Ghajariyyah  Cultural  Café  Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow’s Leaders Capstone Project – 2014  

The Lebanese American University  

Author: Tala Elissa Supervisor: Dr. Imad Salamey    

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Table of Contents

I. Abstract ………………………………………………………………….2

II. The problem: Polarized Amman ………………….…………………….3

III. Summary ……………………………………………………………......5

IV. Objectives………………………………………………………………..7

V. Activities & Timeline……………………………………………………8

VI. Management …………………………………………………………….11

VII. Project Sustainability ……..……………………………………….........12

VIII. Budget….…….……………………………………………………….....13

IX. Promotion………………………………………………………………..14

X. Conclusion……………………………………………………….………15

XI. References……………………………………………………………….16

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Abstract Ghajariyyah cultural café is a project that aims to revive and strengthen the communal sense of belonging among inhabitants of Amman, Jordan. The café will simultaneously operate as a regular café and as a cultural center. The mission of this project is to provide a free of entry creative public space to Amman’s inhabitants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Problem: Polarized Amman Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is like many cities, virtually

divided according to the social status of its inhabitants. While East Amman comprises the poorer population, West Amman is home for the rich.

Image 1: The virtual line separating East Amman from West Amman

The fact that “Amman shows marked socio-spatial polarization between its wealthy neighborhoods on the one hand and its poorer socio-economic quarters on the other” (Potter et al., 2009), increases the chance of political, economic and social instability in the country. Therefore, projects dedicated to prevent the “socio- spatial” polarization are definitely needed.

The first step to resolve this social tension in Amman is to change the stereotypical gaze that each class has of the other. Once the rich stops seeing the poor as a person in ‘need’, and once the poor stops seeing the rich as a ‘greedy’ evil person, the tension might then be toned down. In other words, Ammanis have to find a sense of commonality within their many differences in order to eliminate all the filters and stereotypes that the geographic and economic polarization has built between them.

On a practical level, stereotypes can only be overcome when the people themselves meet the ‘other’ in a safe space that provides them with the proper tools and atmosphere to resolve their conflict. The non-discriminatory nature of the public space makes it a perfect venue for the two groups in Amman to meet each other; because the public space is inclusive, it unifies the society and stabilizing the country (Tonnelat, 2010).

West Amman East Amman

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Therefore, a public space is needed in Amman in order to host the fragmented community and allow it to resolve its conflicts through discussion, conversation and negotiation. Although Amman does have public spaces including King Hussein Park, the Hashemite Square and Rainbow Street, a study conducted by Lara Zureikat, a member of the Center for the Study of the Built Environment, shows that the “demand for public spaces in Amman is very high, but the supply does not even begin to meet this demand. This imbalance has to be addressed, and a suitable supply of well-designed and well-maintained public spaces needs to be provided to the people of Amman” (Al- Asad, 2011).

The study also shows that in addition to the insufficient quantity of Amman’s public spaces, the spaces have become venues for cultural tension: “What many may consider objectionable behavior, others find totally acceptable. This is expressed in many ways, the most visible of which is the harassment of women by groups of young men” (Al-Asad, 2011). This means that instead of having the public spaces create a sense of commonality within Ammanis in order to overcome the polarization, the spaces have unfortunately reinforced the problem they are meant to solve.

This is exactly where Ghajariyyah Cultural Café comes to fill the need. In principle,

Ghajariyyah is a confined and supervised free of entry public space. What distinguishes Ghajariyyah from the already existent public spaces in Amman is that through its activities including discussions, debates and screenings, it would guide its visitors to overcome their differences in a healthy constructive way. Moreover, due to the space’s confined nature, it would be possible to control any extreme cultural misbehavior that usually takes part in other public spaces in Amman such as sexual harassment.

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Summary WHAT IS GHAJARIYYAH?

Ghajariyyah cultural café is a free of charge public space that operates as a café and a cultural center at the same time. On one hand the café would offer the food and beverage. On the other hand, the cultural center is responsible for setting the cultural ambiance of the place starting from interior design, music, cultural performances and activities such as concerts, screening, workshops, etc… It is important to note that food and beverage is not the main focus of the café, rather it is only used to generate basic income (further discussed in page 12) and to attract a larger audience.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Ammanis from East and West Amman who are interested in dialogue and culture

MISSION

Ghajariyyah’s mission is to provide Ammanis with a creative, inclusive, non-discriminatory public space in which different visitors would engage in cultural discussions and enjoy food and beverage at their will.

VISION

Ghajariyyah aims to reverse the polarization of Amman’s society by creating a collective consciousness that celebrates diversity and overcomes differences.

COMPETITORS

There are two initiatives that had recently opened in Amman and have the same mission as Ghajariyyah. The first is Jadal Café, and the second is Fann wa Chai café. Although, like Ghajariyyah both cafés operate as cultural centers, they do not serve food. Hence, my strength would be the food; much of my target audience would probably be more interested in visiting the café if they can enjoy a refreshing snack while engaging in conversation. Moreover, food will not be used as a commercial product, instead it will be part of the cultural spirit of the place; the menu would include traditional dishes from different nationalities present in Amman, for example: Egyptians, Armenians, Sri Lankan, etc… This way the café would attract the different minorities residing in Amman, who in turn would enrich the cultural experience and discussions.

Image 3: Jadal Café in Amman

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WHERE WILL GHAJARIYYAH BE LOCATED?

As explained in page 3, Amman is geographically polarized according to social status, to East and West. And since my mission is to bridge the two districts, the perfect venue would be somewhere between the two poles.

The idle location for Ghajariyyah is Jabal al-Weibdeh, not only because it connects the Eastern part to the Western, but also because it is already a culturally rich area in the city. “Jabal al-Weibdeh is a significant site of social and architectural heritage in Amman” (Page, 2013), which means that it carries a very unique identity and history of the city.

Image 2: A street in Jabal al-Weibdeh

Jabal al-Weibdeh has become the venue for many different cultural institutions including galleries such as Darat al-Funun, and Dar al-Anda, Language centers such as the French Cultural Centre, and multi-purpose venues such as Makan, and Mohtaraf al-Rimal. Due to the area’s cultural/ artistic scene, it has become the cultural hub of the city which is perfect for Ghajariyyah because it would allow me to reach my target audience.

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Objectives 1. GUIDE THE CUSTOMERS/VISITORS TO HEALTHY AND CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS

THAT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO ACCEPT EACH OTHER’S DIFFERENCES.

In most public spaces in Amman, excluding Jadal Café and Fann wa Chai, the people are left to socialize with others on their own with an environment that is not set for engagement. Ghajariyyah, on the other hand aims to provide the people with sufficient simulating activities that would pave the path for conversation and hence socialization. Activities can include discussion groups, debate clubs, book clubs, poetry readings, open-mic sessions, screenings etc…

The debates and discussions held at Ghajariyyah would provide a lot of opportunities for the participants to expose themselves to different people, as well as get exposed to various cultures and ideas. By time, the members would hopefully be more lenient to accepting and respecting the ‘Other’, which would fulfill the main vision of the project.

2. BUILD NETWORKS AND ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Ghajariyyah café intends to provide an environment in which different people can build networks and opportunities. For example, young entrepreneurs can meet potential investors or partners who might help them in their implementations. After all, the door for opportunities widens with more networks, and networks cannot exist independent from space. Therefore Ghajariyyah would be a perfect venue for network building.

3. PROMOTE THE CULTURAL SCENE IN AMMAN Although Amman does have a considerable cultural potential, it lacks an appropriate setting to promote its cultural assets. For example, many emerging young artists are not being appreciated nor given sufficient support. In turn, Ghajariyyah aims to fill this gap by providing a creative public space in which local artists, musicians, writers and performers would be hosted to perform. These artists will not only express their talents and inspire audiences, but they will also build networks and widen their audience.

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Activities & Timeline The project will be launched in January 2016, and the preparatory phase will be starting January 2015.

Objective #1: Guide the customer/visitor to healthy and constructive relationships that would enable them to accept each other’s differences

Activity Description Timeline Budget $/year Hire a cultural

manager The logistics, and marketing of cultural events

will be the responsibility of the cultural manager

who would devise a monthly cultural calendar

January

2015

8400

(Salary)

Form a Cultural Directory

The cultural manager has to devise a directory

that includes all the local/regional potential

speakers, artists, lecturers, musicians we can

host. The manager should then inform them

about the café and welcome them aboard.

January

2015

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Conduct a Research about

Ammanis’ cultural

differences

The study will be conducted by the cultural

manager and would highlight the points of social

conflicts in the society. Once these are targeted,

we can invest our discussion topics in the needed

direction. For example if the study showed that

religion is the point of conflict within Ammani

youth, we would choose related themes for the

screenings and book discussions.

March 2015

500

(Transportation

and focus

groups)

Opening Night -Band

Host an important well-known local band, such

as Jadal, to attract as many people as possible

January

2016

300

(Salary)

Book Clubs Each month , one book would be discussed

amongst interested members

January

2016

500

(Books)

Discussion groups

Once a week one topic would be discussed

amongst interested members

January

2016

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Screenings

Once every two weeks a film will be screened February

2016

200

(Films&other)

Total 9900

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Objective #2: Build networks and enhance opportunities

Activity Description Timeline Budget $/year Workshops including

photography, dance and

writing workshops

Other than their beneficial content,

workshops would allow strangers to

become acquaintances and eventually

partners or friends.

February 2016

6000

(Salaries for

trainers)

Motivational

Speakers      

Success stories would inspire young

entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and

set role models.

March 2016

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Tweet ups

We would arrange gatherings in which

Twitter users would meet in person.

April 2016

300

(Advertisement)

Total 6300

Objective #3: Promote the cultural scene in Amman

Activity Description Timeline Budget $/year Contests Twice a year we would conduct writing and

drawing contests

March 2016 1000

(prizes)

Open mic sessions

Participants would have the freedom to

express their poems, lyrics and writings

once a month in the café.

February

2016

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Art Galleries Every 3months, a local artist would have the

chance to exhibit his/her work in the café

April 2016

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Host artists including

local poets, musicians,

artists, etc…

These guests would present valuable

intellectual content that would provoke and

inspire the audience + They would have the

chance to build an audience

January 2016

4800

(Salaries)

Total 5800

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ACTIVITIES BUDGET SUMMARY

Objective Budget $/year

#1: Guide the customer/visitor to healthy and constructive relationships that would enable them to accept each other’s differences

9900

#2: Build networks and enhance opportunities 6300

#3: Promote the cultural scene 5800

Total 22,000

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Management Below is a list of the managing team members and their job description:

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

1. Executive Director - Human Resources - Maintain the overall functions of the managers - Budgeting - Strategic planning

2. Cultural Manager - Prepare a monthly cultural calendar - Logistics of events - Marketing of events - Evaluation of events - Location set up (music, interior design)

3. Food and Beverages Manager - Supervise the staff - Control the supply and demand of food - Maintain the quality of food (evaluation) EMPLOYEES 1. 1 cook

2. 1 cashier/ accountant 3. 2 waiters 4. 1 helper

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Project Sustainability TYPE OF ORGANIZATION Ghajariyyah will be an Enterprising nonprofit, meaning an NGO with income generating activities.

INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES • Food and beverage • Commission form selling books and music CDs • Commission from selling paintings

FUNDING

1. Crowd Funding Campaign

2. Sponsors: a. Interlink Publishing House b. The Royal Film Commission

3. Donors:

a. The Great Amman Municipality b. The Ministry of Culture c. The Ministry of Tourism

 

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Budget  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Expenditure ($) 1. Kitchen

Fridge 1700 Oven 800 Cabinets 4000 Utensils + plates + cups 600 Total 8,000

2. Furniture Tables (20) 2000 Chairs + couches 2500 Side lamps 300 Total 5000

3. Technology Sound system 700 Projector and screen 600 Total 1300

4. Refining of place (floors, ceilings…) Total 10,000

Total = 24,000

Running Cost ($)/year Rental of 150m2 space 28,000 Advertising and promotion 5,000 Utilities 8,000 Activities 13,600 Salaries Month Year General Manager 700 8,400 Cultural Manager 700 8,400 F&B Manager 500 6,000 Cashier 300 3,600 2 waiters 250/person 6,000 Cook 400 4,800 1 helper 250 3,000 Total 3,350 40,200

Total =94,800/year

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Promotion Tool Description

Social Media

Ghajariyyah would have a Facebook page,

Instagram and Twitter accounts to promote its

events

WordPress Blog

The website is meant to reach people who do

not use social media + it would be more

professional than social media

TV

In Ghajariyyah’s launching week, the general

manager would be interviewed on Ro’ya TV

which is the most popular Jordanian Channel

Radio

Commercials would be bought at radio Al-

Balad, Beat FM, and Play 99.6

Magazines

Ghajariyyah’s events would be covered by

Living Well magazine, and Al-Balad cultural

calendar

Billboards

Commercials would be distributed on billboards in

different areas, part in East Amman and part in

West Amman

 

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Conclusion In conclusion, Ghajariyyah is an NGO café that would operate as a public space in Amman, Jabal al-Weibdeh. It would serve as a café and a cultural center in which Ammanis from the West and East side of the city would gather under one roof to converse, discuss and enjoy a cultural setting.

Ghajariyyah’s vision is to invoke a tolerant sense of belonging within Ammanis. The project’s objectives are to guide the customers/visitors to constructive relationships, help members build networks, and finally promote the cultural scene in Amman.

Having set the main activities that will be taking place, it is clear that the project’s preparation would take almost a year starting January 2015, while the café would officially be launched in January 2016.

Although the café would generate income through selling food and taking commission from exhibited paintings and music CDs, the main funding sources would be provided by online campaigns, sponsors and donors.

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References Al-Asad, M. (2011). Three public spaces in Amman. Retrieved from http://www.csbe.org/e-

publications-resources/urban-crossroads/three-public-spaces-in-amman/

Page, J. (2013). Rainbow street: Heritage, cosmopolitanism, and urban space in Amman, Jordan.

The Inquiry. Retrieved from https://pages.wustl.edu/files/pages/imce/figure/inquiry-2013.pdf#page=116

Potter, R. & Darmame, K. & Barham, N. & Nortcliff, S. (2009). Ever-growing Amman, Jordan:

Urban expansion, social polarisation and contemporary urban planning issues. Habitat International. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197397508000386

Tonnelat, S. (2010). The sociology of urban public spaces. Territorial Evolution and Planning

Solution: Experiences from China and France. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/2359479/The_sociology_of_urban_public_spaces