Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Coordinator at Jesuit Refugee Services

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organisation with a mission to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. JRS undertakes services at national and regional levels with the support of an international office in Rome. Founded in November 1980 as a work of the Society of Jesus, JRS was …



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Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Coordinator

• Job Type Full Time


• Qualification BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA


• Experience 3 years


• Location Abuja


• Job Field NGO/Non-Profit&nbsp

Job Title: Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Coordinator                                   Supervisor: Head of Programme

Country of Assignment: Nigeria                                                                           Regional Directorate: West Africa

Place of Assignment: Abuja                                                                                  Supervisor’s Seat: Abuja

Job Summary

The Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Coordinator (RSC) will be responsible for coordinating and implementing a pilot project of reconciliation, social cohesion with refugees/IDPs and surrounding host communities in Taraba, Borno and Adamawa States. 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. JRS Nigeria is working towards mainstreaming reconciliation and social cohesion in its various interventions, including: 

• Youth and Livelihoods programming 


• Women empowerment programming  


• Support to Cameroonian Refugees residing in host communities 


• Capacity building for teachers and community members

The RSC Coordinator will be responsible for supporting the reconciliation and social cohesion programming and activities within these intervention areas, as well as JRS team training and training of other partner organization and stakeholders in reconciliation. 

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. 

Key Responsibilities of the Position

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 Nigeria to deliver the trainings.

• Conduct regular trainings with stakeholders (JRS staff members, program beneficiaries such as youth, women, IDPs, refugees, community leaders etc.) to strengthen their skills to identify, mitigate, and resolve conflict and to build reconciliation and social cohesion;


• Mobilize community 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. 


• Develop and design educational and recreational activities that promote social cohesion, peace and reconciliation for various age groups, including children and youth.


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


• Conduct regular trainings for selected elders and leaders from the host community, refugees and IDPs, to strengthen their skills to identify, mitigate and resolve conflict and to build reconciliation and social cohesion;


• Organize public awareness-raising activities that invite members of refugee and host communities to come together to build more peaceful relationships;


• Train and monitor selected teachers and peer educators.  

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, action, and education. 

• Organize monthly meetings of relationship-building and training for selected leaders from the camp and host communities, who come from different religious and cultural traditions. Utilize an inter-religious approach to enhance their skills of conflict resolution and working in partnership; 

Encourage more peaceful and reconciliatory relationships among members of the JRS project team 

• Hold monthly meetings for the JRS team (and others as necessary in response to need identified with the Project Director, Head of Programmes and Country 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: 

• Prepare the operational work plan of the project including detail monthly and quarterly plan. 


• Produce periodical report of the project and document project activities 


• Willingness and availability to travel to project locations   


• Ensure coordination and information-sharing with the Head of Programmes 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 through meetings, emails correspondence and by filling in the monthly template for reconciliation coordinators about how the activities conducted relate to and reflect the JRS principles;


• Coordinate the collection of data for monitoring and evaluation of the project as instructed by the JRS Head of Programmes, the Country Director and the Director of the JRS International Reconciliation Programme;


• Attend regional or international meetings organized by JRS that are related to this job;


• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor 

Required Profile 

Have a BA Degree or MA degree in Reconciliation, Peace-Building, Conflict Resolution & Conflict Management, Peace Building and Conflict Transformation, Peace and Conflict Studies, Sociology, Social Work or Social Psychology or other related fields.

Experience and Qualification

• 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 in Monitoring and Evaluation of projects/ Programmes, development and/or humanitarian service.


• Experience of being a group facilitator or mediator.


• Experience in training groups in peace-building, dialogue, conflict resolution, and related fields.


• Experience in initiating community-based actions promoting cohesion.


• Experience in initiating community-based actions promoting cohesion

Qualities

•  Adhere to JRS values and abide by the code of conduct and other policies.


• Demonstrate leadership skills, active listening skills, initiative and personal discipline, etc.


• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information.


• Have good computer skills and mastery of MS Office tools.


• Mastery of English (fluency in spoken and written languages).

Method of Application

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: jrsnigeria.hr@gmail.com using the position as subject of email.

source: https://jobcenternigeria.com/reconciliation-and-social-cohesion-coordinator-at-jesuit-refugee-services/