[Peacectr_list] Job Opening: US-El Salvador Sister Cities Co-coordinator, El Salvador

Tue Dec 18 19:45:02 UTC 2007

From: Jonathan Falk <jon at pica.ws>

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US-El Salvador Sister Cities
(USESSC)

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
CO-CORDINATOR, EL SALVADOR

The U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities Network is a grass-roots organization
of communities in the United States that have ongoing partnerships with
small rural communities in El Salvador.  These "sister city"
relationships began in 1986 as a citizen-based response to the U.S.
intervention in El Salvador's civil war.  Today, twenty-two sister
cities and organizations from across the United States are paired with
Salvadoran communities and organizations in six of El Salvador's
fourteen provinces.  These connections are made through our sister
organization, the Association for the Development of El Salvador
(CRIPDES), made up of 300 rural communities who, through their work of
community organizing, popular education and mass mobilization, are at
the forefront of the Salvadoran social movement.

Sister Cities works to connect and strengthen movements for social
justice in the U.S. and El Salvador through mutual support,
accompaniment and sharing of diverse experiences.  We strive to build a
new kind of globalization, one built from the ground up and united by
human values of justice and solidarity.  This position is based in El
Salvador.

Job Description (Shared by El Salvador Co-Coordinators):

Responsibilities:

Communication, Coordination and Relationship Building:
* Facilitate communication, coordination and strengthen relationships
among rural communities in El Salvador and regional CRIPDES offices, and
their sister cities in the United States.
* Make regular visits to rural sistered communities; create and
strengthen spaces for coordination with CRIPDES counterparts
* Support and strengthen the work of Sister City committees in the
United States.
* Communicate and coordinate with Salvadoran social movement
organizations and other solidarity organizations that work in El Salvador.
* Participate in the development, planning, and evaluation of regional
and national sistering programs, along with CRIPDES and other counterparts
* Orient, coordinate with, and supervise Sister Cities volunteers in El
Salvador
* Write updates and maintain communication by email and telephone with
the Sister Cities network in the United States.
Advocacy: Work with our partners in El Salvador and the sister cities in
the United States to support the development and implementation of
political advocacy programs from the grassroots base around themes of
human rights, fair trade, resistance to mining, and immigration.

Projects: In cooperation with our CRIPDES counterparts in El Salvador
and the Sister Cities network in the United States, facilitate the
design, revision, and evaluation of community, regional, and national
projects.  Maintain communication with other Salvadoran organizations to
facilitate coordination among counterparts and the CRIPDES regions.

Information and Analysis: Work with Sister Cities staff and our
Salvadoran counterparts to develop updates with analysis and information
about the social, cultural, economic and political realities of El
Salvador, especially within CRIPDES communities and the regions where we
work, to share with the sister city network in the United States.

Delegations: Coordinate delegations from the sister cities in the United
Status to build healthy cross-cultural relationships, raise
consciousness, and build organizing.  Responsibilities include:
logistical coordination, itinerary planning, accompaniment of delegation
during its visit, translation, and orientation about the history and
current context of the Salvadoran social movement.

Tours: Support and organize tours of our Salvadoran counterparts in
CRIPDES to the United Status.  Responsibilities include: logistical
coordination, creating tour itineraries in a collective manner with
counterparts, support of visa application process, orientation about
logistical, cultural and political aspects of the tour in the US, and in
many cases physical accompaniment and translation.

Office Administration: Maintain an accounting system for funds,projects,
administrative and salary expenses; compile information about projects
and advocacy; translate correspondence.

Position Requirements
* Experience working with social movements in Latin American, rural
communities, and grassroots organizations in the United Status.
* Experience living and/or working in Latin America.
* Strong cultural sensitivity and willingness to adapt to cultural
situations.
* Fluent in Spanish and English, with ability to translate both (written
and spoken) is ESSENTIAL.
* Strong communication skills (written and spoken).
* Adaptable work style compatible with our Salvadoran counterparts, and
the ability to adapt personal and work calendars to accommodate
delegations.
* Ability to use constructive criticism and feedback in a positive way.
* Capabilities in program evaluation for continued improvement.
* Ability to work in a team without hierarchies.
* Personal initiative and motivation, and ability to self-supervise.
* Ease in using Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.  Familiarity with
Quickbooks is also a plus.
* University degree preferred but not required.

Salary and Benefits:
The position is full time, 40 hours per week.  We offer a stipend of
$822 per month plus medical insurance.  We also offer trips to the
United States at least once per year, and three weeks of vacation per
year.

Job Commitment:
The job commitment is a minimum of 2 years.

Process and Timeline:
The person hired will begin working on March 1, 2008. We will be
accepting applications until January 20, 2008. We will arrange a
telephone and /or in-person interview after receiving the application.
To apply please send a cover letter, resume and three letters of
reference from sister city, solidarity, fair trade, faith -based or
community organizations to: USESSC Search Committee, C/o Karen
Volckhausen, 1138 Happy Town Rd., Orland, Maine 04472 or email to
pkvolckhausen at panax.com. Telephone inquiries at 207-667-9212

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