Professional CPS (f/m/x) for Protection and Security Strategies for Human Rights Defenders in Mexico At Dienste in Übersee

Background and Partner Organisation

The Civil Peace Service (CPS) is a program for conflict prevention and peacebuilding in crisis and conflict regions. It strives for a world in which conflicts are resolved without violence. Nine German peace and development organisations, including Bread for the World, operate the CPS together with local partner organisations. The German government funds the CPS. Civil peace servers provide long-term support to local people in their commitment to dialogue, human rights and peace. Currently, more than 350 international civil peace servers are engaged in 43 countries.

The partner organisation Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz (SERAPAZ) specialises in conflict transformation and peacebuilding. It supports social movements, human rights defenders and indigenous communities in identifying the cause for conflicts. SERAPAZ promotes dialogue processes between communities and government authorities or companies, for example in controversial infrastructure projects. Within networks they are active, for example, against the militarisation of security policy, promote the implementation of laws such as those against enforced disappearances, and call for effective state policies regarding the protection of human rights defenders and journalists. In addition to its headquarters in Mexico City, SERAPAZ also has a small office in Ocosingo (state of Chiapas) and in Xalapa (state of Veracruz).

The professional will work at Mexico City office and be assigned to the “Protection and Security” work area. Business trips within Mexico are part of the work.

Job Scope

You will support SERAPAZ in the design and implementation of protection strategies and mechanisms to increase the safety of staff as well as social actors (e.g. collectives of relatives of disappeared persons, local communities and civil society associations for the defence of land rights) with whom SERAPAZ works.

In more detail, you would be responsible for the following:

Development and delivery of training on collective and community-based protection strategies with a gender-specific, intercultural approach for SERAPAZ staff and vulnerable social actors
Integral accompaniment of target groups in the development and implementation of protection and security strategies
Organising exchanges of experience and learning between different social actors
Preparation of internal security analyses and protocols, as well as monitoring of risk situations and security plans, together with the different regional teams of the partner organisations (focus on Chiapas)
Capacity building for SERAPAZ staff in the areas of security, community protection, digital security and methods for accompanying social processes with a focus on security (focus on Chiapas)

Profile

University degree in political science or comparable field of study, ideally with a focus on human rights and protection and security for human rights defenders
At least 3 years of proven professional experience in the field of self-protection and security for human rights defenders and collective and/or community-based security strategies, ideally including experience in the field of digital security
Experience in working with gender approaches as well as grassroots democratic processes and networks
Experience in the design and facilitation of participatory educational processes (trainings/workshops) within the framework of Educación Popular
Knowledge of the Mexican context
Very good Spanish language skills
Openness and flexibility for a dynamic, fragile environment and joy of working in a team

Citizenship of a Member State of the European Union or Switzerland is required.

Benefits provided by Bread for the World and Dienste in Übersee
Bread for the World provides a framework in which the professionals of Dienste in Übersee share their knowledge and skills with people of another culture.

Supportive cooperation, mutual learning and intercultural exchange are enabled by: