Title:  Colombia Program Coordinator

Location:  Bogotá, Colombia

Hours: Full-time

Description:  Staff person is responsible for coordination of the FOR’s Colombia Program which, in collaboration with other branches of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, supports non-violent efforts in Colombia, peace initiatives, respect for human rights, and justice and peace in US policy.  This includes oversight and coordination of Colombia Peace Presence, an FOR protective accompaniment team that maintains a permanent presence in the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in northern Colombia and supports the other Colombian partners. The staff person will advocate for the security of Colombian partners before the diplomatic corps based in Bogota as well as Colombian authorities.

The staff person is also responsible for the coordination of grassroots education and advocacy in the United States and Europe regarding these peace initiatives, the conflict in Colombia and US policy; and development of faith community partnerships between the United States and Colombia.

The staff person works as part of a team with representatives of other International FOR branches, with staff of the Fellowship of Reconciliation USA and with the emerging Accompaniment National Chapter of the FOR.  Among the responsibilities shared with them is fundraising for the accompaniment program.

FOR is an interfaith organization founded in 1915 committed to active nonviolence as a transforming way of life and as a means of change. It educates, trains, builds coalitions, and engages in nonviolent and compassionate actions locally, nationally and globally.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Recruitment, selection, training, support, and ongoing guidance for five-person FOR team in  Colombia. This includes: monitoring security situation, reviewing petitions, sending timely feedback to teams, coordinating two yearly retreats, developing and executing the work plan, being on call in case of emergencies and convening regular international conference meetings.
• Ensuring the accompaniment team’s logistical needs are met, includes securing visas, scheduling deployment, procuring equipment, etc
• Design strategies for political accompaniment, that includes regular meetings with embassies and Colombian authorities;
• Provide regularly updated information on Colombian human rights, peace initiatives, and U.S. policy to FORconstituents, including action alerts, blog pieces, electronic newsletters, design and production of popular education publications and organization of speaking tours by Colombians or returned FOR volunteers;
• Co-coordination with team in Colombia of 1-2 annual delegations to Colombia;
• Occasional travel to the United States and Europe required;

Administrative responsibilities include preparing annual budget ($150,0000), overseeing the accountant’s monthly and annual reporting, coordinating audits as required by funders. Fundraising responsibilities, shared with the National Chapter and the IFOR branches, include writing grant proposals, designing and implementing fund appeals.

Qualifications:

• Commitment to active nonviolence, inter-faith collaboration, and the goals of the FOR;
• Leadership skills, preferably with experience working in a supervisor role.
• Experience managing budgets;
• Fundraising experience;
• Excellent understanding of current political and human rights issues in Colombia and U.S.       policy;
• Experience in social change activism, preferably in the U.S,;
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills, including fluency in Spanish and English;
• Understanding of international human rights accompaniment highly desirable;
• Experience dealing with Colombian bureaucracy highly desirable.
• Facility with computer systems (preferably Macintosh); familiarity with website and media software.
• Ability to work well with colleagues, make consensus based decisions, and comfort in diverse cultural and class settings;

Salary commensurate with experience, includes health benefits, four weeks vacation.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.  The organization actively seeks great inclusion of women, people of color, religious minorities, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people throughout its staff and committees.  More information on the FOR and its programs is available on our web-site at http://www.forusa.org

To apply, send a letter of intent, resume, writing sample, and references to:

Susana Pimiento: spimiento@forusa.org

Application deadline: April 20, 2013

The position is expected to begin June 15.