Experience

LABOR K (TU Berlin)

• Germany
• Architecture and Planning
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Jun 2019 - Present

  Project 1: “Mapping for Change? Critical cartography approaches to drive socio-environmental urban transformations”, supported by VW Stiftung. Project 2: “New Approaches to Urban Transformation: Critical Mapping in Municipalist Movements [CMMM]”, supported by Robert Bosch Stiftung. check: www.cmmm.eu Project 1: “Mapping for Change? Critical cartography approaches to drive socio-environmental urban transformations”, supported by VW Stiftung. Project 2: “New Approaches to Urban Transformation: Critical Mapping in Municipalist Movements [CMMM]”, supported by Robert Bosch Stiftung. check: www.cmmm.eu



"Urbanization, gender and the global south: a transformative knowledge network" Research Project

• City Research Team Lead

  • Apr 2017 - Present

  I am the CRT Lead for the case of Ramallah, and UR°BANA is the implementing partner. This 6 year project is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), is directed by Prof. Linda Peake, City Institute, York University, and is implemented in partnership with teams from Shanghai (China), Mumbai (India), Cairo (Egypt), Ibadan (Nigeria), Cochabamba (Bolivia) and Georgetown (Guyana). We will conduct research and engage in public education and policy enrichment to advance understanding of how the relationship between poverty and inequality is being transformed, focusing in particular on how this is reconstituting gender relations and women’s right to the city. Show less


DIA - Dessau Institute of Architecture - Bauhaus City, Dessau
• Germany
• Architecture and Planning
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Acting Chair of Urban Planning

  • Oct 2018 - Mar 2020


Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)

• Germany
• Research Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Associate Researcher

  • May 2016 - Aug 2017

  Within the IASS I work at the Sustainable Governance Program, under which the Global Soil Forum is hosted. The latter organises the biannual Global Soil Week (www.globalsoilweek.org) as well as several scaler-scale events and meetings, therein acting as a multi stakeholder platform with focus on issues of sustainability, governance structures, and making scholarly knowledge legible and accessible to empower transformation of societies in support of the 2030 Agenda. Through the Thematic Area: Transforming Cities I am currently supporting the organization of the African Soil Seminar 28-30.Nov.2016, Nairobi, and the preparations for the 4th edition of the Global Soil Week in summer 2017, Berlin. Show less



7th International Conference of Critical Geography | ICCG 2015

• Conference Coordinator

  • Apr 2013 - Sep 2015

  Precarious Radicalism on Shifting Grounds: Towards a Politics of Possibility 26-30 July 2015, Ramallah, Palestine Dr. Omar Jabary-Salamanca, Columbia University (NY) and myself were the initiators and coordinators for this edition. Our duties consisted of all aspects from A to Z: recruitment of team; conceptualization, structuring and design; data management, communication, and contracts with supporters; making and managing of website; graphics and print materials; budgeting, fundraising, detailing of processes and overall management of teams and service providers; among others. This self-financing event brought together more than 400 persons from over 40 countries, spanned over 5 days and nights and featured over 120 activities including plenaries, panels and workshops, field trips, music and film. We had twelve local and international organisations among our supporters and succeeded in fundraising for 28 grants for participants. More information under www.iccg2015.org Show less



University of Duisburg-Essen | Advanced Research in Urban Systems (ARUS)

• Doctoral Researcher

  • Dec 2010 - Sep 2015

  100 x Ramallah is an investigation of spatial (re-)imagineering of the city of Ramallah, Palestine since the demise of the Osmans and over the past century of Anglo-Zionist colonisation, and an exploration of what could follow. The line of evolution of successive Ramallite spacio-sensibilities transcribes the tensions of nonuniform yet cyclical tides of centralised hegemonic control and counter-resistance. By triangulating morphological and territorial shifts with socio-demographics and politico-economic orders this work argues through three hypotheses. 1. Ramallah’s city-space is a product of an articulate colonial project whose discourse promotes narrow homogenised imaginaries of ethnicities and national identities, therewith sterilised and securitized spaces. These concepts have been inducing variations of both, co-optation and opposition.2. Contestation in the city can be traced to growing scales of uncertainty (diminishing securities), inequality and spatial non-dignity. Tensions are bound to be released through (mostly ad hoc) techniques and formations of citizen mobilisations, under elevated possibilities of violence. Scales and impacts of clandestine sub-group activities in turn will depend (a.o.) on the manner cityscapes are produced in the coming critical decades. 3. The future shape and degree of resilience/sumud depend on the ability of the (self-declared) Ramallites to spatialize (grant legitimacy to) their diversity, fluidity, and inter-relevance. To that end, an Umdenkenprozess about the role and range of fields of interventions of Ramallite urban visionaries is quintessential.Arguments are based on scholarly review of a wide range of works from varying disciplines, both academic and otherwise. These were cross-analysed with empirical data collected through twenty qualitative interviews, eight focus groups, observations and quantitative indicators; collected through eight field trips totalling thirty-two weeks. Show less

• Guest Lecturer

  • Jan 2013 - Feb 2013

  Course Title: Urban Conflict Management - identification, analysis, mediation & moderationA 5-day block-seminar with Masters students of the “Urban Culture, Society and Space” Program at UDE. The course explored some of the forms of Conflicts and discussed tools of approaching and handling such situations in practices relating to the urban. Participants exercised revealing and spacing their individual opinions and inherent stereotypes from the cases at hand. They learned to ask the questions of Who? Why? How? And so what? and discussed few methods of investigating a multi-layered and -narrative situation. Show less



Youth, Art, and Levante | YANTE

• Consultant

  • Apr 2011 - Dec 2014

  Consultation on management, approaches to community and beneficiaries, drafting of official documents, funding proposals, financing and reports as well as the production of visual materials. This Training of Trainers project is executed by Youth, Art and Levante, YANTE. Consultation on management, approaches to community and beneficiaries, drafting of official documents, funding proposals, financing and reports as well as the production of visual materials. This Training of Trainers project is executed by Youth, Art and Levante, YANTE.



Technische Universität Darmstadt

• Germany
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Guest Lecturer

  • Jun 2014 - Jun 2014

  Course Title: Urbanism as Medium of Contestation – State (un-)Making, Uncertainty, and Development through Civic Economies A 4-day block-seminar with Masters Students of the Erasmus Mundus Urbano Program “International Cooperation and Urban Development” at TUD, Germany. The course focused on 2 concepts in parallel; tools of dialectic analysis of urbanisms as multi-layered ecologies, and therewith questioning of ‘common’ epistemologies and policies of urban planning, management and development, and; sociospatial sensibilities, otherness, and the role of economic and corporeal security, stability, and flourishing. Show less



KfW

• Germany
• Banking
• 700 & Above Employee

• External Consultant

  • Feb 2013 - May 2013

  The first-leg of the Ex-Post evaluation mission was concerned with Income Generation Program (EGP) II & III Projects throughout the West Bank, particularly those pertaining to social infrastructures. Projects were evaluated based on contribution to poverty-reduction, viability components, performance since completion, and impact on overall living conditions within project vicinity.

• External Consultant

  • Feb 2013 - May 2013

  The second-leg of the assignment (see above) focused on the Hebron Historic City Rehabilitation Program, where the framework and economic viability of operations were scrutinized through interviews, empirical data, and research-based analysis.



Youth, Art, & Levante | YANTE

• Trainer

  • Oct 2012 - Oct 2012

  Communication Skills and Non Violence A 10-day block-seminar to dance trainers in the “I CAN MOVE community dance palestine” capacity building (training of trainers) project by YANTE - Youth, Art & Levante in Palestine. The module is an introduction onto issues of efficient, empathetic and nonviolent communication with beneficiaries, stakeholders, and between themselves as team. It featured some basic theoretical information and exercises. Communication Skills and Non Violence A 10-day block-seminar to dance trainers in the “I CAN MOVE community dance palestine” capacity building (training of trainers) project by YANTE - Youth, Art & Levante in Palestine. The module is an introduction onto issues of efficient, empathetic and nonviolent communication with beneficiaries, stakeholders, and between themselves as team. It featured some basic theoretical information and exercises.



Prosper Palestine

• Community Outreach Specialist

  • Oct 2010 - Jun 2011

  I worked on expanding the network in Germany, participated in meetings in other European cities, and composed outreach materials. I also organized a 5-day speaking tour in Spain (Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona) which included 16 activities such as meetings (Spanish parliament, politicians and activists), discussions at universities, open sessions with locals and interviews with the press. I worked on expanding the network in Germany, participated in meetings in other European cities, and composed outreach materials. I also organized a 5-day speaking tour in Spain (Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona) which included 16 activities such as meetings (Spanish parliament, politicians and activists), discussions at universities, open sessions with locals and interviews with the press.



Institut Europeu de la Mediterrània

• Project Management Assistant

  • Mar 2010 - Jul 2010

  Administrative and technical assistant within the Secretariat of WOCMES: World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies, July 19th - 24th, 2010. In the first 4 months work included logistics, assistance to the Manager, design of materials, newsletter, etc. In the week of the congress work composed of managing team of volunteers, and hence the service apparatus of the conference. Administrative and technical assistant within the Secretariat of WOCMES: World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies, July 19th - 24th, 2010. In the first 4 months work included logistics, assistance to the Manager, design of materials, newsletter, etc. In the week of the congress work composed of managing team of volunteers, and hence the service apparatus of the conference.



UNESCO

• France
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Architect

  • Nov 2007 - Mar 2008

  Bethlehem Area Conservation and Management Plan (BACMP) Project in cooperation with “Social Design” in Florence, Italy. Work included city-mapping to build the necessary cartographies, city-scale spatial, environmental and socio-economic analysis, reporting, strategy recommendations and guide-production. Bethlehem Area Conservation and Management Plan (BACMP) Project in cooperation with “Social Design” in Florence, Italy. Work included city-mapping to build the necessary cartographies, city-scale spatial, environmental and socio-economic analysis, reporting, strategy recommendations and guide-production.

• Research Assistant

  • Feb 2008 - Feb 2008

  Field researcher within the team led by Dr. Kaj Noschis. Study titled: The Impact of Improved School Design on the Academic Achievement of Students in the Palestinian Territories. Assignment was mainly concerned with documentation and collection of qualitative data. Field researcher within the team led by Dr. Kaj Noschis. Study titled: The Impact of Improved School Design on the Academic Achievement of Students in the Palestinian Territories. Assignment was mainly concerned with documentation and collection of qualitative data.



University of Rome "La Sapienza"

• Italy
• Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Teaching Assistant

  • Sep 2007 - Sep 2007

  Tutor [teaching assistant] at the IFHP 7th International Summer School on Urban Design. The workshop “The Park & the Sea-Theatre” extended over 14 days with seminars, discussions and design studios. It focused on the alterations in ecosystems around the lagoon of the town of Sabaudia as a result of change in sear-water flows, which in turn is caused by industries and encroachment of tourism. Tutor [teaching assistant] at the IFHP 7th International Summer School on Urban Design. The workshop “The Park & the Sea-Theatre” extended over 14 days with seminars, discussions and design studios. It focused on the alterations in ecosystems around the lagoon of the town of Sabaudia as a result of change in sear-water flows, which in turn is caused by industries and encroachment of tourism.

• External Consultant

  • Apr 2007 - Jun 2007

  Ex-post Technical evaluation of execution standards, performance and maintenance (or impediments to those) for 103 selected infrastructural EGP I-III Projects (both technical and social) three years after completion. Within the framework of the study, over 90 localities in the West Bank were visited. Ex-post Technical evaluation of execution standards, performance and maintenance (or impediments to those) for 103 selected infrastructural EGP I-III Projects (both technical and social) three years after completion. Within the framework of the study, over 90 localities in the West Bank were visited.