Advocacy Officer

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948.  It brings together 350 member churches from all over the world, including Orthodox churches, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran and Reformed denominations, to promote Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world.

The WCC is looking for an:

Advocacy Officer at 100%

Based in Jerusalem, the advocacy officer will advocate for all the WCC activities based in Jerusalem and Israel. He/she will work with and assist all relevant stakeholders of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI) and the Jerusalem Liaison Office (WCC-JLO). He/she will work closely with the relevant staff teams in Jerusalem, the programme executive for peacebuilding in the Middle East region, the Director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA).

In particular, he/she will be responsible for:

WCC-EAPPI

• Work closely with the EAPPI Advocacy Task Force and relevant WCC staff in Jerusalem and Geneva/New York to implement the WCC-EAPPI advocacy strategy.
• Define key issues and develop strategies, messaging and outputs for advocacy initiatives based on the reports, observations and experiences of Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) and local partners.  
• Liaise closely with local counterparts (esp. churches and church-related organizations) in relation to such issues, strategies, messaging and outputs. 
• Train and support EAs in relation to their advocacy work (and related processes) during their time in the field, including preparing EAs to brief their consulates in Israel and/or Palestine on specific issues that are in need of diplomatic attention and intervention.
• Draft Urgent Action Appeals/Advocacy Alerts on imminent threats of human rights violations affecting placement and partner communities. 
• Develop and maintain close relations with national and international advocacy organizations, key governmental and UN actors, as well as regional advocacy groups and networks.
• Develop ways to provide feedback on advocacy initiatives to the communities concerned
• Stay highly informed about the situation in Palestine and Israel by reading EA logs, news media and reports by partner organizations.
• Together with local staff in Jerusalem, research and draft text for statements and submissions to relevant UN forums/mechanisms in Geneva and/or New York; liaise and collaborate closely with relevant colleagues in Geneva and New York in relation to advocacy opportunities and initiatives in the UN.
• Develop links with organisations and networks working on the issue of I/OPT in the European Union (EU) in Brussels, and attend meetings specialising on advocacy on Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories at the EU such as the ACT EU Middle East working group.
• Engage with advocacy targets such as Members of European Parliament, EU Special Representatives and officials. 
• Organise an annual lobby week at the EU in cooperation with relevant partners. Support day-to-day running of EAPPI as requested by the Programme Coordinator, such as editing internal reports, communicating information about EAPPI to partner organizations and delegations etc.

WCC-JLO

• Undertake advocacy functions on behalf of the Jerusalem Liaison Office, under the supervision of the JLO Coordinator, in particular relating to JLO work with local church leaders and communities, inter-religious relations in the region, and ecumenical theological reflection on the situation in Palestine and Israel.
• Liaise closely with relevant WCC colleagues in Geneva (especially the Programme Executive on peacebuilding in the Middle East region) and New York in relation to such advocacy initiatives.

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QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Experience:

At least three to five years’ experience in the field of advocacy: public information, public relations, international relations, public administration or related area, especially within humanitarian organizations and ecumenical movement.

• Demonstrated skills in defining key issues for advocacy, and developing effective advocacy strategies and messaging.
• Writing and technical skills for the production of a range of advocacy outputs, including reports, case studies, advocacy alerts, photographs, videos.
• High degree of inter-cultural awareness and sensitivity; ability to relate appropriately and work creatively with local churches and church-related organizations, and with other local and international stakeholders and counterparts.
• Capacity to represent EAPPI/JLO in relevant meeting and working groups related to the functions of the position.

Education:

University degree (Bachelor/Master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations, public administration or related field.

Language skills:

Strong oral communication skills in Arabic and English. Hebrew is an asset. Knowledge of other languages is an asset.

Other requirements:

• Ability to work under pressure with irregular hours as needed and ability to travel to all areas of the West Bank.
• Jerusalem ID is a plus
• A valid driving license for Israel and the West Bank is required. Having a car is a plus.
• Alignment to Christian values

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: 16 June 2021

Apply for this position by clicking on the following link:

wcccoe.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk0u4jp 

ABOUT HUMAN RESOURCES AT THE WCC:

The WCC is an equal opportunity employer. The sole criteria for recruitment, training and career opportunities are qualification, skills, experience and performance to all its staff members.