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Peace Building Coordinator

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All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and nonviolent peacemaking.

MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.

Peace Building Coordinator in Kenya

Term: 
3 to 5 years
Date Opened: 
July 8, 2009
Date Required: 
June 1, 2010
Full Time Equivalent: 
1.0

 

Synopsis: 

This position serves as the operational management link between MCC Kenya and its various partners for peace building. As spelled out in its long term strategic plan, MCC Kenya seeks to substantially increase its programming for peace building. The person acts to interpret MCC interests to partners, while at the same time, interpreting partner interests to MCC. This process of interchange leads to engagement with partners on issues ranging from program visioning, program planning, program implementation, capacity building and reporting.

 

Qualifications: 
  • Exposure to, and preferably experience in, peace building and conflict transformation.
  • MA (or commensurate experience) in peace building, conflict transformation or related field.
  • Preferred: 2 years experience in peace building work in a cross cultural setting.
  • Keen motivation to want to make a difference.
  • Ability to live and work in a relatively unstructured scenario.
  • Organize own work load.
  • Relate to partner organizations who come from oral traditions.
  • Think outside the box.
  • Adapt to new cultural norms.
  • Willingness to travel in “primitive conditions”.
  • Motivation to learn the local language (Swahili).
  • Conduct workshops on peace building with partners and community groups as appropriate.
  • Ability to document work.
  • Develop work plans and reports, independently as well as in collaboration with partners.
  • Ability to identify and write human interest stories would be a plus.

 

Assignment Description: 

This person reports to the MCC Representatives for Kenya. In basic terms, this person manages the peace building partnerships for MCC. While the worker is not seconded to partners, the main focus of the work is to support partners in the development and implementation of their respective visions. MCC Kenya seeks to increase significantly its peace programming. This will be accomplished by way of forming new partnerships with peace building groups. In the early stages of this assignment, this person will be heavily involved in searching for, and negotiating/developing these new partnerships. As time goes on, the focus of the work will shift to management plan development, project implementation (in the context of the partnerships) and capacity building.

 

Duties: 
  • Stay abreast and informed of all MCC planning and reporting protocols. Be prepared to interpret these to partners as needed.
  • Stay abreast and informed of MCC’s vision and operating principles. Be prepared to interpret these to partners as needed.
  • In collaboration with MCC representative, develop/negotiate additional peace related partnerships.
  • Seek to enhance the technical program implementation capacity of partners where and as appropriate.

1. Bring fresh outside thinking to the table, as appropriate.

2. Assist partners to make connections with local and outside resources.

3. Assist partners, staff and community in various capacity building events, as requested.

  • Serve as the primary operational “link” between MCC Kenya and its various peace programs.

1. Keep abreast of all activities and developments of partner’s operations in order to be able to give sound advice as requested.

2. Assist partners as needed in the development of the management plan.

3. Follow with interest all activities of the plan as they are implemented. Be available to assist partners with interpretation and difficulties as needed.

4. Assist partners with their reporting responsibilities as needed.

5. Assist partners with data collection as called for in the plan as needed.

6. Attend partner board meetings when appropriate.

7. Participate in other partner functions as appropriate.

8. Assure that all reporting is done in a timely fashion, in accordance with the terms of the plan.

9. Interpret/explain partner interests to MCC Kenya.

10. Interpret/explain MCC Kenya interests to partners.

11. Engage with partners in financial accountability issues as called for in the partnership agreement.

12. Organize project cross fertilization visits as requested.

  • Stay abreast of cultural, social, political and economic events in Kenya. Be prepared to interpret these events as requested.
  • Attend MCC meetings and events as appropriate.
  • Perform other MCC program duties as requested by MCC Country Representative(s).
  • This position requires a fair amount of local travel with nights away from home. Our estimate is that it would not exceed 50 days/year on the road.

 

Location Description: 

The location of this assignment will very likely be in Western Kenya, possibly Eldoret. Most areas of Western Kenya enjoy moderate weather conditions. Housing options can be developed in accordance with the needs of the worker.

Access to adequate health facilities is pretty well assured. Almost any medical contingency can be covered in Kenya. Mosquitoes, with malaria, are a problem in certain, but not all areas.

If the worker has a family, child education options, both private and public, religious and secular, are available. Many options exist for church.

Public transportation is ubiquitous. Access to an MCC vehicle will depend on many factors, and will be determined after a worker is identified.

 

Challenges: 

The worker will be relating to a people and culture that is traditional “oral” in nature. Documentation in writing of events, visions, plans and reports is not necessarily the preferred mode of communication. It is a challenge, on the one hand, to appreciate this oral tradition, and on the other hand, to satisfy MCC/donor needs for written documentation.

Significant time will be spent in the field. One needs to be flexible on eating and sleeping needs.

Since independence, Kenya has enjoyed a relatively stable political climate. However, with the elections of 27 December 2007, all that changed. At the time of this writing (June, 2009), Kenya is still suffering from the results of this very serious confrontation that is mostly ethnic based. Internally Displaced Persons are still a reality and skirmishes still flare up. The local tribunal, or The Hague World court process remains a possible cause of further conflict. The elections of 2012 are already in the news with the very real possibility of similar conflict to that experienced after the elections of December, 2007.

Personal security in Kenya has always been problematic. Car-jackings and muggings occur far too often. With political uncertainty, over all security has deteriorated. But we hope that with the benefit of international mediation, this situation will improve.