Contact
For more information, please contact us at:
paris@acted.org / +33 1 42 65 33 33
33, rue Godot de Mauroy, 75 009 Paris (France)
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communication@acted.org
Arcade
The ARCADE Project is coordinated by the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) in partnership with ENTP, the European New Towns Platform and the CIR, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences. Funded in part by the European Commission (EuropeAid Co-operation Office), this project aims to raise awareness in Europe about culture and development among European development actors (local authorities, NGOs, Foundations, international organisations). By highlighting the role that culture can play in development strategies and programs, ARCADE will promote the respect of cultural diversity as a prerequisite for successful and sustainable development projects.
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ACTED & ARCADE
Linking our actions in the field and a reflective process on the issue of awareness raising to culture and development in Europe.
In recent decades, development actors worldwide have been made progressively aware of the inter linkages between culture and development. More specifically, it has become clear that development projects and programmes which fail to integrate a cultural dimension have less chance of success.
More generally, culture has gradually been considered as an important component within the scope of development, be it personal, local or national.
After years of conflict or serious crisis, the links between a population and its cultural heritage are weakened, even though the use of certain traditions may survive. The weakening of this connection is often accompanied by the loss of reference points and the capacity to plan for the future in an unstable environment. For this reason, ACTED supports, when possible, certain cultural initiatives considered essential for development at the national and community levels.
We strive to renew the links between the past, present and future, so that communities that are conscious of the wealth of their cultural heritage can build upon this wealth and consolidate their development efforts.
Although cultural promotion remains marginal within ACTED’s larger scope of activities, it has always been considered as an essential dimension for community and national development within our approach, as well as a dimension foster within global development strategies.
ACTED’s involvement in cultural activities is today three fold:
- Protection of Cultural Heritage: Whenever possible, ACTED conducts rehabilitation/protection of ancient and historic monuments, in contexts where general development trades or contingent priorities do not often take into consideration these historical assets and subsequently put them at risk, due to their lack of protection and maintenance.
- Promotion of Cultural Activities: Considering the link between culture, social cohesion and conflict prevention, ACTED implements cultural activities mainly through the setting up and support to cultural centres (centre Hélène d’Anjou in Serbia and Bactria Center in Dushanbe), aiming to create a path for past, present and future linkages.
These cultural activities are articulated through three main priorities:
- Contribute to the development of a community identity
- Democratise access to information, culture and education
- Sustain cultural and artistic talent
- Address socio-economic needs of marginalised people
- Fair Trade and ecotourism: Designing sustainable solutions for development has led ACTED to initiate and foster fair trade initiatives, as a means to reinforce economic capacity together with supporting the traditional handicraft production. ACTED privileges fair trade and ecotourism initiatives as a way to stimulate the local economy, often in areas where streamlined productions and economic activities are hindered by unfriendly natural conditions.
Among others, these practical experiences reinforced our feeling that culture can play an essential role in development strategies, especially in post-conflit areas. This allowed us to develop a certain approach and specificity in this field of activities, which has become an essential tool of our overall vision of development.
The link between our field experience and the current focus on raising awareness: the ARCADE experience
It is in this perspective that the ARCADE Project was launched in January 2007 with the aim to raise awareness about culture and development in Europe.
Funded by the European Commission (EuropeAid-Budget line “Awareness raising on development”), ARCADE is a two-years project coordinated by ACTED in partnership with ENTP, the European New Towns Platform and CIR, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences. The project brings together actors of culture and development from various backgrounds (including representatives of local authorities, NGOs, foundations, universities, international organisations as well as artists and cultural practitioners) to exchange the latest ideas and to promote best practices related to the role of culture in conflict prevention, economic development, social cohesion and poverty reduction.
In 2007, the ARCADE project organised a series of thematic seminars and exhibitions on the role of culture in different aspects of development throughout Europe – “Culture and conflict prevention” (Barcelona, Sept 2007), “Culture, social cohesion and integration challenges” (Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, Dec 2007). The next seminars are planned in Poland (May 2008, “Preservation of cultural heritage and local community development”) and France (Fall 2008, “Culture, lever for development”). Beyond identifying best practices, these meetings also aim at building up a comprehensive network of international development and cultural actors working on cultural projects in developing countries as well as to promote the issue towards European development actors.
The project already provided first three-criteria analysis of cultural activities in development programs:
- Importance of the context analysis
The context in which a cultural project is foreseen is a de termining factor for its planning, implementation and evaluation. ARCADE already identified best practices taking place in various contexts (developed / developing countries, urban / rural environment, local / international project, etc). The good context understanding and a related cultural analysis is an essential prelude to any development project or study.
- Coordination between development actors
A large series of stakeholders are involved in cultural and development projects (NGOs, governments, local authorities, artists, etc). In the frame of the ARCADE seminars, misperception and “already made ideas” among these various development actors appeared, as an issue to be tackled before considering any further cooperation.
- Cross sectoral approach
In some cases, culture is used in combination with other tools for an increased impact (festival linking arts with sports, cross-border peace building project mixing traditional culture with social activities, etc). Culture and development actors should be ready to consider culture not as a single tool, but as an ingredient that can be combined with others.
On the basis of case studies (as presented during the ARCADE Seminars), the project will continue analysing successes and failures of cultural and development projects, and will build on these experiences to draft concrete recommendations. The objective is to propose methodologies (impact assessment grid) to define development strategies which would be more respectful of local cultures and thus allowing more sustainable development processes.
By promoting the cultural and artistic identity of developing countries in Europe, ARCADE intends to highlight that the creative cultural assets and rich cultural resources in developing countries could be transformed into economic value and a source of economic development. It also underlines the necessity to include cultural components into development programmes of NGOs, private foundations, companies and decentralized cooperation programmes of European local authorities.
Although cultural projects remain a marginal activity in ACTED development and emergency initiatives, we feel that the current ARCADE initiative will allow us to develop a systemic approach to culture in more global development activities.
Just as ACTED’s micro finance initiative set the path for Oxus Development Network, the ARCADE and Bactria initiatives offer an organisational framework to intensify research and practice in the field of culture and development, with an opportunity to create a bridge between Europe and our field of operations.
Whereas it is surely too soon to expand on this trend, 2008 will surely be the year of consolidation of a new chapter.
Jobs
The ACTED team includes over 130 expatriates and 2400 national staff in more than 22 countries around the world. We offer the opportunity for highly-qualified professionals to join our team with a wide range of positions and projects, in a diverse, fast-paced, and rewarding environment.
>> Available positions in ACTED
Benefits
ACTED considers its staff to be the most important resource. As such, ACTED employees enjoy exceptional support from the organisation with a wide range of benefits.
Salary
The starting salary base is defined by the ACTED salary grid, while educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and other factors are considered for pay supplements. A systematic appraisal process and annual salary review allow for rapid growth and advancement.
Living allowance
In addition to the regular salary, international staff also receives a monthly living allowance to assist with cost of living in the country of assignment. HQ staff travelling to the field is entitled to a living allowance paid on a pro-rate basis of the days spent in the field. The amount of the living allowance depends on grade level in the organisation.ACTED covers the cost of food and free housing is offered by the organisation’s guesthouses in each country of intervention.
Housing allowance
All salaried staff with a contract of at least one year and based in a “calm” security area are entitled to a housing allowance if they do not wish to live in the guesthouse. Housing allowances cover 50% of the average cost of accommodation in the area, and can be adjusted in the case of family based positions.
Accompanied positions
ACTED offers accompanied status to all salaried staff with a contract of at least 1 year, and who are either posted to a “calm” security area or the capital office in a “sensitive” security area. Accompanied status provides several benefits for the staff’s partner and/or children, including insurance for all family members, an increased luggage allowance (see below), and one return flight to the country of residence per year/per family member.
Luggage allowance
A luggage allowance is provided for all staff. The amount is determined by contract length and whether staff is single or accompanied.
Health Coverage and Pension Plans
ACTED provides all staff with a health coverage plan which includes illness, maternity, invalidity, hospitalisation, repatriation (for a medical emergency or decease of an immediate family member), as well as life insurance. ACTED also offers a flexible pension program depending on your position and retirement plans.
Working time
International staff work under contract according to French labour laws, and so working time is defined by a 216 working-day per year package rather than by hours per week. Working days are defined according to national law in the country of operations. For example, In Jordan, ACTED staff follows a Sunday-Thursday work week.
Vacation
Staff benefit from at least 25 vacation days. Depending on the country of operation, staff are also granted R&R days (see below).
Number of Vacation Days
Staff also benefit from national public holidays (ranging from 5-17 in ACTED Countries of Operations).
Rest and Recuperation (R&R)
ACTED grants R&R days for staff with a minimum six month contract, depending on hardship and security factors in his/her country of assignment. The R&R days include a one week vacation package (whose days do not count as regular vacation days), and a round trip ticket and visa to a nearby country not exceeding 500 USD.
Return ticket
Besides the round trip airfare provided for international staff to travel between his/her country of residence to his/her post at the beginning and end of the regular contract period, those with a one-year contract are entitled to an additional round-trip ticket to their country of residence, to be used between the 6th and the 7th month of mission.
ACTED presentation
ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1993. Independent, private and not-for-profit, ACTED respects a strict political and religious impartiality and operates according to principles of non-discrimination and transparency.
Countries of intervention
Our Mission: Providing Adapted Responses
ACTED’s vocation is to support vulnerable populations worldwide and to accompany them in building a better future.
The programs implemented by ACTED (around 150 per year), in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, aim at addressing the needs of populations affected by wars, natural disasters and/or economic and social crises.
Our interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context.
Our Vision: Guaranteeing the Link between Emergency, Rehabilitation and Development
Once basic needs have been covered, the population’s living conditions remain critical as our areas of intervention are among the poorest in the world.
For this reason, ACTED’s axis of intervention lies in the link between Emergency, Rehabilitation and Development. In other words, in order to guarantee the sustainability of interventions carried out during crises, only long-term support, through a continued presence in the field after the emergency as well as the involvement of communities, enables us to break the poverty cycle and accompany populations on their way to development.
While ACTED’s presence and activities are now well established, the challenges facing today’s world require more interventions in all regions and all sectors.
Sectors of intervention
- Food Aid
- NFI Distribution
- Basic Access to Water
2. FOOD SECURITY
- Agricultural Support
- Income Generating Activites
- Irrigation
3. HEALTH PROMOTION
- Hygiene Education
- Malaria Prevention
- Water and Sanitation
- Health-based Infrastructure Rehabilitation
4. EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- Support to Basic Education
- Vocational Education
- Support to Children in Precarious Situations
- Gender Issues
- Education-based Infrastructure Rehabilitation
5. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation
- Shelter Rehabilitation
- Support to Small Businesses
- Disaster Prevention
6. MICROFINANCE
7. ADVOCACY, INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT AND REGIONAL DIALOGUE
- Support to Decentralization and Local Governance
- Support to Minorities
- Peace Promotion and Cross-border Cooperation
8. CULTURAL PROMOTION
- Cultural Heritage Protection
- Promotion of Cultural Activites