of Ife, Ile Ife, a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA, both from the University of Lagos in Nigeria. Peter Jack was until January 2007 a Director/Technical Assistant to the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria (a position he held for seven years). He represented the DG/CEO on several key national committees including the National Committee on Outsourcing, and the Public Service Reform Committee and led the team that wrote the National Outsourcing Policy. He set up the National Cisco Networking Academy Program in Nigeria. Mr. Jack designed and implemented the Niger Delta Youth Computer Training Program for Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2003.
Research Focus
The Global Environment and Conflict Resolution award will fund the first phase (Research) of a grand intervention plan to ensure peace, social inclusion, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta. The research will focus on exploring a consensus approach among stakeholders to identify the best path to peace-building in the Niger Delta. It will methodically review the current state of affairs in the Niger Delta Region in relation to level of threat to national security and stability as well as catalogue previous and current efforts at intervention in the Niger Delta. Attempts will be made to determine the main causes of failure of past attempts and Success factors where some gains have been achieved. Finally, a guide for a robust partnership selection strategy for sustainable intervention programs will be prescribed.
House of Water and Environment, in partnership with the Center for Applied Research and Education (CARE) Palestine
House of Water and Environment
House of Water and Environment (HWE) is a Palestinian non-profit NGO that was established in the year 2004. HWE aims to promote practical research into the current and future state of water resources and the environment in Palestine and across the region. There is a need to combine different notions of social, technical, economic, etc sustainability in order to achieve development outcomes that both provide for national development and help to achieve poverty reduction.
HWE aims to address this need through mobilizing local and international networks and partnerships to promote a broader analysis of sustainable water resource development and better ‘governance’ of the resource. Therefore, HWE is working in three areas: (1) Water and Environment Development. (2) Water and Environment Research. (3) Water and Environment Capacity Building. HWE is also working in conflict resolution in the Middle East. HWE has helped in developing all maps and technical data for the final status negotiations.
CARE — The Center for Applied Research in Education
CARE, the Center for Applied Research in Education, was established through the initiative of educationalists in 1989. CARE is an independent, non-profit, voluntary NGO. It is dedicated to initiating and promoting activities that lead to development of democracy, civic society, culture and a more humane world. CARE focuses on providing democratic knowledge and education to teachers, students, parent/teacher councils and any other individuals seeking to become more aware of peaceful conflict resolution practices and democratic principles. It therefore supports publishing, training, and counseling activities that help to foster and strengthen democratic values as well as understanding and cooperation between individuals, groups, and peoples.
To accomplish these goals, CARE’s main task it to develop innovative educational programs that utilize advanced learning methods. CARE believes that the democratic approach to Palestinian society must embody the values of pluralism, that every individual and autonomous being is of equal worth has the right to maintain their own religious, national and cultural identities. In order for this diverse democratic society to function, there is a need to instill these values and promote dialogue among members of the various groups, the goal being to become familiar with one another’s values and principles as well as identify common bonds and interests. CARE strives to facilitate and create long-term educational programs that contribute to the development of individuals as open-minded, understanding, tolerant and philosophically pluralistic members of society.
Joint Program
CARE – the Center for Applied Research in Education and HWE – the House of Water and Environment will:
- Undertake a joint research effort, and a produce joint research paper between CARE and HWE. This paper will cover both the water quantity and water quality issues in Palestine – both historical and current, which will lead into the second part of the paper which will be a vulnerability study of existing and potential pollution problems of the joint Palestinian/Israeli aquifers used for water sources.
- This paper will then be presented at a joint seminar / workshop, and will also be distributed to all interested parties and stakeholders. In order to insure a wide exposure, both institutions – CARE and HWE – will also work together on a joint distribution of this research paper after the completion of the joint seminar. The distribution of this paper will not be limited to Palestinians only, but will also be distributed by mail or email to regional and international professionals.
- HWE in a second stage will to strengthen the capacity building of the local governmental and non-governmental organizations through a program of research, training and public awareness for the civil society in the study area about issues related to water in the final status negotiations so that an agreement at the end would have been fairly discussed and its terms evaluated. While CARE will organize educational workshops across Palestine, seeking to educate children and youths about how to conserve water resources on both a micro and macro level.
Project Team
Experts from House of Water and Environment will conduct the project. The team proposed to conduct this project comprises of Technical, Legal and Negotiations Experts. The main researchers/trainers of this proposal are:
Dr Amjad Aliewi
Amjad Aliewi is the Director-General of House of Water and Environment (Palestine). The main focus of the activities of Dr Aliewi is the field of groundwater resources, development, management and planning. He is a civil engineer with MSc and PhD degrees in groundwater flow and pollution modelling including saline water simulations in inland and coastal aquifers. He is an expert in groundwater wells: design, construction, maintenance and putting into operation. He led a number of international projects about the development and management of the Palestinian water sector. His teaching at Newcastle University and Birzeit University includes MSc and BSc courses in groundwater engineering and water resources management including IWRM. The House of Water and Environment (HWE) is a not-for-profit organization that works in research and development projects as well as capacity building in the field of Water and Environment.
Aliewi is the head of Water Experts Team for the final status negotiations between Palestine and Israel. He is a part time lecturer at both Newcastle and Birzeit Universities.
Lara El-Jazairi
Lara El-Jazairi is a legal officer with The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) Right to Water Programme. She holds a masters degree in human rights and has extensive experience of working with both human rights and development NGOs. She has been working on the right to water and sanitation in the occupied Palestinian territory since 2007, and has published numerous reports and articles on this issue. She has also conducted numerous trainings on applying the rights based approach to water and sanitation for community groups, NGOs, UN Agencies and government ministries.
Professor Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi
Professor Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi is Founding Director of the American Studies Center at Al-Quds University; He is a Jerusalem-born scholar and peace activist who holds two doctorate degrees (University of Texas, Austin-Texas (1984) – University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina (1981). He is Founding Director, Wasatia Islamic Movement – Palestine; Chairman, Board of Directors, House of Water and Environment; Member, Board of Directors, YMCA-West Jerusalem; Member, Regional Board of Directors, Peace; Founding Director, Jerusalem Studies and Research Centre. As Director of the Technical Assistance and Training Department, Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR), he was in charge of a 24 M USD World Bank Fund to implement development Projects in Palestine. He also worked Chief Technical Advisor, United Nations Development Programme/PAPP, Jerusalem and Senior Consultant, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC). He participated in 2nd Track Israeli-Palestinian meetings.
Professor Dajani is author of numerous books and academic articles both in English and Arabic. He frequently participates in local, regional and international conferences www.bigdreamsmallhope.com; www.wasatia.info; e-mail: mohddajani@gmail.com; phone: 0547760936.
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