4 CHO Programme

4 CHO Programme

The four organizations working in the field of cultural heritage preservation (4CHOs), Riwaq – Centre for Architectural Preservation, Hebron Rehabilitation Committee RHC, The Old City of Jerusalem Revitalization Programme OCJRP, and Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation CCHP, with the full support and guidance of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency "Sida", have been working together on strengthening the channels of cooperation and discussion between them through the following programmes:

1. Training Workshop; the 4CHOs were able to hold successfully a training session that targeted the architects and engineers working in the conservation of the historic and traditional buildings in the four organizations, in addition to those working in the same field in other private and public institutions, focusing on conservation and consolidation techniques, and entitled Lime Mortars, Limestone Conservation and Consolidation Techniques of Historic Structures.

2. Archival Database; through their efforts to set an archival database for the data available in each of the four cultural heritage preservation, a software was prepared and installed on the pc stations in the four organizations.

3. Film; in an attempt to help introducing the 4CHOs, a documentary film (Preserving the Cultural Heritage in Palestine) was produced about the efforts of the four institutions. The 26-minute movie focused on the works of conserving and rehabilitating the historic and traditional buildings, and highlighted the cooperation between the four organizations to raise the awareness on the issue.

4. Awareness Media Campaign; As part of the 4CHO's Project, the four organizations agreed to implement four pilot projects on community awareness and participation. Each CHO implemented its project in its work locale but based on a shared understanding of the tools and mechanisms of implementation. In this term, CCHP designed and implemented a well articulated multi-media awareness campaign in the Bethlehem District, targeting the general public and decision makers as well as children, youth and women.

5. Book; in order to document the efforts of the 4CHOs in preserving the cultural heritage, each of the 4CHOs has worked on preparing a written booklet about the organization, the publication, which shall be composed of four separate booklets.

In May 2011, CCHP printed and finished the distribution of "Cultural Heritage… A Tool for Development - Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation: A Key Player"; a book that sheds the light on the efforts of CCHP in preserving the cultural heritage resources in Bethlehem Governorate.

The book, which lies in 128 pages explains thoroughly the rehabilitation of traditional buildings for the adaptive reuse of community institutions through the 'Job Creation through Rehabilitation' Programme; a programme funded by the Swedish Government through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and implemented in Bethlehem Governorate by Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation.

6. World Urban Forum; under the title Palestinian Historic City Centres; Spaces for Regeneration, Sida have supported the 4CHO's participation in the fifth World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro – Brazil from 22 – 26 March 2010. The 4CHO's film followed by four presentation demonstrated regeneration and protection programmes in the historic city centres of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron and Birzeit, and discussed the planning and conservation works in the historic centres as means for inclusive sustainable urbanization, good governance and participation, as well as access to shelter.

7. Joint Projects; CCHP and Riwaq have been able to implement "Preventive restoration of traditional buildings in Al-Jaba'a". The main goal for this project was to exchange knowledge in addition to training 21 local labor of Al-Jaba'a village regarding the conservation and consolidation techniques.