Media for Social Change Workshop (MFSCW) – Training Agency

About Search

Search for Common Ground (Search) is a non-governmental organization working to transform the way societies deal with conflicts. We have over 37 years of experience in peacebuilding and are based in 53 local offices worldwide. We strive to build sustainable peace for generations to come by working with all sides of a conflict, providing the tools needed to work together, and finding constructive solutions. While conflict is inevitable, violence is not! Our mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. Instead of tearing down an existing world, we focus on constructing a new one. We shift the everyday interactions between hostile groups of people, so they can work together to build up their community, choosing joint problem-solving over violent means. We first worked in Lebanon in 1996, and we opened up our office in Beirut in 2008. Since then, our activities and capacities have grown significantly. We rely on local staff as well as local partner organizations in order to ensure our work is culturally sensitive, sustainable and well-grounded in the context.

For more information, visit www.sfcg.org and https://www.facebook.com/sfcg.lebanon.

About “Towards a Gender Equitable Society” project

Towards a Gender Equitable Society is a project that is being implemented by ABAAD-Resource Centre for Gender Equality (ABAAD) in partnership with Search. The project’s overall objective is to help reduce Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). This includes intimate partner violence and child marriage, and improving the prevention and response mechanisms in close partnership with existing national and governmental frameworks. Under this partnership, and in close coordination and collaboration with ABAAD, Search will focus on breaking-down gender stereotypes which will help enable the environment for women and girls to be conducive for discussing violence openly, better understand pathways for reporting, and engage an audience of millions in a social shift on public discourses on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This will be realized through two objectives: 1) Strengthen the capacity of television professionals and film students to produce gender sensitive programmes and films that break-down stereotypes, especially towards survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV), and 2) Shifting perceptions of TV and film audiences away from the stigmatisation of survivors of GBV. The project provides mentoring and coaching sessions for screenwriters on how to create media for social change. To achieve these objectives, Search will organize a workshop for writers, producers and film students. Finally, Search will support TV productions and film students to produce gender sensitive programmes and films on the issues of VAWG.

Important Guide to the Trainer – The workshop is split into two parts, a 5-day workshop for screenwriters and producers, and another 5-day workshop for film students followed by 40 coaching sessions.. The workshop and coaching components are expected to be guided by the following key considerations in the development of the workshop and coaching guides and their application:

These key considerations are negotiable.

Workshop:

• The role of media in creating social change especially when tackling topics related to human rights, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, VAWG, SGBV, etc;
• History of using media for social change, case studies related to stigmatization and repression of marginalized groups and others related to counter movements;
• Designing creative audio-visual approaches towards challenging negative social norms;
• Effective multi-faceted communications strategy designed for social change for film production (including Do-no-harm);
• Storytelling for change and how to include the audience in story writing;
• Information and Communication Technologies, promotion, and social change;

Coaching:

• Asses the participants’ needs through Search’s assessment template;
• Track the improvement of direct participants’ knowledge and skills through Search’s Goals Based Outcome sheet.

Position Summary

Search is looking for a training agency that can facilitate a “Media for Social Change” workshop followed up by coaching sessions. The workshop and coaching sessions will be held in person between the periods of one month or until the assignment is complete whichever is first. The training aims to enable the participants to design, develop and produce gender-sensitive messages that aim at challenging social norms around shifting perceptions of TV and film audiences away from the stigmatisation of survivors of VAWG and SGBV. The trainer shall be working with Search and ABAAD to ensure developing messages that nurture a change of perceptions and attitudes and trigger a behaviour change in the wider community audiences around VAWG and SGBV.

The agency will more specifically have the following Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The agency will aim to strengthen the capacity of television professionals and film students to produce gender sensitive programmes and films that sensitises audiences towards gender issues and reduces stigma around survivors of VAWG and SGBV. This component of the project will provide capacity for writers and producers and support popular TV productions and films that include storylines that highlight the empowerment of survivors of VAWG and SGBV.

The Trainer/agency will perform activities in accordance with the programme and project objectives set out below:

Roles and Responsibilities

In coordination with Search and ABAAD, the trainer will be responsible for:

1. Attending an induction meeting with Search and ABAAD;
2. Review the project objectives and activities;
3. Using Search’s Participatory Approaches to Media for Peacebuilding Curriculum, submit a clear and detailed methodology including workshop materials, tools and an Agenda to be validated by Search;
4. Using Radio and Television Drama for Conflict Transformation: A Toolkit for Design, Monitoring and Evaluation, develop and submit a pre-assessment that would serve to understand the participants’ knowledge and customize the workshop based on these findings;
5. Using Radio and Television Drama for Conflict Transformation: A Toolkit for Design, Monitoring and Evaluation, develop and submit an evaluation forms, pre and post tests in English to be validated by Search (Search will translate these into Arabic if needed);
6. Conduct the workshop in which a pre/post tests should be administered to each participant to show the level of knowledge at the start of the workshop and the change – knowledge increases at the end of the workshop;
7. Present a draft workshop report for validation by Search;
8. Present a separate pre and post-test analysis as an annex to the draft workshop report;
9. Submit a workshop final report in English.
10. Assess the coaching needs of the participants using Search Goals-Based Outcome sheet;
11. Capture existing capacities, challenges and resources needed for further improvements/actions;
12. Present a draft coaching report for validation by Search;
13. Submit the final version of Search Goals-Based Outcome sheet;
14. Submit a coaching sessions’ final report in English.

Required Profile

Minimum requirements that qualify a potential agency to apply:

1. A minimum of five (5) years of progressively advanced professional experience in delivering trainings using participatory approaches;
2. Experience in working with youth from different cultural backgrounds;
3. Ability to communicate and work in English is mandatory;
4. Ethical professional with due diligence given to the sensitivity of project materials;
5. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines;
6. Excellent knowledge on gender equality concepts;
7. Proven familiarity with Lebanese context with an good understanding of violence against women and girls and gender related issues;
8. Sensitivity to cross-cultural dynamics and experience working with NGOs;
9. Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; able to understand highly complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans;
10. Experience in creating, designing, developing and monitoring media outputs online and offline related to human rights, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, women’s issues, etc.
11. Excellent communication skills and high flexibility.