The ACOR Video Lecture Series provides accessible discussions of new research into the past and present of Jordan and the broader Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean worlds. This video, adapted from the April 2017 public lecture delivered by SCHEP Chief of Party Nizar Al Adarbeh and Cultural Heritage Resource Projects Lead Jehad Haron, highlights the achievements of the initiative over the past two years and looks forward to new opportunities in cultural heritage and tourism in Jordan.
About the Lecture
The Sustainable Cultural Heritage Through Engagement of Local Communities Project (USAID SCHEP) is a four-year initiative that uses a unique methodology for preserving, managing, and promoting cultural heritage resources in Jordan through a community-first approach. SCHEP is implemented by the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR). Nizar Al Adarbeh and Jehad Haron discuss progress made in two years and what to expect from new SCHEP sites going forward.
About the Speakers
Nizar Al Adarbeh, Chief of Party
Nizar Al Adarbeh joined USAID SCHEP in September 2015 as Chief of Party. Nizar began his career working with the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) first as a volunteer and eventually as the Executive Director. He has contributed to national policy-making, working to form the “National Tourism Strategy for Jordan” with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MOTA) and the “Strategy for Management of Archaeological Heritage in Jordan” with the Department of Antiquities (DOA). He has also managed projects funded by the Euro-Mediterranean Heritage Program and the Cross-Border Cooperation Program for the MOTA and DOA, served on an international committee to advise the EU-funded European Neighborhood Instrument Program, and worked with the EU and with other Mediterranean nations to preserve and protect cultural heritage sites and promote tourism for economic development and cultural sustainability.
Nizar is the point person for all the activities carried out under the expansive USAID SCHEP umbrella. This includes selecting and then overseeing all the work done at SCHEP sites; liaising with other projects and institutions such as DOA, Petra Archaeological Park, Jordan Tourism Board, and Jordan’s universities; managing the communications and community outreach strategy; and all the other pieces that go into managing a multi-faceted development project like SCHEP. Nizar earned an M.A. in Conservation and Cultural Resources Management from Yarmouk University (2010) and a B.A. in Sustainable Tourism Development from the Hashemite University (2005).
Jehad Haron, Cultural Heritage Resource Projects Lead
Jehad Haron joined SCHEP in 2016 after a long career with the Department of Antiquities. His career took him from Wadi Arabeh to Azraq and everywhere in between working as an Inspector of Antiquities, Chief of Bureau, Director of Excavations and Surveys, Director of Site Management, and Director General Technical Assistant. He brings experience from 22 international projects, 12 salvage excavations, authoring 2 books and numerous articles. His passion for cultural heritage shines through in every conversation, particularly when discussing site management. One of his goals with USAID SCHEP is to design a set of guidelines that will ensure that all sites within Jordan, starting with USAID SCHEP sites, are conserved and managed according to best practices. He believes in sharing the story of archaeological sites and the people who lived there while also preserving the integrity of the site, its landscapes, and its structures. Jehad earned an M.A. in Near Eastern Archaeology from La Sierra University (2016) and a B.A. in Archaeology from the University of Jordan (1991).
This video lecture is not official U.S. Government information and does not necessarily represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.