Analysis, Evaluation and Assessment
- Assessment of the status of the church in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Strategic Resources Group. Nov 2020
- Assessment of Deutsche Welle Akedemie’s project Media, Migration and Refuge in Jordan. Feb 2020
- Assessment of Deutsche Welle Akedemie’s project in Lebanon “Building communities of young people from the Shatila refugee camp and their communication with the outside world via digital media”. Apr 2019
- Project evaluation of the EU-funded Media Support Program in Jordan. Forcier Consulting, USA. Jan 2019
- Content analysis of Alhurra TV and Sawa Radio programs: evaluating adherence to basic standards of journalism and MBN’s editorial guideline and policies. Dec 2017
- Evaluation of Syria Audience Research by Free Press Unlimited, The Netherlands: mapping Syrian media scenery, questionnaire, interviews and focus group in Syria, Turkey and Germany. Dec 2017.
- Assessment of online training for Syrian media trainers and trainees by Internews-Europe. Intermedia Europe, Nov 2012 – Apr 2013.
Training, Coaching and Mentoring:
- Training displaced Iraqi youth of Mosul in Irbil, Kurdistan on advocacy campaigns. Open Doors International. Feb 2016.
- Coaching a team of Syrian chief editors to measure the impact of agenda setting and framing in Syrian press. This included building methodology, training in Jordan and Turkey, producing monthly reports, building content analysis methodology, and reporting. Free Press Unlimited. June 2015 – Nov 2016.
- Media mentor, empowering young people across the MENA region to influence national and regional debates and promote positive change in society through traditional and new media platforms. Youth Voices for Change (a project by Trans Terra Media and Global Nomads group), Apr 2013 – March 2014.
- Managing capacity building projects for Syrian community-based media: mapping the media scenery and overseeing training for media activists, refugees and practitioners in Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Turkey. Community Media Solutions, UK. Dec 2012 – Feb 2014.
Status Analysis
- Personal freedoms and their legal, social and political context in Jordan: monthly reporting to Open Doors International. Jan 2016 – July 2018.
- The Syrian refugee crisis: consultancy and investigation to several institutions working in Jordan, Syria and Turkey. 2012 – 2016.
Teaching Experience
- Jordan in its Regional Context – a Sociopolitical Approach, to US students at AMIDEAST-Jordan, Sept – Dec 2019
- Sociology of Religion to Arab doctoral and master students at the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS). Feb – Dec 2017
Professional Work
- Community Media Network Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 Jordan Coordinator for Advocacy and Support for Community Radio in the Arab Region – Aswatona -, a Euro 2.8 million project funded by Swedish International Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Monitored the content of six radio stations for professionalism and hate speech; established a radio station in Jordan Valley (aghwar.fm), managed the Project’s website (aswatona.net), coordinated a network of community radios in Jordan and drafted a code of ethics, organized events to discuss media regulations; participated in media conferences in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia. Managed the Refugees among Us project; a community radio program aimed at capacitating Syrian refugees in Jordan to report on their own issues via nationwide FM radio stations (ammannet.net/sy). Managed Your Voice Counts; a project aimed at encouraging Jordanian youth participate in decision-making using multimedia platforms.
Translated media-related articles for International Center for Journalists.
- The International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) July 2006 – July 2010Program Manager for the $7 million USAID-funded Jordan Media Strengthening Program (JMSP). Conducted pre-launch assessment study; negotiated overall plan and budget with government and USAID officials; forged agreements and contracts with stakeholders to execute programs and activities related to strengthening community radio targeting the youth and female volunteers, nurturing media education (at graduate and undergraduate schools), enabling media legal environment, forging media ethics (codes of conduct with regulatory bodies and media networks), media content analysis and surveys, monthly and quarterly analysis of the national media and political scenery, and serving as a jury member on grant programs. Major achievements include establishing a community radio station (http://www.irex.org/newsroom/news/2009/0705-MDD.asp); a nationwide community news network; a multimedia lab; launching an online media course for graduate students; a club of Jordanian columnists; a modern newspaper lab for undergraduate journalism school; tailored consultancies and training for media students, faculty and practitioners, media outlets, and NGOs. I was honored by three recipients of JMSP grants.
- AmmanNet July 2002 – June 2006
Executive Manager / Development. Transforming the first online radio in the Arab world – Radio AmmanNet (www.ammannet.net) into an FM community-based radio station. Represented the organization with state entities, media and advertising companies. Oversaw a schools’ radio program and other donor-funded projects. Produced and presented Sani’u Assalam, a program aimed at creating public awareness on conflict resolution methods.
- Al Maghtas magazine Apr 2004 – Apr 2007
Editor-in-Chief and writer. Al Maghtas is a monthly interdenominational non-theological print and online magazine for Christians in Jordan and Levant. Responsibilities included obtaining publication license and raising funds. Writing articles tackling religious rights, appeared in the magazine and occasionally in local newspapers.
- Al-Andalus TV, Marbella, Spain Feb 1999 – July 2002 Program Manager, Co-editor of interactive programs tackling socio-political issues mainly in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
- Arab Bank PLC, Marbella, Spain Apr 1998 – Jan 1999 Intern. Promoting bank products among potential and existing customers.
- United Bible Societies Andalucía, Spain July 1996 – Apr 1998 Coordinator for the UK-based and other NGOs in Andalucía, Spain.
- Amin Kawar & Sons Co. Aug 1987 – Sept 1989 Shipping Canvasser, securing shipments for Maersk and Sea Land liners.
- Running a real estate family business. Dec 2014 – Present