Asia Writes

05 March 2013

International Deadline: 30 April 2013 (deadline for national submissions vary per country)

(Note: This is an international competition but is run by different national operators. The guidelines below are general guides. Please see the list of operators by country at the bottom of this page for detailed country-specific guidelines.)

Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) is a network of international youth engaged in environmental journalism and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It is coordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and operates in more than 25 countries.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION:

Young Reporters, aged between 11 and 21, investigate environmental issues and problems and propose solutions through investigative reporting, photographic or video journalism.

An international YRE competition is held each year in which winning national entries compete. Timing, categories, submission requirements and judging criteria can be found below.

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS AND REGISTRATION:

YRE is open to secondary or high schools, colleges and youth groups. To take part, contact FEE's national member organisation running the programme and/or competition. Any young person aged between 11 and 21 can participate as long as their school, college or group is registered.

Schools are encouraged to use YRE as a cross-curriculum tool to make learning more fun and to help students investigate relevant issues and create submissions developed in different subjects, for example, physics, chemistry, English and computer science.

Registration requirements differ nationally and participants must also register at ‘YRE Connect’ on the homepage which facilitates global collaboration.

AGE CATEGORIES:

There are three age categories in the international competition 11-14, 15-18 and 19-21. It is the participant's age on the day they submit their entry to the national competition that must be given and defines which age category they enter.

Environmental themes students might cover include climate change, biodiversity, water, litter, etc.

The winning article, photograph or photographic essay and video from each age category can be submitted to the international competition by National Operators. Submissions must meet all of the international acceptance criteria, detailed below.

The international jury selects and awards a winning article, photograph and video in each age category, as well as a runner up,or runners up.The Jury is at liberty not to award in the case of too few submissions and to give more than one award in the case of exceptional entries in one or more age categories.

ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA:

Not meeting the international competition's acceptance criteria results in disqualification.

Submissions must include:

• The name of the author(s);
• Their age on the day of submission to the national competition
• The name of their registered school or group;
• Their country of residence and registration, which may differ
• They must also, at minimum:

Submissions must:

• be the correct length, size and format, etc; see Articles, Photographs and Video below
• be submitted in written or spoken English, or have English subtitles in the case of video
• be focused on a pertinent (real and current) local issue
• present a potential solution
• have been disseminated to a local audience

ARTICLES AND BLOGS:

Written submissions must not exceed 1,000 words in length and may include illustrations and photographs. The source of all non-original illustrations must be given. A title of not more than 140 characters is recommended, for compatibility with Twitter. Articles must be sent digitally in Microsoft Word or .pdf format with accompanying pictures following the photographic guidelines below.

PHOTOGRAPHS:

It is possible to submit either a single photograph, or a photographic series/essay of up to 12 photographs. Photographic entries must be accompanied by a title (preferably of no more than 140 characters) and a short caption of no more than 150 words to explain the link with environmental sustainability and/or a solution to the problem and/or issue. Photographs must be submitted digitally as .jpg, .png, .tif, or .gif format, ideally converted into high-quality .pdf, with a resolution of not less than 150-300 dp.

VIDEOS:

Videos must be no more than 3 minutes long and in documentary or reporter/interview style. A video must be accompanied by a title (preferably of no more than 140 characters). The format must be compatible with YouTube, i.e.:

• WebM files - Vp8 video codec and Vorbis Audio codecs
• .MPEG4, 3GPP and MOV files - Typically supporting h264, mpeg4 video codecs, and AAC audio codec
• .AVI - Many cameras output this format - typically the video codec is MJPEG and audio is PCM
• .MPEGPS - Typically supporting MPEG2 video codec and MP2 audio
• .WMV
• .FLV - Adobe-FLV1 video codec, MP3 audio

All submission must be accompanied by a note describing dissemination to a local audience (where it was published, exhibited, shown, broadcast). National Operators will forward the winning article, photograph or photographic essay of up to 12 photographs, or video for each age category to the international competition. Students may submit more than one type of submission and can work individually or in groups.

Registering gives FEE the right to promote and use submissions crediting the author. Necessary permissions, e.g. for photographing children are the responsibility of the author and must, therefore, be sought.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

Additional non compulsory criteria to guide participants and judges

Judges may assign a score of 0-3 based on how well the submission meets five further critera. Points are: 3; excellent; 2; well; fairly well and 0; it does not. Participants are encouraged to meet as many of these additional criteria as possible, to improve their work and chances of winning. It is not, however, compulsory to meet this criteria:

1. Composition i.e. form, structure and quality

• Is the submission well structured and in the case of articles and videos cover who, what, where, why, when, and how?
• Does the article or video have a beginning, middle and end?
• In the case of photographs and video, is the picture/video technically and artistically well done i.e. is it well composed, of high quality and impactful?

2. Fair, balanced and objective reporting

• Is the piece (article or video) balanced and fair in terms of representing different sides of an argument prior to offering a potential solution?
• Does it quote and use real, credible, sources?
• Is scientific or statistical reporting accurate and supported by sources/footnotes?
• Is the photograph or video a fair representation, i.e. the subject or audience has not been manipulated?

3. Informative and well researched

• Does the submission cover relevant historical, economic, social and/or political implications and possible consequences?
• Does it make a link to the bigger global picture?
• Does it present possible solutions?
• Is the suggested solution realistic, well explained and justified?
• Is the use of illustration, pictures, supporting paragraphs, subtitles, etc, well thought through?

4. Originality, style and independence

• Is the piece original in its scope or style i.e. has the participant picked a challenging topic or created an innovative or moving piece?
• Did the participant leave the school grounds i.e. engage in field work and interview people in person as well as on the telephone, not just use or quote online sources?
• Did they take a positive approach i.e. concentrate on solutions not just problems?

5. Dissemination

• Was a good choice of media chosen for communicating the message and was the target audience considered?
• Is there evidence of further dissemination through relevant social or other media, or an event?

TIMING:

Participants can join YRE at any time of the year but submissions to the international competition must be recieved by the end of April. National competitions are usually held by the end of March. Countries that cannot run their jury prior to that may submit students' work to the following year’s international competition. Submissions can only be entered once ever and in one age category.

The international jury will meet in May. Results are announced on, or no later than, World Environment Day, June 5.

The winners of each age category – who will be the semi-finalists – will be announced in April. The over-all winners will be announced in Denmark on the next Earth Day, in June.

NATIONAL OPERATORS:

China
Stephanie Kohls
环境保护部宣传教育中心
Center for Environmental Education and Communications
No.1, Yuhuinanlu, Chao-Yang District, Beijing, 100029, China
Telephone: +86 10 84634281-84
Fax: +86 10 846 408 84
Mail: tangyujia@ceec.cn, greenschool@126.com
Web: www.eco-schools.cn
National Operator: Tang Yujia

Israel
EcoOcean
Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, Zip Code 37804, Israel
Telephone: +972-54-5604022
Fax: +972 73 7415480
Mail: orly@ecoocean.com
Web: www.ecoocean.org
National Operator: Orly Babitsky

Jordan
Andrea Rinelli
الجمعية الملكية لحماية البيئة البحرية
The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan
Shemissani, Abedel Aziz El Thaalbi Street, Building number 7, PO Box 831051, Amman 11183, Jordan
Telephone: +962 6 5676173
Fax: +962 6 5676183
Mail: research@jreds.org
Web: www.jreds.org
National Operator: Maram Al-Kailani

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: refer to the list of national operators above

Website: http://www.youngreporters.org

02 March 2013

Deadline: 31 May 2013

Resting just west of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, Mamilla Cemetery—necropolis of shrines, distinguished mausoleums, modest graves, and the ancient Mamilla Pool—is facing final desecration and destruction.

Mamilla’s venerable history is as rich as it is layered. Having been adopted first by the Byzantines, whose 4th century church and cemetery marked it as holy ground, Mamilla was then designated an Islamic burial site as early as the 7th century, when the remains of the very first Muslims—the Sahabah, companions of the Prophet Muhammad—were reputedly laid to rest in its sacred soil. Aside from a brief period as a Christian cemetery during the Crusades, Mamilla served without interruption as Muslim burial grounds over the course of a 1,400 year-period of Islamic rule over Jerusalem. Growing to become the largest Islamic cemetery in the city, it housed a diverse community of Muslims, from the respected soldiers of ruler Saladin to generations of Jerusalemites spanning a wide socio-economic spectrum. Tombs of emirs, muftis, Sufi shrines and Mamluk-era mausoleums—amongst other ancient monuments and gravestones—further attest to its hallowed history. Indeed, so holy was Mamilla that in the 14th century A’lam, interment there was likened to being buried in heaven.

Today, Mamilla stands not only as a symbol and vestige of Palestinian—and Muslim—religious and cultural heritage but also as a site of exceptional universal value. In light of its sacred significance, the plan to build a so-called “Museum of Dignity and Tolerance” on its soil is an affront to memory and identity.

Encouraged by a renewed hope for the preservation of Mamilla, ARCH (Alliance to Restore Cultural Heritage in the Holy City of Jerusalem) joins hands with the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation and Museum and the Campaign to Preserve Mamilla Jerusalem Cemetery to organise an International Poetry Festival.

With the aim of protecting and preserving the cemetery as a place of living memory and of eternal sanctity, we welcome poetry that celebrates Mamilla as a resting place for generations of Palestinian families. Likewise, we welcome submissions that meditate upon and imagine the lives of notables and ordinary people alike who have been buried in its holy grounds.

Inspired by Seamus Heaney’s claim that every poet has double citizenship—one of locality, one of conscience—we invite poets to reflect upon locality to explore universal themes that transcend geographical boundaries.

Poetry’s crucial role in the formation of cultural identity is undeniable, especially when it provides agency in the protection and preservation of memory. As Mahmoud Darwish affirmed, “Poems can’t establish a state. But they can establish a metaphorical homeland in the minds of the people.

A distinguished panel of six literary figures from around the world will review all content received to select twenty final submissions, which will then be performed live (or digitally broadcast) between the 7th and 9th of September at the Mamilla Poetry Festival, hosted by the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation and Museum in Ramallah. The festival will be recorded, and then streamed online; finally, an anthology will be published. Circumstances permitting, the festival will conclude with a candlelight reading of Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry in Mamilla Cemetery and/or at other vulnerable cultural sites in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

In addition to conducting widespread outreach to generate global awareness and solicit international involvement, we are committed to galvanizing nearby communities and engaging local youth. Not only will a special prize be offered for the best poem submitted by a secondary-school student, but local schools will also be invited to attend and students will be encouraged to participate.

We invite all interested parties to visit the cemetery—albeit virtually—by reviewing the biographical details of some of the earliest-recorded deceased; these can be accessed via an online petition to protect the cemetery from further encroachment that was signed by 60 descendants of those same deceased.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• We welcome original submissions in the following categories: (a) Written poetry, (b) Spoken poetry  (audio/video accompaniment optional), or (c) Multimedia or Interactive poetic performances
• Works can be submitted or performed in any language. However, submissions not in Arabic or English must be accompanied by a translation in either language.
• The duration of the work should not exceed fifteen minutes.
• Participants are limited to one submission per person or organization/collective/group.
• Written poetry should be sent via email to: info@archjerusalem.org. Audio and video content should be sent as zipped files to info@archjerusalem.org via www.wetransfer.com
• Submissions must be accompanied by the following information: (a) Reading/performance details (including proposed length), (b) Detailed list of technical requirements (if applicable), and (c) CVs of all persons participating

Download: electronic submission form

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: Maryvelma O’Neil at info@archjerusalem.org

Website: http://darwishfoundation.org/

16 February 2013

Deadline: 15 May 2013

The Max Stern Academic College Galilee Center for Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations' First International Essay Contest is open to students currently registered full or part time in an accredited undergraduate university or college program anywhere in the world. Papers may be submitted in English or Hebrew.

TOPIC: The State of Israel and Its Role for the Future of Jews and Christians

LENGTH: 2000-2500 words (8-10 pages, double-spaced)

Papers in different language categories will be judged separately, and prizes will be awarded separately. Only one submission, in one language is permitted per person. There will be a first prize for the best essay in each language category. Each first prize carries a value of $1000.

Essays will be judged on the basis of their writing style, logical presentation, quality of argument and evidence used.Submissions should be sent as an attachment via email. Please send as a Word document or pdf. Alternately, hard copies can be sent to: Galilee Center for Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations, Yezreel Valley College, Israel 19300.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: jcrelations@yvc.ac.il

Website: http://www.yvc.ac.il/

14 February 2013

This position is based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

THE AREA: KNOWLEDGE

There is always more information out there, and the Knowledge team has a never-ending quest to find it and make it accessible. We're constantly refining our signature search engine to provide better results, and developing offerings like Google Instant, Google Voice Search and Google Image Search to make it faster and more engaging. We're providing users around the world with great search results every day, but at Google, great just isn't good enough. We're just getting started.

THE ROLE: TECH WRITER

Technical writers take complex information and communicate it clearly, concisely and accurately without relying on technical or corporate jargon to explain what they're trying to say. With a unique cross functional perspective, our team of technical writers are the key link between our engineers, marketing associates, developer advocates and external users and developers who comprise the wide Google ecosystem. As a Technical Writer, you juggle a variety of projects, from reading and writing example code, to updating FAQs, to drafting product announcements. When a new technical challenge rises to forefront, you are there to defuse it with your clarifying pen (or keyboard, more likely).

You develop complex, in-depth communications for internal and external audiences and manage projects that involve coordinating multiple junior writers.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Write and edit copy, including website help content and user interface (UI) messaging.
• Collaborate with product and content experts.
• Support teams across the company and across geographical locations.
• Ensure customers have positive interactions with Google.
• Research new solutions to improve existing documentation and processes.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA/BS degree (In lieu of degree, 4 years relevant work experience).
• Basic HTML skills. Experience with content management systems and/or help tools.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 5 years of relevant experience, such as technical or marketing writing, product documentation or online publishing.
• Knowledge of programming languages.
• Native English speaker.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions:apply via the Google Jobs site

Website: https://www.google.com

07 February 2013

Deadline: 30 June 2013

In 2013 the IJP are offering for the tenth 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 2013 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, 2013. 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.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: freiling@ijp.org

For submissions: middleeast@ijp.org

Website: http://www.ijp.org/

03 February 2013

Deadline: 12 February 2013

(Ofir Goldman from the GH Film Centre extends her invitation to Southern Mediterranean documentary film directors and producers to participate in the Greenhouse Development Program 2013. The selected filmmakers will be awarded a complete grant covering tuition fees, round trip plane ticket, accommodations and meals during the seminar. Details and links to the application form and requirements are found below.)

Greenhouse is a unique, innovative, international initiative aimed at developing and nurturing documentary filmmakers in the Southern Mediterranean region (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia) by providing them with expert mentoring in the context of three, successive workshops

Greenhouse is a yearly program hosting 12-16 projects each round.

The selected filmmakers are invited to participate in three seminars in which they will develop a full international production package and a professional trailer which will be presented in a pitching forum in front of international commissioning editors, film funds directors, producers and distributors from the documentary international market.

Greenhouse is supported and funded by the European Union in the framework of EUROMED AUDIOVISUAL III program and managed by the New Foundation for Cinema and TV – Israel, ESAV Marrakech - the Marrakech School of Visual Arts– Morocco, The Ankara Cinema Association – Turkey, Zebra Productions – Spain APPEL & HONIGMANN – Holland andCFI, France.

In its 7 years of activity, Greenhouse has achieved exceptional success and has become a leading organization for documentary filmmaking internationally.

Of 73 film concepts subjected to the full Greenhouse process in the past seven years, 16 films have been completed, most of which competed and premiered at prestigious film festivals such as the Sundance, Hot Docs, Berlinale, IDFA, Tribeca, Dubai, Movies that Matter and Cinema Du Reel, to name a few; Greenhouse is working with key leaders from the international audiovisual sector, commissioning editors, film funds directors, producers, distributors, TV stations and film festivals from all over the world– The Sundance Institute, IDFA Fund, ARTE/ZDF, Tribeca Film Fund, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Channel 4, IKON, BBC Worldwide, Al-Jazeera English, ITVS and others.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• The participants must be citizens of one of the Southern Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia.
• The seminars, workshops and tutorial sessions will be held in English, so the participants must have basic knowledge in this language.
• Each team (director and producer) will have to participate in a full series of three seminars within a year.
• The project submitted may be in any stage of development, including initial footage.
• Applicant may act as a director-producer of a project.
• Eligible are filmmakers who made at list one short film but not more than two one hour films or a feature length documentary.

SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS

A team of International experts will select 12-16 projects each year, in teams of director/producer (i.e. max. 24 participants) on the basis of the application submitted, which should include

• Application form (www.ghfilmcentre.org )
• Synopsis of 1 to 3 pages
• Director's statement
• Initial budget and financial support
• The applicants' CVs
• Two references from a professor or a professional (for each team)
• Previous cinematic work (if applicable) – DVD or a link to the internet.
• Applications must be submitted in English
• Applications must be sent in ONE WORD FILE which includes all requested documents mentioned above.

Links: FAQ, entry requirements

Download: application form

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: info@ghfilmcentre.org

Website: http://www.ghfilmcentre.org

25 January 2013

Deadline: 31 January 2013

The Voices Israel Group of Poets in English publishes an annual anthology of poetry. Submissions are accepted from Voices members and non-members alike. There is no fee for submitting poems to the Anthology. Paid up members of Voices Israel will receive a copy of the anthology once it comes out, whether they are published or not, shipping fees included. Non-members may order a copy for NIS40 (US$ 20) shipping inclusive.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions for the Voices Israel Anthology are accepted until January 31st. 2013.

Poems will be then be sent to the editorial board, reviewed, selected, and notices sent out to contributors. The anthology will be printed by September 1st or earlier and distributed before the holidays.

Anyone, anywhere, is welcome to submit a maximum of 4 poems to the anthology. Poems should not exceed 40 lines.

Poems should be previously unpublished. However poems that have been included in the monthly Voices Israel Poetry Page attached to the newsletter are acceptable.

Translations of living poets' poems are acceptable as long as the translations have not been previously published.

Please include a list of your poems on a separate cover page with your name, address telephone number and email address and a short bio, not to exceed seven lines.

Please attach the cover letter and poems in ONE SINGLE Word or RTF file in 12pt. Times New Roman font, SINGLE SPACED—one poem per page, with no identifying information on the pages of poems (only in the cover letter).

Judging is anonymous and the poems will be forwarded to the editorial board without names. No revisions of poems will be accepted after submission!

If you have no access whatsoever to email please submit one copy of each poem plus your cover page by regular mail following the above guidelines, to:

Voices Israel Anthology
c/o Johnmichael Simon
P.O.Box 21
Metulla 10292, Israel

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: VoicesIsraelPoetryAnthology@gmail.com

Website: http://www.voicesisrael.com

06 October 2012

Deadline: 10 December 2012

In the Middle East, as in other parts of the world, the Korean cultural industries have proved extremely efficient in introducing new images of Korea to new audiences. Known as the ‘Korean Wave’, TV dramas, Korean pop music, and Korean cinema has been successful not only commercially, but has also left viewers with an image of Korea as a home of a vibrant culture and artistic innovation. This impression has stimulated interest in Korea and its culture, resulting in a rise in tourism and in the establishment of new Korean studies programs in institutions of higher education. Korea has never been so popular and familiar in the Middle East as it is today.

The purpose of this conference is to examine the way Korean popular culture is being appropriated and received in the Middle East, and to examine the social and academic developments it inspires. The conference presentations will attempt to develop an integrative framework to analyze the dynamic relations between cultural industry, cultural consumption, and academic studies through a focus on the experience of the Korean Wave in the Middle East.

In a broader sense, looking at the Middle East allows us to examine how Korean culture is being received outside the geographically and culturally-proximate markets of Asia and outside the major economic markets of North America and Europe. The success of the Korean cultural industries in a geographically distant and culturally remote Middle East may exemplify the resilience and ability of cultural industries to go beyond national and regional boundaries, and reach out to audiences of various nationalities and ethnicities.

The conference will focus on four major issues: (a) Harbingers, industries, agents, and fans involved in bringing the "Korean Wave" to the Middle East (b) Acceptance and integration of the Korean Wave within the local and other imported (American) popular cultures (c) Relations between Korean cultural presence and Korean academic studies (d) Perspectives, images, and stereotypes of Korea in the Middle East.

Proposals (both individual and panel proposals), including name, institutional affiliation, the title of the paper, and an abstract of 400 words (with relevant keywords listed), should be sent by December 10th, 2012. Successful applicants would be asked to send the complete paper of 5,000 words by April 10th, 2013. The organizers will make an effort to secure funding for accommodations to presenters from abroad.

Sponsor: The Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace and The Louis Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

For inquiries please contact: Dr. Nissim Otmazgin or Mrs. Irina Lyan.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: nissim.otmazgin@mail.huji.ac.il or irina.lyan@mail.huji.ac.il)

For submissions:  KoreanWaveMiddleEast@gmail.com

Website: http://truman.huji.ac.il/

24 September 2012

Telavivian.com is an online magazine about lifestyle, fashion, art, culture, nightlife, music and food in Tel Aviv

Telavivian is expanding! We are looking for talented writers and photographers for a new and exciting project. Do you know any interesting journalists, artists or photographers in Tel Aviv? We want to know your favorites.

Share this post if you have friends that might be interested, and send us your recommendations by e-mail.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: info@telavivian.com

Website: http://www.telavivian.com/

12 September 2012

The Benjamin Children’s Library, centrally located in the Meyerhoff Community Center, currently serves thousands of children from all segments of the local population, their parents and teachers. Library users are veteran Israelis, as well as new immigrants from Russia, Ethiopia and English-speaking countries.

The Benjamin Children’s Library is a community gathering place run by and for the community by a small professional staff and an army of dedicated volunteers. It is a stimulating, safe activity center which is close to home, where children can do homework, play, use computers, draw, use puppets and scarves, and listen to music. And, of course, read.

The library is looking for a part-time Grant Writer. The writer can work from home and must have the initiative to independently source grants. There is an opportunity for more responsibilities. Interested applicants should contact Bibsi Zuckerbrot.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: bdzuck@netvision.net.il

Website: http://library.shemesh.co.il/

07 September 2012

Deadline: 1 December 2012

In cooperation with Aqsa Syarif-Malaysia, CPDS is organizing the second International Contest to support Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. All, regardless of nationality, can take part in this contest. The goal is to encourage creative efforts that support Palestinian prisoners and further their cause locally and internationally.

TOPICS:

• Prisoners' sufferings and incarceration conditions.
• Psychological, physical, and social impact of imprisonment on prisoners.
• Efforts exerted to support prisoners.
• Exposing the practices of Israeli occupation against prisoners especially veteran and ailing prisoners.
• Conveying the plight of prisoners' families

CATEGORIES:

• Literature (short story, poetry, and sketches) and News Features.
• Artistic works: collection of (a) pictures, (b) cartoons, (c) designs, (d) video clips, (e) short documentaries, (f) songs/ Nasheed, and (g) musical works.
• Social Media: Best (a) blog, (b) YouTube channel, (4) twitter account, (5) Facebook page. The account can be solely or partly dedicated to prisoners.
• Publicity proposals: campaigns and/or activities that mobilize more effort to achieve the goal of this contest.

CONTEST TERMS:

• All people, regardless of age and/or nationality, can participate in the contest
• Entries should be done for this contest
• More than one entry in the same category is welcome
• Team work i.e. entries made/written by two or more (like songs) is also welcome
• Pieces should all be submitted in English
• Deadline is absolute.
  
• CPDS has the right to publish the entries, with reference to the author
• Full name of the participant, title of the entry, email and cell-phone number should be provided

AWARDS:

• Literature: First award: $200, runner-up: $100, third award: $50 in addition to symbolic awards.
• Artistic works: First award: $300, runner-up $150, third award: $100, in addition to symbolic awards.
• Social media: First award: $300, second award: $150, third award $100, in addition to satisfactory awards.
• Publicity proposals: First award: $150, second award: $100, third award: $50, in addition to satisfactory awards.

Entries will be assessed by a professional team.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: thisispalestine@gmail.com or prisonerscontest@gmail.com

Website: http://www.aqsasyarif.org.my/

29 August 2012

Deadline: 1 September 2012

The CCAR Press is working on a new anthology of essays about the impact of 40 years of women in the Rabbinate. This as yet unnamed volume, edited by Marci Bellows, Renee Goldberg Edelman and Alysa Mendelson Graf, will be the third book in the “Change and
Challenge” Series.

This anthology will deal with the changes that the ordination of women has brought to the Jewish world, and to some extent, to the wider world as well. The major focus of this compilation is ways in which the ordination of women has created change and challenge in our communities, synagogues, institutions, liturgy, rituals, identity, theology, and sense of self. We are, at this stage, looking for essays that go beyond just the personal experience to look at a broad perspective, and possibly draw on texts (classical and contemporary), as well as other research or tools. We are not looking for essays that are focused entirely on a personal story or experience.

The intended audience first is rabbis and their constituents (i.e. congregants, students, etc), and then a general lay audience of adult learners. Being a CCAR member or a rabbi is not necessary requirement for inclusion in this anthology. We welcome submissions from scholars, and from clergy of other movements.

Those topics include but are not limited to;

• an overview of women rabbis pre-Reform ordination
• Impact of Women on Congregational Culture
• How Women have Changed Expectations of Who Rabbi is, What Rabbi Does
• “Feminization” of the Rabbinate/”Feminization” of Jewish Life
• Women Rabbis and Feminism
• Women Rabbis in Israel
• Women Rabbis and Leadership Styles
• Women Rabbis in Popular Culture (Books, Films)
• Women and Power
• Women Rabbis and Parenting
• What Constitutes Success: The Senior Goal vs. Choosing Other Goals
• New Models: Job Sharing, Part-time, and Long Term Associate
• What Reform Ordination Has Meant for other Denominations/Religions
• Double Clergy Couples
• Parallels between Women’s Rights Movement in US
• Women Rabbis as sexual figures
• The woman rabbi and clothing
• Transference: the mother, sister, wife, lover, semi-celebrity
• Dating and the Single Rabbi
• Impact of Women Rabbis on Reform Liturgy
• Impact of Women Rabbis on Life Cycle rituals
• Impact of Women Rabbis on Theology
• The impact of Women Rabbis on Male Rabbis
• or your own related topic.

Those interested in contributing are asked to please contact Rabbi Hara Person with an indication of interest and/or to submit a two paragraph abstract. First drafts, of an expected length of 2,500-3,500 words, will be due Nov 30th, 2012.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: hperson@ccarnet.org

Website: http://ccarnet.org/

20 August 2012

Deadline: 9 September 2012

(Note: This contest requires entry fees. Please participate with caution.)

Write a poem about what you’re looking for this summer or what you’re hoping to find.

JUDGE

Dara Barnat’s poetry appears in Poet Lore, Salamander, Crab Orchard Review, Flyway, The Collagist, Arc, and elsewhere. Her poetry translations (from Hebrew) appear in Bridges: A Jewish Feminist Journal and International Poetry Review. In 2009, Dara’s chapbook, Headwind Migration, was released by Pudding House Publications. Dara teaches poetry and creative writing in the faculty of English and American Studies at Tel Aviv University. Dara’s website is: https://sites.google.com/site/darabarnat.

Maximum Length: No Maximum World Length

Winners Announced: September 23, 2012

PRIZES

• $250 For the first place winner.
• 2nd, 3rd, 4th Place Winner: $25
• 1st Place Winner’s story will appear on the JewishStoryWriting.com Homepage. All winning stories will be included in the annual JewishStoryWriting.com Anthology.

FEES

• Contest Entry: $25.00
• Critique only: $35.00
• Contest Entry with Critique: $55.00

GUIDELINES

Write about Summer! The heat, the ice-cream, the sunburn! Or a poem that describes what you want/hope your summer will be like. Perhaps places you’d like to go, activities you’d like to do, the perfect setting for the peace and quiet you’d like to have, or the non-stop action you’ve been praying will erase the memories of your dull routine. You can use narrative, rhyming, free verse, blank verse, or any kind of poetry that will help you express what you’re feeling.

ELIGIBILITY

Poems must be previously unpublished and contain Jewish Content. By submitting a poem the author grants JewishStoryWriting.com first publication rights for 18 months. However, after the contest that an author enters is finished and the winners announced, the author may request first publication or simultaneous publication rights from JewishStoryWriting.com. In all events, the author retains copyright at all times. Multiple submissions accepted.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: via the online submission page

Website: http://jewishstorywriting.com/

18 August 2012

The Teaching Gender series, will publish approximately three books annually. We are looking for books that deal with centrally gender and are intended to be used in college classes. Books should be of significant value to the teaching of gender. The series aims to promote social justice perspectives and will be published by Sense Publishers, leaders in educational research.

The International Editorial Advisory Board for the Series includes:

• Tony E. Adams, Northeastern Illinois University, USA
• Paula Banerjee, University of Calcutta, India
• Nitza Berkovitch, Ben Gurion University, Israel
• Cheryl Dellasega, Penn State University, USA
• Máiréad Dunne, University of Sussex, UK
• Mary Holmes, Flinders University, Australia
• Laurel Richardson, Ohio State University, Emerita, USA
• Sophie Tamas, Queen's University in Kingston, Canada

Books on any gender-related topic will be considered; however, we are presently most interested in proposals for books on the following topics (please note we are looking to publish slim volumes and not very large textbooks):

• Introduction to Gender Studies
• International Perspectives on Gender
• Women, Work & Family
• Feminist Pedagogies
• Feminist Research Methods or Research Methods for Gender Studies

If you are interested in submitting a proposal or a completed manuscript please use the following format:

• Topic and Proposed Title
• Brief Description of Book Content
• Proposed Table of Contents
• Market: In what classes will the book be used? Will it be a primary or secondary text?
• Short Bio for each author/editor noting relevant qualifications (Authors/Editors must hold a PhD or its equivalent).
• Draft Manuscript Completion Date (please be realistic)

If you have a complete or semi-complete manuscript please also send the first 1-2 chapters. If you are submitting a proposal without sample chapters for a monograph you may be asked to submit a sample chapter before a decision can be made.

Please note we are looking for original material only (we cannot consider previously published work). Also, please note all authors will be expected to comply with the Sense style guidelines. Select series authors/editors will be offered a standard contract and royalty rate (the same for all of the books in the series).

Please send queries or full proposals for monographs or edited volumes to series editor, Patricia Leavy.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: pleavy7@aol.com

Website: https://www.sensepublishers.com/

13 August 2012

Deadline: 20 August 2012

We’re looking for stories that capture a personal moment in time, whether happy or sad, that hold a message for the reader. You don’t need to have had a trauma to write your story, but you do need to deal with situations that touch the heart, situations that make others say, If that happened to me how would I react? Don’t hold back. Give free reign to your emotions

ELIGIBILITY: Stories must be previously unpublished and contain Jewish Content. By submitting a story the author grants JewishStoryWriting.com first publication rights for 18 months. However, after the contest that an author enters is finished and the winners announced, the author may request first publication or simultaneous publication rights from JewishStoryWriting.com. In all events, the author retains copyright at all times. Multiple submissions accepted.

JUDGE: Sherri Mandell won the National Jewish Book Award for her spiritual memoir “The Blessing of a Broken Heart.” Translated into three languages, the book was adapted into a stage play which opened at the San Diego Repertory Company. In 2010 she won first prize in Moment Magazine’s Karma Short Fiction Prize. In 2004, she won Jewish Woman International’s Women to Watch Award and was awarded an ADL Partners in Peace Award. Aish Ha Torah gave her its Woman of Valour Award in 2011. Sherri and her husband direct the Koby Mandell Foundation which runs summer camps and other programs for the bereaved families of terror victims in Israel.

MAXIMUM LENGTH: 5000 words

WINNERS ANNOUNCED: September 12, 2012

PRIZES

• 1st Place Winner: $500
• 2nd, 3rd, 4th Place Winner: $50
• 1st Place Winner’s story will appear on the JewishStoryWriting.com Homepage. All winning stories will be included in the annual JewishStoryWriting.com Anthology.

FEES:

• Contest Entry: $25.00
• Critique only: $35.00
• Contest Entry with Critique: $55.00

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: via the online entry page (scroll down for the submit button)

Website: http://jewishstorywriting.com

01 August 2012

Deadline: 8 August 2012

(Note: This contest requires an entry fee. Please participate with caution.)

A Woman of Valor is hard to find. Have you found her? Tell us how she’s changed your life, who she is, and what makes her life so special. It’s okay to bring a tear to our eye or make us laugh. What we need to see is an original poem that describes your woman of valor like no other.

JUDGE

Marcie Natan Zionism and love for Israel are in Marcie Natan's heart. And Hadassah is in her DNA. She has served the organization with her quiet strength, profound integrity, and generosity of spirit since her early twenties. Marcie has traveled to Israel more than 50 times, including visits during both intifadas and the 2006 Lebanon War. Her time in Israel has intensified her passion and honed the perspective she has brought to Hadassah's National Board and Executive Committee, and the Hadassah Foundation Board.

MAXIMUM LENGTH: No Maximum World Length

WINNERS ANNOUNCED: August 27, 2012

PRIZES

• $500 For the first place winner.
• Winning story will appear on the JewishStoryWriting.com Homepage and in the JewishStoryWriting.com Anthology.

FEES

• Contest Entry: $25.00
• Critique only: $35.00
• Contest Entry with Critique: $55.00

ELIGIBILITY

Stories must be previously unpublished and contain Jewish Content. By submitting a story the author grants JewishStoryWriting.com first publication rights for 18 months. However, after the contest that an author enters is finished and the winners announced, the author may request first publication or simultaneous publication rights from JewishStoryWriting.com. In all events, the author retains copyright at all times. Multiple submissions accepted.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: enter the competition here

Website: http://jewishstorywriting.com/

31 July 2012

Deadline: 30 October 2012

The Ilanot Review began in 2009 as the literary journal Ilanot, which was created as a forum where students and graduates of the Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Bar-Ilan University could present their work. In 2011, Ilanot was re-incarnated as The Ilanot Review, a biannual journal of creative writing which publishes a stellar selection of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and literary interviews. The Ilanot Review is produced by a small and dedicated number of volunteer editors. We publish two themed issues a year, which invite submissions from English language poets and writers from anywhere in the world.

The Ilanot Review is accepting submissions for the Fall 2012 edition. The theme of this edition is Foreign Bodies

SUBMISSION PERIOD: June 1 2011- Oct 30 2012

WE WELCOME SUBMISSIONS OF THE FOLLOWING:

• Poetry − up to six poems – Please submit all work + bio in a single Word file. Submit up to six poems, with one poem per page. Poets: Please include your name and contact information on each page.
• Fiction – a short story of up to 5000 words
• Creative non-fiction – an essay of up to 5000 words
• Memoir – a personal essay of up to 5000 words
• Travel writing – an essay of up to 5000 words
• Flash fiction – short shorts -between 250-500 words

We also welcome translations of original work, providing the translator has obtained permission from the author. Previously unpublished translations preferred. Be sure to include the original poem/story in Word format.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Do include a short bio (50 -75 words) with your submission.
• We will consider simultaneous submissions provided that you indicate this upon submission and retract your work immediately if it is accepted for publication elsewhere.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: ilanotjournal@gmail.com

For submissions: via submittable

Website: http://ilanot.wordpress.com/

27 July 2012

Deadline: 16 November 2012

Tell us your views on the country, and how they changed during your trip (500-750 words). Grand Prize consists of $250 plus Bradt Travel Guides for Palestine and Israel. The winning article will be published in the 2013 Green Olive Tours booklet that is distributed throughout the world.

HOW TO ENTER:

• Tell us your views: How did they change during your trip? What is Palestine - Israel? - You decide.
• You can make us laugh, cry, sympathetic or angry.
• We want to see your definition of the country, based on your experiences - not a 'solution' to the conflict, or a 'future peace scenario', but a personal view of what the country is now, based on your experiences with the people.
• Think about your moment of change or evolution in your thinking. It could have been meeting a refugee, a conversation with a local resident, seeing the WALL for the first time, witnessing a checkpoint, meeting Israelis or Palestinians, or a night out in Tel Aviv or Ramallah. We are looking for a personal approach.



FOLLOW OUR GUIDELINES:

• Please title your entry.
• Entries should be between 500-750 words in length and your own original work.
• Entries not consisting of 500-750 words, not submitted via the official entry form and/or containing plagiarized work, will not be considered.
• Entries must be received no later than midnight Friday, 16th November, 2012.

THE JUDGING PROCESS:

• Semi-finalists: Ten entries will be selected for public voting by a panel of reviewers.
• You will be informed via email if your entry is selected
• The ten semi-finalists will be listed on our website on Friday 23rd November and promote voting via the website, newsletter and Social Media until Friday 7th December 2012.
• Finalists: The three entries receiving the most votes be become finalists and move on to judging by a professional travel writer.
• The competition winner will be announced on Friday 21st December, 2012.

THE JUDGE: Sarah Irving is a British freelance writer and editor specialising in the Middle East, travel, and the arts. She first visited Palestine/Israel in 1996 and has worked in Palestine as a human rights observer, fair trade product buyer, tour guide, journalist and travel writer on regular occasions since 2001. She is the author of three books on Palestine, including the Bradt Guide to Palestine, the most widely-available English-language guidebook to the West Bank, Gaza and Palestinian communities within Israel. She believes deeply in the contribution that ordinary people meeting ordinary Palestinians and Israelis, and seeing the situation on the ground for themselves can make to the international movement for a just and lasting peace in the region. All the entries to the competition will be loaded onto the Green Olive web site for you to enjoy, as per our Terms and Conditions.

THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE:

• US$250
• One copy of the Bradt guide to Palestine
• One copy of the Bradt guide to Israel

The guide books can be transferred as a gift to anyone designated by the winner.

The winning article will be published on Green Olive Tours' website and featured in the 2013 Green Olive Tours information booklet (tens of thousands of copies distributed world-wide annually).

As part of their support, Bradt Travel Guides is also offering a 25% discount for their Palestine or Israel travel guide to all entrants of the competition.

Entries deemed suitable will be published on the Green Olive Tours website.

The author's name and country will be published along with their article unless otherwise requested. Contact information is for the use of Green Olive Tours only and will not published.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. The competition is open to any traveler age 18 and over who has visited Palestine / Israel during the past five years.

2. Closing date for receipt of all entries is Friday 16th November 2012.


3. winner will receive a prize package consisting of $250 USD (payable via PayPal or wire transfer) along with copies of the Bradt Guides to Palestine and Israel (transferable as a gift)

4. The winning article will be published in the 2013 Green Olive Tours booklet that is distributed throughout the world. 


5. To enter, submit your article consisting of 500-750 words via the official entry form.


6. An initial shortlist of ten entries will be selected on merit by a panel of reviewers appointed by Green Olive Tours (including at least one independent reviewer not affiliated with Green Olive Tours). The selected ten entries will be open to voting by the public via Green Olive Tours' website. The winner will be chosen by an independent judge from the three entries receiving the most votes.

7. Public voting will begin on Friday 23rd November 2012 and terminate on Friday 7th December 2012. To be eligible to vote, you must register for the free Green Olive Tours e-newsletter (distributed only fours times a year and features an opt-out in each issue) as your voting signature will be your registration e-mail. Only one vote is allowed per person.

8. The winner will be announced via the Green Olive Tours website by Friday 21st December 2012 and informed via contact information provided with the entry.

9. Green Olive Tours reserves the right to publish any entry on its website.

10. Entries limited to one per person. 


11. Email addresses provided during entry or voting will be used solely to contact the competition winner, and to distribute our email newsletter (four times a year). Each newsletter has a clearly indicated 'unsubscribe' link. No contact information will be disclosed to 3rd parties

12. There is no alternative to the prize offered. 


13. If for any reason a winner is unable to take the prize as offered, Green Olive Tours reserves the right to award the prize to the next best entry. 


14. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: via the online entry form

Website: http://www.toursinenglish.com/