My Mind Words Paper:
arab league

Deadline: 30 June 2012

In 2012 the IJP are offering for the nineth time a travel and work fellowship for up to five young journalists from the Middle East, especially from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and Palestine to spend a two-month period in Germany. We are doing this in cooperation with governmental institutions, foundations and sponsors in Germany and the Middle East. At the same time, the fellowship is being offered to journalists in Germany, who can apply to spend a two-month period in the Middle East.

The two work fellowships each for journalists from Germany and Israel are named in honour of the journalist Ernst Cramer and the former mayor of Jerusalem Teddy Kollek and their exemplary dedication to the intensification of German-Israeli relations.

The fellowship is intended to enable young journalists to familiarise themselves with the political issues in Germany at an early stage of their career. This will raise awareness of aspects of relations between Germany and the Middle Eastern region in future multipliers and will give them a personal insight into mentality, culture and everyday life in Germany and the European Union.

The practical part of the fellowship ensures contact with colleagues in the region, and it is hoped this contact will be maintained in future years. This is also the intention of future alumni reunions in Berlin.

MODE OF PAYMENT

The fellowship carries a single payment of 4,000 euro per person. This sum is intended to cover a large proportion of the travel costs, board and lodging. Fellows are expected to contribute a certain amount themselves. There will be no payment for the individual’s work on location as a journalist.

DATES

The fellowship begins end of October 2012 with an introductory event in Berlin together with the German fellows. This is followed by a fellowship lasting at least two months with a German media outlet.

The branch of the media (newspaper, radio, TV, magazine) will be selected by the fellows, and the actual place of work will then be decided by the organiser in consultation with the fellows. There will be the possibility to extend the stay on an individual basis.

APPLICATION

Applications, for which there is no special form, are to be submitted by June 30, 2012. The application must be accompanied by a passport photo, a detailed curriculum vitae, and a journalistic appraisal written by the head of department or editor-in-chief. The latter should support the application, guarantee temporary leave of absence for the duration of the fellowship, and serve as evidence of journalistic activity. Samples of work may be enclosed. A very good knowledge of English is expected. While a knowledge of German will naturally be welcomed, this is not an essential requirement for an application. Visa arrangements will be made with the help of the organizers.

After preliminary selection, the finalists might be invited for a selection interview. Legal action in respect of the final decision shall be barred. Notification will be sent to the successful candidates by August 25th.

All fellows undertake to write, upon their return, a report of at least three pages on their experience, activities and impressions in the country.

DATES

• Fellowship: 2 months, November/December
• Application for 2012: June 30, 2012
• Fellowship 2012: Introduction meeting in Berlin - November 1-2, 2012

For queries: freiling@ijp.org

For submissions: address applications to Middle East-Fellowships – IJP e.V., Postfach 1565, 61455 Koenigstein/Ts., Germany or by email to middleeast@ijp.org

Website: http://www.ijp.org

Deadline: 21 June 2012

Edge of Arabia and Dar al-Ma’mûn are launching a new partnership involving artist residencies and translation projects. The first steps in this collaboration are a residency at Dar al-Ma’mûn for Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem, as well as an Arabic edition of Henry Hemming’s monograph on his work, published in English by Edge of Arabia in 2011.

Edge of Arabia and Dar al-Ma’mûn invite translators working from English into Arabic, to apply for a month-long residency at Dar al-Ma’mûn in order to translate the monograph, Abdulnasser Gharem - Art of Survival.

GENRE OF THE TEXT: biography of Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem and commentary on his work. More information at http://edgeofarabia.com/publications/abdulnasser-gharem

SIZE OF THE TEXT: 22,000 words

CONDITIONS OF STAY: the selected translator will benefit from a return flight to Marrakech, single accommodation on site, meals included, a well-stocked and staffed library, and a US $ 2,800 stipend.

The translator will have an opportunity to converse with both the artist and the author of the monograph during his or her residency.

The translator is expected to finish the translation by the end of his stay at Dar al-Ma’mûn, and to remain available after the residency period for revisions to the Arabic text.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The application should consist of:

- A curriculum vitae

- A translation into Arabic of the text below, “Flora & Fauna”, excerpted from Abdulnasser Gharem – Art of Survival

- An indication of the translator’s earliest availability for a month-long residency in Marrakech, knowing that the residency should start no later than September 1st, 2012.

The applicant’s CV should list publications as well as previous translation work. Previous experience in writing or translating art criticism is appreciated, though by no means required.

Applications should be sent no later than June 21st, to the following email address: edge@dam-arts.org

The successful applicant will be notified by July 1st.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Dar al-Ma’mûn is an international residency center for visual artists and literary translators located in the Ourika Valley 9 Miles from the city of Marrakech, in Morocco.

Dar al-Ma’mûn is a non-profit platform for art and knowledge production, which aims at encouraging mobility and intercultural exchange. On top of its residency programs, it offers year-round cultural programming, a free library, as well as educational activities for children and adults from the neighboring area.

Edge of Arabia is an independent arts initiative developing the appreciation of contemporary Arab art and culture with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia. As a social enterprise Edge of Arabia is committed to reaching new audiences and improving understanding through a variety of platforms including exhibitions, publications and education programs targeting schools & universities.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: edge@dam-arts.org

Website: http://dam-arts.org

When we ponder the concepts of religion and queerness, what images and issues come to mind?

In discussions involving religion and LGBT issues for QPOC, the focus in mainstream media has almost always been on Christian families, churches, and communities, and the degree to which they are homophobic or transphobic. If we hear anything about queer Muslims, it’s sensationalized e.g. a viral link about a gay Iranian man being sentenced to death, or the number of lashes you’d receive for being a “practicing homosexual” in Muslim countries.

But when do we ever hear from queer Muslims themselves, about their everyday lives, about their hardships and triumphs, their families and lovers–or, simply, what keeps them centered, devout, inspired?

Here at QWOC Media Wire, we want to hear from LGBTQI people of color, diaspora, and other ethnic/racial minorities who identify as Muslim and/or were raised practicing Islam.

Whether you’re a Muslim born into an Uygher family, are a convert from another religion, identify as a queer Muslim from an African country, were raised Muslim but identify as spiritual etc. — whatever the case may be — we want you to be able to share, in your own words, your experiences and thoughts on religion, culture, sexuality, and everyday life.

Additionally, if you practice another religion, faith, and/or spirituality that you feel isn’t as readily discussed in public forums, such as Hinduism or Sikhism, Wicca, African Traditional Religions, Baha’i etc. we would love to hear from you as well!

IMPORTANT: Please keep in mind, the purpose of this call for submissions is not to get into a religious discussion; we don’t want to debate religion, we want to hear about how many of us reconcile the various parts of our identities as diaspora, sexual minorities, and spiritual/religious people. We want to create a space where people can share their experiences, not defend them.

Submissions can be in the form of prose, poetry, a stream of consciousness, a rant, an ode, or any other form of media. What’s most important is that it reflects you, your words, your lives.

Here are some examples of LGBTQI women of color and gender non-conforming folks we’d like to hear from:

• Muslims who grew up in the global south
• Muslim feminists who also identify as queer women of color
• People who were raised in Muslim families but converted, or don’t “practice”
• People who practice religion/spirituality outside of Islam and Christianity e.g. African, Buddhism, Hinduism
• Do you identify as a QPOC and a convert to Islam?
• Do you identify as another religion that has not been focused on in queer media, such as Hinduism or Buddhism?

Please email us at submissions@qwocmediawire.com with your name, nationality, religion, how you identity ethnically, your sexual orientation/gender identity (if you wish), and what kind of piece you’d like to submit.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries/ submissions: submissions@qwocmediawire.com

Website: http://www.qwoc.org

Deadline: 31 May 2012

Theme: Transforming Middle East Media

The Arab Spring has focused attention on the role of journalism and media in Arab societies. In many Arab countries, journalists are now operating in a different media environment. Some argue that the professionalism of some journalists has fallen far short of normative goals, a phenomenon often attributed to tight governmental control of the press. Journalism educators must help provide a "new culture" of Arab journalism that benefits from newfound freedoms, but also stresses responsible reporting, based on fundamental principles of journalism, such as independence, accuracy, and verification.

The global social media revolution has also significantly impacted and essentially transformed Middle East media. With a plethora of social media outlets, such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and Google Plus, journalists can now take advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to tell stories that would otherwise be ignored. In this new world, satellite channels regularly air YouTube videos shot on bystanders' cell phone cameras. What are the rules that should govern the use of this material by "mainstream" news sites? Does this "citizen journalism" help or hurt the journalism profession? Furthermore, one can only assume that we have only seen little of what the social media revolution has in store. New social media technologies and vehicles seem to arrive every day-which ones are here to stay, which will be institutionalized and which are just passing fads, soon to be forgotten?

The AUSACE 2012 theme aims to address these and other issues related to the unprecedented changes affecting the Arab media. We welcome abstract submissions for papers and panel submissions for public discussions.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries: ausace2012@gmail.com

For submissions: submit online here

Website: www.ausace2012.com

Deadline: 31 May 2012

The 2012 International European Intelligence Academy (EIA) Essay Writing Competition

Subject: “How the Iranian nuclear standoff and Middle-East tensions could be addressed in the context of International Relations?”

Awards: The student / young scholar who writes the best essay will receive $500 USD, Certificate of First Award, a Trophy, and one year internship opportunity with European Intelligence Academy (EIA).

Deadline: Entries must be received by no later than MAY 31, 2012

ELIGIBILITY

1. The author of the essay shall have completed an undergraduate degree in 2011

2. This competition is only eligible for young scholars up to 30 years old (as of May 31, 2012)

GUIDELINES

1. Essays must be 1200-1500 words, Times New Roman 12pt. font, all citations required to be inline citation in MLA format

2. Competitors are required to provide a short biography maximum 700 words or 2-page CV

3. Essays must have a cover page indicating:

• category (Student or Young Scholar)
• highest academic degree earned/studying in progress
• essay title: “How the Iranian nuclear standoff and Middle-East tensions could be addressed in the context of International Relations?”
• your full name as it appears on your passport
• address
• telephone number
• e-mail
• nationality
• age as of May 31, 2012
• University that you have graduated from/or currently studying at

NB – Please note that entries missing any of the above information will not be considered.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Entries must be submitted online via email to competition@euintelligenceacademy.org

2. Essays must be original and unpublished.

3. Essays must be written by one person. Co-authored essays are not accepted.

4. Copyright of the essays submitted will be assigned to the organizers.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries/ submissions: contact EIA at competition@euintelligenceacademy.org

Website: http://www.euintelligenceacademy.org

Deadline: 30 May 2012

Photography has been traditionally used to document, record and preserve traces of the past such as in passports, permits and family albums. It has also been used as evidence in police work and courtrooms. Recent scholars have been interested in photography not as a record of reality but rather to understand its social function and the role photography has played in regulating modern societies through its various modes of representation. Photographic visuality can be fraught with meaning. For example, photography can be a platform to analyze the problems of working in a culture in which the feminine is defined as object for the masculine gaze. Moreover, signs of modernity, sexuality and patriarchy, to cite a few, can be identified in photographs to reveal gender, social and racial issues within a particular community. Not only can photography provide evidence for the presence of women in salient historical and social events but it can also serve as a means to analyze representation strategies and to examine complex gender relations in a particular context. Furthermore, photography can be read as a medium that empowers women by representing them as subjects/agents contrary to the broader representations of women as passive objects in photographs.

This special issue of Al-Raida on Women & Photography in the Arab World seeks papers addressing photography as a medium that challenges assumed gender roles/positions/attributes as seen in the media. It seeks contributions that examine the practice of women photographers in the Arab region as well as how women are represented in the photographs from a variety of perspectives and disciplines including arts, photo-journalism, history, anthropology, the social sciences, and cultural studies.

SUGGESTED TOPICS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Re-inventing “women” through photography
• The female as object/subject in the photograph
• Seeing through a woman’s lens
• Female authorship and subjectivity
• Female identity and the construction of self-image through photography
• Photography and feminism
• Visual autobiography through family albums (analog or digital)
• Photography and the archive
• Photography and memory
• Photography and its relationship to the public and the private
• Female desire reflected in photographs

Complete manuscripts should be prepared in English in MS Word and adhere to the Submission Guidelines they should be 6000-8000 words, including notes and references. Papers should be accompanied by an abstract of 300 words. The manuscript must contain a separate title page that should include: the title of the manuscript; the name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s); full contact details of the author(s); the author's brief biographical statement. All papers will be subject to anonymous double peer review following submission. Authors will be provided with feedback from the editorial committee to assist them in the further development of their scholarly work.

Please send your submission as an e-mail attachment to the issue editor, Yasmine Nashabe at the following address: ynachabe@gmail.com and to the managing editor, Ms. Myriam Sfeir, at myriam.sfeir@lau.edu.lb on or before 30 May, 2012.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

Al-Raida is an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal published twice yearly by the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) at the Lebanese American University (LAU). Al-Raida was the first of its kind in the Arab world appearing first in May 1976, 3 years after the founding of the first institute for women’s studies in the Arab world (IWSAW).

Al-Raida publishes papers on topics across a wide range of academic disciplines that raise gender issues in historical and contemporary contexts. Through the research published, Al-Raida aims to create links across the conventional divides of scholarship and activism; "Western" and "Third World" feminisms; professionals and students; men and women.

The journal seeks both multidisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives, and invites submissions in the form of scholarly articles, student papers and literary pieces. Papers are considered for the originality of their contribution to knowledge. In addition to publishing peer-reviewed articles, Al-Raida will continue to publish experimental pieces, testimonials, interviews, short stories, poems, and photographic essays. The journal also publishes book reviews and review articles on recent scholarly publications in the field of women and gender studies.

Articles must be based on original research or offer well grounded theoretical and methodological contributions. They must be written in a clear and concise style in English and they must not be under consideration by any other publication. The articles are submitted to a double blind peer reviewing process and must follow the style guidelines of the journal. All papers are double blind refereed and authors are provided with feedback from the editorial committee to assist them in the further development of their scholarly work.

Link: submission guidelines

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries: contact the editors at al-raida@lau.edu.lb

For submissions: email your papers to Yasmine Nashabe (ynachabe@gmail.com) and to the managing editor, Ms. Myriam Sfeir, at myriam.sfeir@lau.edu.lb

Website: http://www.lau.edu.lb/centers-institutes/iwsaw/publications/al-raida/

Deadline: 27 May 2012

This annual contest comes from a 1951 Langston Hughes poem: What Happens to a Dream Deferred?. Just as the poem helped propel the civil rights movement in the U.S., today it can inspire your dream deferred for the Middle East. The contest has two parts: one for Middle Eastern youth and one for American youth. Please answer one of the questions below - but first make sure to read the rules & guidelines. Winning essays - selected by a panel of celebrity judges - receive $10,000 in prizes.

$10,000 IN PRIZES:

• $2,000 for 1 grand prize winner each in Mideast & U.S.
• $1,500 for 1 second place winner in each region
• $500 for 3 runners-up in each region
• 50 book prizes for additional outstanding essays.

Your Story: How does civil rights abuse in your local community impact you? Share a defining moment where you experienced civil rights restrictions (censorship, discrimination, etc.). How did this incident change you? Will your children's generation still face such repression?

Freedom: Given the historic changes in the Mideast over the past year, do you feel more or less free? Reflect on changes in the region and in your local community. Explain, with examples, whether you enjoy greater rights today than a year ago. Do you expect to be more free a year from now?

In the Streets: If you participated in grassroots protests against repression during the past year, why did you join and what did you learn? Describe in vivid detail what you experienced, as well as how your life - and your attitude on individual rights - has changed. What challenges remain now?

Advocacy: How can individual rights be secured in the Mideast’s new reality? Dictators may have fallen, yet individual rights remain fragile. What can you do to protect the rights of vulnerable members in your local community (women, minorities, etc.). Propose a concrete action plan.

Dream: What is your “dream deferred”: a vision of your society with civil rights for all? Share your dream of a civil rights movement in your community. If you like, write a mock newspaper article from the future reporting on the effort.

Film Fest: In 2008, an essay contest winner organized the first-ever Cairo Human Rights Film Festival. When authorities blocked theatres from hosting screening, she held the opening on a Nile River boat. Be inspired and share your vision for a similar festival in your community: What films will you show? How will you overcome obstacles?

Viral Video: You have been given $1,000 to make a short video (1-4 mins) about individual rights in your society. Share the script, which can expose repression, showcase a campaign or dream of a better future. Bonus: Make the film and provide a YouTube link.

RULES FOR THE "DREAM DEFERRED ESSAY CONTEST"

Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

Who can enter the contest?

Entrants must be 25 years old or younger as of the contest deadline: May 27, 2012. Entrants must reside in Arab League member states, Iran, Afghanistan, or the United States. There is no minimum age requirement, and entrants do not need to be students. Prizes are awarded as cash, not scholarships.

Foreign Students: If you are a foreigner currently studying in the US, you can enter the contest. If you are a Middle Easterner studying in the US, answer one of the questions posed to Middle Easterners. If you are a citizen of the Middle East temporarily living outside the region, you can still enter the contest. If you are an American currently living overseas, you can enter the contest.

Equal Opportunity: All essays are evaluated without regard for race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation of the author, as well as other classifications protected by applicable international US laws.

How long should entries be?

Essays should be at least 600 words, but no longer than 1,500 words. Footnotes, citations, and essay title do not count towards the word limit.

Can an essay entry remain anonymous?

If do not want your name made public in the event your essay is selected as a winner, check the "anonymous" box when submitting your essay. Several past winners have chosen this option.

When will AIC announce the winners?

Winners will be notified (and announced on our web site) by Summer 2012. Judges evaluate each essay for clarity, creativity, and persuasiveness to determine prize winners.

What are common mistakes to avoid when writing an essay?

Do not focus on US government policy and regional geo-politics (the Iraq War debate, the Arab-Israeli-Iranian conflict, Iran's nuclear program, etc.). Essays based on these topics are disqualified. Judges are looking for essays that explore what ordinary citizens can do on the grassroots level to strengthen individual rights within Middle Eastern societies. These civil rights include, but are not limited to, free expression, women's equality, minority rights, religious freedom, economic liberty, and artistic freedom. Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

How can a brief essay cover the broad topic of civil rights in the Mideast?

There are several ways to address this challenge. Past prize winners have discussed the larger problem of civil rights abuses across the Middle East with a range of examples. Others have focused on one particular country (Middle Eastern participants are strongly encouraged to address their own society). Others have focused on a particular kind of civil rights abuse (e.g., press censorship). There is no one "right" answer to any of the essay questions. Check out the Guide to Writing a Good Essay, which includes helpful tips for each question.

Do essays have to be original and does AIC retain the right to reprint essays?

Yes and yes. Makes sure any quotations or outside intellectual material have citations. All essay submissions become the property of the contest's sponsor: the American Islamic Congress. At the same time, entrants can republish their essay on their own (e.g., on a blog, for a class paper, etc.) and use ideas for other writing.

2012 CELEBRITY JUDGES FOR "DREAM DEFERRED ESSAY CONTEST"

Amber Lyon

Amber Lyon is a three-time Emmy award-winning journalist and correspondent for CNN, where she helps produce investigative reports and documentaries. She covered the Bahraini nonviolent movement on the ground, and was attacked by Bahraini police. Since then she has become one of the most cited American journalists on the struggle for civil rights in Bahrain.

Ahmed Benchemsi

Benchemsi co-founded Morocco's groundbreaking and best-selling weekly magazines TelQuel and Nichane, which made international headlines with taboo-busting cover stories on the salary of Morocco's king, opinion polls, free speech and more. Benchemsi has been recognized for his pioneering journalism with fellowships at the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. At the same time, he faced on-going legal intimidation and recently left Morocco to serve as a fellow at Stanford University.

Marietje Schaake

Marietje Schaake is a Dutch politician who has served as a member of the European Parliament since July 2009. The Wall Street Journal identified her as “The Most Wired Politician in Europe”. She has introduced numerous resolutions and inquiries to support the civil rights movement in the Mideast and North Africa before and after the Arab uprisings.

Parisa Montazaran

Parisa Montazaran is the first Muslim to appear on the MTV hit show The Real World. A first-generation Iranian-American, this reality TV star is currently lecturing at universities on diversity, Muslim youth in America, cross-cultural and inter-faith understanding, and female/minority empowerment. Parisa hopes to leverage her freedom in the US to promote change back home in Iran.

Jane Novak

Jane Novak is a leading player in the Yemeni struggle for reform, press freedom, and women equality - and she does it all from her New Jersey home. This stay-at-home mother first became interested in Yemen in 2004 when she learned about the imprisonment of journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani. Novak began to publicize his case on her blog and launched a petition calling for al-Khaiwani’s release. The petition soon garnered 1,000 signatures, and Novak was profiled in the New York Times.

Nasser Weddady

The son of an ambassador, Weddady grew up throughout the Middle East and witnessed firsthand the toll of civil rights repression. As an adult he became an outspoken human rights activist and had to flee to the US as a refugee in 2000. A few days after September 11, he was mistakenly detained by the FBI. Today, he organizes workshops for Middle Eastern activists and helps lead campaigns to free dissidents. He is the co-editor of "Arab Spring Dreams," a new anthology featuring outstanding writing from this essay contest.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: submit your essay online here

Website: http://www.aicongress.org/

Deadline: 15 June 2012

Upon the success of my first edited volume titled Arab women’s Lives Retold: Exploring Identity through Writing (Syracuse University Press, 2007), I am working on a second edited volume on Arab Women's Autobiographical Writings. The first volume included studies on a number of texts by Arab women writers or women writers of Arab origin, such as Leila Ahmed’s A Border Passage: From Cairo to America; Assia Djebar’s L’Amour, La Fantasia; Raimonda Tawil’s My Home, My Prison; Leila Abouzeid's Return to childhood; Fatima Mernissi’s Dreams of Trespass; Queen Noor’s Leap of Faith; in addition to studies of autobiography in fiction and poetry, such as texts by Ahdaf Soueif, Mohja Kahf and Suheir Hammad.

If interested in contributing to the second volume book, kindly send a bio of 500 words and a proposal or an abstract of 500-800 words by June 15th, 2012 to Nawar Al-Hassan Golley: nhgolley@aus.edu. Notification of acceptance will be sent by July 15th, 2012.

Completed papers are due December 30th, 2012.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries/ submissions: contact Dr. Nawar Al-Hassan Golley at nhgolley@aus.edu

The Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature aims at supporting the cultural, artistic and literary fields considering them as a way to emphasise the cultural and humanitarian promotion.

The competition also aims to implant the values of traditions and evolvement in the upcoming generation through providing them with a perfect ambience based on the intellectual, artistic and scientific competition. The award aims to honour artists and intellectuals for their cultural contribution towards evolving the intellect and promoting humanitarian conscience. The award is a part of the continuous interest and Royal care of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos towards culture and its position in the Sultanate’s comprehensive development.

The Sultan Qaboos Centre for Islamic Culture is responsible for all the award’s specialisations and its application.

The award is granted for winners in the fields of culture, arts and literature where one branch of each field will be chosen in each turn of the award, so that three winners of intellectuals, artists and literature will be granted the award each year. Which means, there will be one winner in each field. The Sultan Qaboos Appreciation Award for Culture, Arts and Literature will be granted based upon the total work and achievements of the applicant, whereas the Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature will be granted upon one work only for the applicant.

Applicants can apply personally or through scientific, cultural and artist institutions, and the process of evaluation will undergo a couple of procedures and general criteria, such as traditions, commitment to scientific method, innovation and evolvement, whereas other criteria are more specific and will be left for local evaluating committees in each field of the award to decide.

The awards will be in three fields, the first one will be in the cultural field. It is related to the varied cultural works and writings in specialisations of human and social horizons in general, for instance language, history, heritage, philosophy, translation and intellectual studies. The second one is art field. It is related to the artist work production in its different international aspects, such as music, fine arts, sculpture, photography and painting.

The third one is literature field. It is related to different literature types including poetry, novels, short story, literature critique and writing plays. The first winner of the Sultan Qaboos Appreciation Award for Culture, Arts and Literature will be granted the Sultan Qaboos Order for culture, Arts and Literature alongside a sum of RO 100,000.

Secondly, the winner of the Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature will be granted The Sultan Qaboos Order for Culture, Arts and Literature alongside a sum of RO 50,000. The Board of Trustees of the Award has decided that the award — in its first turn — be merely for Omanis in areas of short story, drawing, painting and historical studies. Details will be declared through different local media streams and on the award’s website.

(Note: Application details and forms will be posted, when available. You may check the website of the responsible institution, The Sultan Qaboos Centre for Islamic Culture, for updates.)

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: admin@sqic.gov.om

Website: http://www.sqcic.gov.om

Work country: Multiple (AE, TN, KE)

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

EDITOR IN CHIEF - HEAD OF IBM'S EXTERNAL WEBSITES ACROSS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

THE CORE RESPONSIBILITIES SPAN

• Connecting with focal points from the Marketing & Communications units to drive content for IBM's web presence and optimize performance & effectiveness.
• Manage a process for delivering landing pages, editorial calendars and ensuring pages fully support marketing and sales programs & objectives.
• Review / edit marketing and sales content for web and assess content effectiveness. Ensures content is complete, timely and up-to-date.
• Ensure marketing content reflects the needs and guidelines for local business priorities.
• Coordinate work with an extended team of specialists, including: Web designers/developers, translators, IBM legal department, and external agencies and contractors.
• Interpret and evaluate reports on web traffic, trends and business performance. Build & drive action plans to improve performance.
• Continuation and growth of search activity (paid and SEO)
• Core team member of IBM's Efforts around out "Paid, owned and earned" (POE) IBM Presence.

• Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills. Ability to work with business & technical teams.
• Highly organized, self-starter, attentive to detail. Good problem-solving skills.
• Good understanding of web users and aptitude for emerging web technologies.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline oriented, changing environment. Multi-tasking skills essential.
• Ability of develop simple project plans, manage teams and meet deadlines.

• At least 2 years experience in Understanding of Web editing
• At least 5 years experience in Marketing and corporate communications
• At least 2 years experience in Web site content management (writing and editing) and/or related digital multimedia including social media, blogs, interactive media, etc.
• English: Fluent
• French: Intermediate
• Arabic: Intermediate

For submissions: apply via IBM's official netmedia career site here

Website: http://www.ibm.com

Deadline: 15 May 2012

The Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies (JMEWS) Book Award has been established by the Association for Middle East Women’s Studies (AMEWS) to recognize and promote excellence in the fields of Middle East women’s or gender studies, broadly defined. The JMEWS Book Award will be offered annually to a scholar within these fields for a solo-authored book. Books published (copyrighted) in 2011 will be considered for the 2012 award. The competition is open only to books published in English.

The JMEWS Book Award will be given to the author whose work is judged to provide the most significant and potentially influential contribution to Middle East women’s or gender studies. Books of exceptional courage and potential impact beyond the field will be given special consideration.

The first JMEWS Book Award will be publicly announced at the AMEWS business meeting at the MESA Annual Meeting in 2012. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash award and a plaque. Books that do not receive the award but are considered exceptional will receive honorable mentions at the ceremony.

The JMEWS Book Award Committee strongly encourages submission of nominations for the competition. Nominations must come from one or more individuals (not organizations or publishers) in the form of a letter of nomination verifying the impact of the particular work on the field of Middle East women’s or gender studies. Self-nomination is not permitted, and works submitted without an accompanying letter of nomination will not be considered. Signed copies of the nomination letter as well as five copies of each nominated book should be sent to the Award Committee members: Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, Council on Middle East Studies, The MacMillan Center, Yale University, PO Box 206208, New Haven CT 06520-8206.

The JMEWS Book Award is sponsored by Yale University’s Council on Middle East Studies through funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI grant. Submission deadline: May 15, 2012.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: cmes@yale.edu

For submissions: Signed copies of the nomination letter as well as five copies of each nominated book should be sent to the Award Committee members: Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, Council on Middle East Studies, The MacMillan Center, Yale University, PO Box 206208, New Haven CT 06520-8206.

Website: http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/cmes/