The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic Church-based non-governmental organization with a mission to accompany, serve and protect refugees and internally displaced persons–regardless of faith, race, ethnicity or nationality.  The main areas of work are in the field of education, emergency assistance, livelihood and social services. JRS is a non-profit venture of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) that was established in 1980. JRS works in more than 50 countries worldwide. It has committed itself in Ethiopia for more than three decades helping refugees from all over Africa. JRS is now recruiting a dynamic individual to fill a new role of reconciliation and social cohesion coordinator in order to implement a creative project.

Summary description of the position’s main role:

The RSC Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating and implementing a pilot project of reconciliation and social cohesion in two camps (Mai-Aini and Adi-Harush camps)for Eritrean refugees  in Shire of Tigray and two camps (Melkadida and Kobe camps) for Somali refugees in Dollo Ado of Somali region in Ethiopia. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the capacity of the JRS team and the refugee and host communities to build more constructive, just and peaceful relationships. This project will pilot the strategy of the JRS International Reconciliation Programme. Thus, the RSC Coordinator will be responsible to ensure that the principles of this Programme and of the JRS mission overall are integrated in all steps of the project.

Reporting:

The RSC Coordinator reports to the JRS Project Director based Mai-Aini or Dollo Ado (onsite) project operation office and to the Director of the JRS International Reconciliation Programme (online).

Collaboration:

The RSC Coordinator will work in close collaboration with the other Project Coordinators (like psychosocial support programme coordinator) of JRS Mai-Aini project or Dollo Ado project and the rest of the team, drawing on their experience and support to implement this project, as agreed by the Project Director.  In addition, he/she will collaborate with other actors operating in the camps and host communities.

Duties of the RSC Coordinator:

To implement the overall goal of the project, the RSC Coordinator will adapt the JRS International principles and training methodology to context, and will also use more training tools as needed, by drawing on her/his own knowledge, by appreciating and learning from local practices for conflict resolution, and by consulting local resource persons. The RSC Coordinator will also liaise with external resource persons selected by JRS International and JRS Ethiopia to deliver the trainings.

In collaboration with relevant actors, establish peace committees in the camps or/and strengthen the capacity of these camp peace committees so that they may mitigate and resolve communal conflicts and proactively promote reconciliation among the refugees themselves and also with the host communities.

• Liaise with the committee leaders to convene and plan monthly meetings (at least) and to strengthen the relationship among committee members;
• Conduct regular trainings for the camp committees to strengthen their skills to identify, mitigate, and resolve conflict and to build reconciliation and social cohesion;
• Mobilise the committees to promptly address conflicts that arise, to take steps to proactively prevent conflict, and to build peace through education and awareness activities planned together with JRS.

Enhance mutual understanding between refugees and host communities and facilitate opportunities for encounter and dialogue.

• Conduct regular trainings for selected elders and leaders from the host community, to strengthen their skills to identify, mitigate and resolve conflict and to build reconciliation and social cohesion;
• Organise joint sessions with the camp peace committees for encounter and dialogue for action around agreed issues;
• Organise public awareness-raising activities that invite members of refugee and host communities to come together to build more peaceful relationships;
• Set up and supervise peace clubs in local schools with members from refugee and host communities that will meet once per month (at least);
• Train and monitor selected teachers and peer educators;
• Encourage and support school peace clubs to initiate school-based activities to promote social cohesion between refugee and host communities.

Build inter-group understanding and skills for reconciliation and social cohesion among the refugees of all ages, through activities based on inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and education.

• Conduct regular trainings for selected camp leaders and elders and strengthen their skills to identify, mitigate, and resolve conflict and to build reconciliation and social cohesion;
• Organise monthly meetings of relationship-building and training for selected religious leaders from the camp and host communities, who come from different religious and cultural traditions. Utilise an inter-religious approach to enhance their skills of conflict resolution and of working in partnership;
• In collaboration with the JRS psychosocial and other departments and the camp peace committees, organise a regular series of educational events on peace building and reconciliation that will be open to all the refugee community members.

Encourage more peaceful and reconciliatory relationships among members of the JRS project team in the project site (Mai-Aini & Dollo Ado project)

• Hold monthly meetings for the JRS team (and others as necessary in response to need identified with the Project Director) with a focus on learning about and applying the dynamics of reconciliation.
• Coordinate the participation of members of the JRS team in the activities planned to build reconciliation and social cohesion among refugee and host communities.

General:

• Produce periodical report of the project and document project activities
• Ensure coordination and information-sharing with the Project Director and with the Coordinators of other departments of JRS project, with any partner organisations, and with external resource persons;
• Keep the Director of the JRS International Reconciliation Programme regularly informed about the progress of the project;
• Keep a meticulous account of all expenses, with receipts;
• Coordinate the collection of data for monitoring and evaluation of the project as instructed by the PD, the JRS Ethiopia Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, and the Director of the JRS International Reconciliation Programme;
• Attend regional or international meetings organised by JRS that are related to this job;
• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Professional Standards:

All JRS staff are required to adhere to the JRS Code of Conduct and other policies like child safeguarding policy

Required qualifications, experience, attributes, and competencies:

• BA Degree or MA degree in Reconciliation, Peace-Building, Conflict Resolution & Conflict Management, Peace Building and Conflict Transformation, Peace and Conflict Studies, or other related fields;
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in coordinating and implementing a programme in one of the following fields or something similar: reconciliation, peace-building, social cohesion, conflict resolution;
• Experience of being a group facilitator or mediator;
• Experience in training groups in peace-building, dialogue, conflict resolution, and related fields;
• Good understanding of the refugee context in Ethiopia and ongoing policy and intervention shifts
• Experience in initiating community-based actions promoting cohesion;
• Good command of English, both written and oral;
• Good interpersonal skills and cross-cultural sensitivity;
• Willingness to adopt an inter-religious approach to building reconciliation and social cohesion;
• Adherence to the values and principles of the JRS International Reconciliation Programme and the JRS mission overall;
• Ability to work in a cultural and gender-sensitive manner, respecting diversity in all its forms, including religious minorities, socio-economic situation, gender, ethnicity, etc.;
• Positive attitude with a willingness to learn;
• Ability to cope and work under pressure;
• Computer literate, mainly in Microsoft Office package;
• Well-organized, self-motivated and ability to work in a team;
• Knowledge of language spoken by refugees (Tigrigna for Shire camps site applicants while Somali for Dollo Ado camps) is an advantage.

Place of Assignment: Shire refugee camps (Mai-Aini and Adi-Harush) in Tigray and Dollo Ado camps (Melkadida and Kobe) in Somali regional state, Ethiopia.

Number Required:  Two individuals (one post for Shire camps and one for Dollo Ado camps).

Starting date: January 2019

Duration: 12 months (possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding)