Expert for strengthening women networks and platforms for social change (m/f/d)

We are looking for an Expert in Jerusalem, with extensive travel within the region and Europe, starting from October 2022.

Who we are:

forumZFD supports people involved in violent conflicts on the path to peace and strives to help overcome war and violence. forumZFD is currently working with peace consultants in Germany as well as in ten other countries in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. Its Academy for Conflict Transformation offers a learning space for professional, international peace work. Through dialogue events, educational work and campaigns, forumZFD actively advocates civil peace policy. forumZFD is recognized by the German federal government as a member of the Civil Peace Service (CPS) consortium. It finances its work through public and private grants, donations and membership fees.

forumZFD opened its first international office in East Jerusalem in 1999. Ever since, we work closely with diverse local partners, from Haifa to the South Hebron Hills, from Ramallah to Tel Aviv, from grassroots organizations and activists to women organizations and art collectives. What all our partners have in common is that they share a vision to overcome fragmentation and to promote inclusive narratives. Together we implement projects and activities in the fields of community organizing, media for social change and organizational development. Within this framework, it is our vision to strengthen civil society actors and to contribute to a critical mass that challenges fragmentation and promotes inclusive narratives.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

As an expert on community work your goal is to support grass roots initiatives of forumZFD Israel/Palestine partners and use your competences to implement an integrated societal approach to overcome social fragmentation. Your background working in women mobilising and working with local authorities is essential for this position.

As a capacity building specialist, you will use your expertise in women empowerment to support women leadership platforms to become more sustainable and ensure participation in decision making processes. Through the implementation of activities, you will spread awareness and knowledge about conflict transformation and non-violent action to strengthen the skills of the women network members. Independently implementing workshops and trainings, as well as mentoring individuals belong to your area of responsibility.

Your main tasks include planning and implementing activities to improve the capacities of our partners and their target groups with the objective to help civil society organizations to identify and analyze community conflicts and social tensions and to develop applicable interventions for conflict solving mechanisms. While planning the interventions you will apply a participatory approach, considering the cultural aspects of community tensions and local context factors. You will link to the already existing capacity-building measures within the forumZFD programme team – this includes also the documentation and presentation, internal knowledge-management processes and PM&E on project and programme level.

Your profile:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree preferred) in environmental or social sciences, conflict transformation, peacebuilding, international development or other relevant fields;
• Proven professional experience (min. 5 years) in community work, women empowerment, working with local governance, civil society strengthening projects, working experience in the MENA area is preferred;
• Experience in independent pro-active planning, and implementation of co-operation projects with activists, networks, movements and/or NGOs;
• Strong social competences, team oriented and ability to integrate quickly into daily project routine; strong ability to think strategically and conceptually;
• Strong experience in facilitating workshops, training and sharing skill building know-how;
• Good ability to work independently as well as in cooperation with team members;
• Physical and psychological stability and intercultural sensitivity to work and live in a complex society and challenging context;
• Fluent English language skills both spoken and written. Arabic and/or Hebrew is an asset;
• Driving license and experience;
• A good sense of humor.

Our offer:

We offer an attractive positionwith responsibilities for a minimum of two years in a growing organization. We also offer participation in qualification and professional development courses (among others, at forumZFD’s Academy for Conflict Transformation), a project-based preparation, regular coaching and, where appropriate, participation in a language course. As the position is based on the German Development Aid Workers Act (EhfG). The position is remunerated according to the provisions of this law, including comprehensive social security benefits and financial reintegration assistance upon return. Working for forumZFD, you will be engaged within the innovative field of conflict transformation and peacebuilding through contributing your ideas and skills.

Start of assignment

Ideally, you are available to start working on 1st of October 2022 (preparation phase and induction courses, followed by at least two to three years with the option of extension).