Freelance Writer and Media Trainer

Short-term appointment (3 months)
Freelance Writer and Media Trainer-West Bank
February 2013

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker Organization which works with people from various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. AFSC’s work in Palestine dates back to the year 1949 when the AFSC offered support and help for Palestinians seeking refuge in Gaza after the 1948 war. Since 1950 AFSC has also conducted work in Israel. Today AFSC’s work for a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis is based on the principle of equal rights, including self-determination; ending the Israeli military occupation of the 1967 Palestinian territories; and the recognition of the right of return of refugees. AFSC advocates for these principles in the US. In order to maintain its independence AFSC does not accept any US government funding for its work in the Middle East.

The Palestine Youth Civic Engagement Program (YCEP) was founded in 1995 by AFSC, and since 2003 AFSC has implemented the youth civic engagement program in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to serve as a model for engaging young people in public and civic life. Young people become involved voluntarily in effective “citizen work” which contributes to the creation and sustenance of everyday civil society. The program  works with young people to lay genuine, valuable, feasible and effective foundations for empowering young people to challenge the impacts of forces and structures (political, social or economic) by following non-violent means.
The Documentation of the Palestine Youth Program

The YCEP has been operational for the last nine years (2004-2012) and AFSC has identified the need to capture lessons from the PYP in order to celebrate the achievements of the youth involved and to ensure that their stories are documented as an inspiring example to others. The project will result in a web-based archive of materials in Arabic targeting an Arabic-speaking audience. The program has been implemented through yearly cycles. A total of ten cycles during a 9-year period were implemented and more than six thousand teenagers engaged in local social change projects and hundreds of young adult leaders benefited from coaching skills.

AFSC is seeking a, qualified freelance writer and media trainer who will be able to perform the following tasks:

1-Collect the information, data and experience lived and shared through the program. More specifically the freelance writer will:
-Identify and draft 15 inspiriting individual stories from the past nine years of the programs’ implementation and publish them on the online resource. 
-Identify and draft 15 inspiriting initiatives relating to community change from the from the past nine years of the programs’ implementation and publish them on the online resource. 
2-Train 4 former coaches from the Gaza Strip in basic skills of journalism so as to participate in gathering the stories of other participants. Ten hours of training are foreseen.

Material should be submitted in Arabic but good English skills are necessary. The stories will be published on the web-based archive resource which targets an Arabic-speaking audience, yet summary and example documents will also be produced in English for access by an English speaking audience.

Duration:
15 March to 15 May 2013.

Qualifications:
-Completion of an academic first degree in international relations, law, journalism, media, development studies etc.
-2 years of demonstrated experience and skills in communications and documentation.
-Solid understanding of human rights and rights-based approach to promoting equality and justice.
-Excellent analytical social skills. Good team player.
-Command of English is an asset.
-Ability to work on own initiative, manage workload and meet deadlines.
-Excellent knowledge in using computer programs and software especially Adobe photoshop, InDesign, windows XP professional.

If you are interested in this consultancy and feel that it fulfills your professional aspirations, please send your C.V with some material and writings or link to your publications at the following email: 

[email protected]

later than Sunday 03/03/2013, only short listed candidates will be contacted. For more information about AFSC please visit our websites:
Local: www.afsc.ps international: www.afsc.org

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