PUSH/
Jordan Society for Sustainable Development
Tour Guide Training
Session
October 11,
2008
Executive Summary
Download PDF of Tour Guide
Training
Table of
Contents
1. Agenda
2. Session Overview and Outcomes
3. Participants List
Tour
Guide Training Session Agenda
October
11, 2008
8:00 Depart from Amman
10:00 Arrive at Friends of the Earth Middle East's Sheikh
Hussein Eco-Park
10:00 Welcome and Refreshments
10:15 Introduction to PUSH and Selected Pilot Sites
11:15 Depart to Pella
11:30 Pella Site Visit and Visitor Interpretation
Discussion
12:30 Return to FoEME's Sheikh Hussein Eco-Park
12:40 Discussion
13:40 Lunch
14:40 End of Training/ Depart to
Amman
Executive
Summary
Tour
Guide Training Session Overview
The PUSH – Jordan Society for Sustainable Development
(JSSD) Tour Guide Training Session was held at the Friends
of the Earth Middle's Sheikh Hussein Eco Park in the
vicinity of the two PUSH Pilot Sites of Bakoura and Pella
with a site visit to the archeological park at Pella.
Within the concept of PUSH, JSSD focused on raising
awareness about shared heritage among the direct
beneficiaries of the pilot sites including those who have a
direct link to the site management, use and economic
outcomes of the pilot sites.
To that aim JSSD participants from the Tour Guides
Association of Jordan in addition to the Mayors and other
representatives from the local municipalities of Bakoura
and Pella (Tabkat Fahel) who are directly responsible for
the day to day management of the sites. The staff of
Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), a
Jordanian-Palestinian-Israeli environmental peacemaking
organization which is active in both the Pella and Bakoura
municipalities among other Jordanian municipalities, also
participated to further strengthen ties and coordination
between PUSH and FoEME.
The workshop began with an introduction lecture on the PUSH
project and the selected pilot sites in Jordan and how they
related to the other PUSH pilot sites in the region. This
was followed by an open discussion. Subsequently, the PUSH
team presented information on the PUSH site manuals,
focusing on the aims of the manuals and the tools it
proposes to help the site managers and stakeholders. The
participants commented that the manual should be easy to
handle and provide comprehensive information about the site
and it should have easy to follow management
recommendations and procedures.
After the discussion, a site visit was held at the
archeological park of Pella with the assistance of Dr.
Ismail Mulhim, the Head of the Archeological Department at
North Ghor. Dr. Mulhim gave the participants a general
presentation about history and narrative of Pella and the
PUSH team added information about the shared heritage of
the site and its linkages to other regional sites. Emphasis
was placed on how to maximize the benefits for the pilot
sites, the communities and relevant stake holders by
introducing the local heritage in the broader/ regional
context through linking the pilot sites with each other,
particularly when discussing the narrative of each site.
Following the site visit the participants returned to
FoEME's Sheikh Hussein Eco-Park to further discuss the
concept of shared heritage and gain feedback from the
participants on the workshop itself, the PUSH project and
the next steps that can be developed through the PUSH
initiative. The majority of the participants emphasized the
importance of the PUSH project and its role in advancing
development at the pilot sites. More concern was asserted
and requested regarding the creation of economic incentives
for the local community to guarantee positive community
participation. Participants raised the need to strengthen
ties between PUSH project and the management institutions
of pilot sites by providing opinions and information to
enhance sites management
Participants
in Alphabetical
Order
Tareq Al
Ali, Friends of the Earth Middle East Field
Research in Muaz Bin Jabal Municipality
Ahmad Al Amaera, Tour Guide
Baker Barakat, Friends of the Earth Middle
East Field Researcher, Dier Allah
Omer Al Daja, Tour Guide
Ali Al Deke, Mayor, Bakoura Municipality
Salah Al Fdaoual, Tour Guide
Akaf Ghzawe, Pella Municipality
Representative
Mohammed Al Goal, Tour Guide
Rawan Haddad, PUSH Team
Omar Ban Hani, Tour Guide
Mohammed Jafer, Bakoura Municipality
Representative
Abed Al Kafe Ahmad, Tour Guide
Eyad Al Kayalie, Tour Guide
Salam El Labadi, PUSH Team
Yahea Mobarak, Friends of the Earth Middle
East Sheik Hussein Eco-Park
Maher Al Momani, Tour Guide
Khaled Nasser, JSSD Director/ PUSH Project
Manager
Mohammed Al Nawasra, Friends of the Earth
Middle East Field Researcher, Sheikh Hussein
Jamil Obedi, Pella Municipality
Representative
Mahmoud Al Raeahna, Mayor, Pella
Municipality
Abdalla Al Rawashda'a, Tour Guide
Abed Rahman Sultan, Friends of the Earth
Middle East Good Water Neighbors Project Coordinator
Mohammed Zedan, Tour Guide