Peace Brigades International
Post Title: Field Volunteer
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Starting date: At the beginning of spring 2016 for a minimum of twelve months.
Please note that, due to security considerations, it is a PBI policy that no
nationals are eligible to apply for in-country positions. We encourage all
interested persons with Kenyan nationality to apply to PBI positions in Mexico,
Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia and other countries. Post Title: Field Volunteer
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Starting date: At the beginning of spring 2016 for a minimum of twelve months.
Background: Peace Brigades International (PBI) is an international non-governmental organization that has promoted non-violence and protected human rights defenders since 1981.
In response to the needs of human
rights defenders, we provide unarmed protective accompaniment and other support
on the ground through trained field volunteers and a broad network of
international support.
Protective accompaniment deters
attacks against human rights defenders by sending a powerful message that the
world is watching and prepared to act.
Integral to PBI’s protection strategy
are political support networks set up and activated by 12 country groups in
North America and South America, Europe, and Australia, who are also responsible
for volunteer recruitment, outreach, publicity and fundraising.
PBI is an independent, egalitarian,
volunteer-based organization not affiliated to any religious or political
institution.
Upon request, PBI established a new project in Kenya in 2013 to provide protection and support to human rights defenders (HRDs).
Upon request, PBI established a new project in Kenya in 2013 to provide protection and support to human rights defenders (HRDs).
In 2015, a small PBI field team
provides support to grassroots HRDs in Nairobi. In January 2016, four field
volunteers supported by two in country staff positions will continue this work.
Depending on the strategy of the
project, the opening of a field office outside of Nairobi, which implies field
volunteers moving there, is possible.
Role of PBI field volunteers
PBI’s field volunteers provide protective accompaniment to human rights defenders on the ground.
Role of PBI field volunteers
PBI’s field volunteers provide protective accompaniment to human rights defenders on the ground.
This is carried out through physical
presence, dialogue with state authorities, advocacy with the international
community in country and information distribution.
Besides this, volunteers participate
in other activities to support local actors as well, including workshops,
analysis and strategy development, publications, information-sharing,
networking and contact-building.
Main Duties, Tasks and Responsibilities:
1. Working with civil society / human rights organisations
Main Duties, Tasks and Responsibilities:
1. Working with civil society / human rights organisations
- Provide international protective presence for
accompanied human rights organizations and carry out risk assessments and
other activities to strengthen their capacities to cope with the security
challenges of human rights work in Kenya.
- Participate in the selection of and set-up of
accompaniment relationships.
- Develop and maintain positive working
relationships with Kenyan civil society/human rights organizations.
- At all times work in a non-partisan manner.
- Collect, monitor and evaluate information to
ensure that the objectives and activities of PBI Kenya and its accompanied
organizations are being met and that this is reported frequently to
relevant staff members/committees in the PBI Kenya Project.
2. Team work
- Work and live as part of a multicultural team.
- Actively contribute to the maintenance of
proactive communication mechanisms within the team including active
participation in team meetings, providing new ideas and input to team
decisions and political analysis.
- Prepare meeting agendas, facilitate team meetings
and note decisions.
- Undertake to work in a non-hierarchical group
that makes decisions by consensus.
- Produce reports as a team as required.
- Work constructively with the Project Committee
(PC) and staff.
- Collectively define and refine the project’s
strategies and protocols based on PBI experience.
3. Advocacy and communications
- In coordination with all Project members,
represent PBI Kenya at networking/advocacy meetings with the diplomatic
corps, EU mission and NGOs as well as with Kenyan authorities.
- Assist with the production and writing of PBI
Kenya communication materials for internal and external use.
4. Administration
- Write reports and minutes and develop resource
materials and historical knowledge of field team activities.
- Undertake day to day office tasks, including
responding to emails, telephone enquiries, filing, maintaining and
updating of records and databases and financial management.
5. Other duties:
- Respect non-violence and PBI’s other core
principles at all times.
- Undertake all duties in accordance with PBI
policies and procedures, in particular those relating to Harassment and
Equal Opportunities.
- Assume responsibility for the shared
household, including shopping, cooking and cleaning.
- Undertake such other duties as may reasonably
be allocated, which may involve providing assistance in any area of the
Project as may be required from time to time.
Person Specification:
Essential
Essential
- Understand PBI’s work and principles and apply
these in practice.
- Ability to communicate effectively, in
English, in speech and writing.
- Ability to function effectively in a diverse
group using consensus.
- Ability to organise yourself and manage a busy
workload.
- Ability to analyse information and use it to
plan action.
- Competent IT user.
- Ability to manage stress effectively.
- Knowledge of Kenya and its political and human
rights situation.
Desirable·
- Ability to design and facilitate training.
- Ability to speak Kiswahili.
What will PBI provide?
- Pre-deployment training during which the final
selection of volunteers will be made.The training will take place in Spain
around end of October / beginning of November and will last between 5 to 7
days. It is expected that participants fund their travel to the training.
In exceptional cases, the project can financially support the costs.
- Travel to and from Kenya.
- Health insurance.
- Modest monthly stipend (around 300 EUR) and
work-related expenses.
- Modest repatriation at end of volunteer
service.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates are requested to send their CV, a brief personal statement as well as two reference letters to Sergi Bach atkenyacoordinator@peacebrigades.org.
Interested candidates are requested to send their CV, a brief personal statement as well as two reference letters to Sergi Bach atkenyacoordinator@peacebrigades.org.
Closing date for applications: 17th
of September 2015.
The personal statement should explain how you meet the essential and desirable criteria listed in the person specification, providing clear examples that demonstrate each point. You should write no more than 1500 words in total.
Applicants who do not provide this information will not be considered.
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by Skype starting 16th September.
Please note that we are unable to respond to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
PBI values diversity and has a strong commitment to equality of opportunity. All applicants will be treated on equal terms, without discrimination on any grounds, and especially for reasons of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical disability.
The personal statement should explain how you meet the essential and desirable criteria listed in the person specification, providing clear examples that demonstrate each point. You should write no more than 1500 words in total.
Applicants who do not provide this information will not be considered.
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by Skype starting 16th September.
Please note that we are unable to respond to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
PBI values diversity and has a strong commitment to equality of opportunity. All applicants will be treated on equal terms, without discrimination on any grounds, and especially for reasons of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical disability.
Please refer to:
www.peacebrigades.org for information about us