Position title: Earth Rights Defenders Program Coordinator

Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Travel: Regional travel required

Reports to: Mekong Training Director

Application Deadline: March 31st, 2024

Organizational summary

EarthRights International is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that combines the power of law and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment, which we define as “earth rights.” A key part of who we are organizationally is our three-pronged approach to making change: training of community and legal activists, strategic legal work in defense of human rights and demanding corporate accountability, and campaigns to promote systemic governmental and corporate policy change. Our work focuses on climate justice and accountability, earth rights defenders, and corporate accountability.

The Training Team implements one of the 3 thematic areas of the strategy of EarthRights (training, legal, campaign) by implementing EarthRights School (ERS), a variety of training programs and the alumni program. The Training Team collaborates across the organization contributing to the creation and implementation of the training elements in the activities of the other teams when necessary.

Established in 1999, EarthRights School is a unique, long-term residential program that unites a diverse group of individuals from across the Mekong region who return to their communities to lead, inspire, and train others. The core focus of the program is leadership. The program is designed to put campaign and legal tools into the hands of front-line activists and NGOs, and help communities protect their rights and the environment. The curriculum covers topics such as globalization, human rights, social activism, environmental protection, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable development. Additionally, skills-building courses in public speaking, presentation, communication, research, project cycle management are offered. The alumni program offers a wide range of activities to continuously engage and support alumni. It provides further training opportunities in the form of long- and short-term, in-person, online and hybrid courses, online and in-person networking and learning events on country- and the regional levels, the development of an online engagement platform, maintaining diverse communication channels with alumni, maintaining and updating databases of alumni, donors, and resources and implements the small grants program and supports alumni in accessing funds from diverse donors.

Position Overview

The Earth Rights Defenders (ERD) Program Coordinator reports to the Mekong Training Director and works closely with all members of the Training Team. The ERD Coordinator acts as a focal point in mainstreaming holistic security and gender-inclusion in our activities and practices, aiming to raise awareness and improve daily practice. They identify external resource persons, service providers and partners to implement systems and procedures, and training to address the physical, digital, and legal security, gender-inclusion and mental health (wellbeing) needs of EarthRights School students, participants, and alumni in the Mekong Region of Southeast Asia.

The ERD Coordinator will contribute to the design and implementation of the security-, gender inclusion-, and wellbeing-related activities of the Mekong Training, Legal and Campaign teams. The position involves mapping, networking, building and maintaining relationships among existing and potential partners and service providers, and maintaining related databases, accumulating and sharing resources and may include occasional facilitation of meetings, events, workshops, within their expertise. The position requires travel to remote locations within the region and is based in Chiang Mai.

Key Responsibilities

• Supports ERD-related (security and wellbeing) activities and initiatives across the organization.
• Contributes to analyzing political contexts in the Mekong region, identifying emerging trends and patterns related to security threats.
• Monitors threat situations, and provides security-related advice to EarthRights staff, students, participants, alumni, and, as requested, partners.
• Contribute to the development of risk management plans and risk analysis exercises of the Training, Campaign, Legal Teams and on the organizational level.
• Identify potential wellbeing services across the region and support students, training participants, alumni and partners to link with these services. Maintain a database of available services.
• Coordinate training, coaching, mentoring, and advising initiatives on wellbeing, gender and physical, legal, and digital security for students, training participants and alumni.
• Maintain good relationships with external service providers, consultants, networks and partner organizations that EarthRights collaborates with.
• Researches and shares resources within the field of holistic security and gender inclusion that are relevant in the context of working in the field of human rights, environment, local community work and adult education.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Accountability

The Earth Rights Defenders Program Coordinator is directly accountable for the following:

• Effective support contribution to the successful program implementation: improvement of the content and quality of holistic security and gender inclusion related elements of our activities.
• Timely and accurate monitoring and reporting of security situations affecting EarthRights students, alumni, and partners.
• Increased awareness, knowledge and capacity of EarthRights students, alumni, and partners in physical, legal, and digital security and mental health (wellbeing) through coordinated training or other efforts.
• Strengthened relationships with external service providers, consultants, networks and partner organizations, enhancing collaboration and support for EarthRights initiatives.
• Timely and accurate communication and reporting
• Regular, active participation and contribution in meetings.

Competencies and Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience coordinating programs related to either human rights, gender, security and wellbeing and working directly with human rights and/or environmental rights defenders and activists.
• Understanding of the sociopolitical and economic contexts, risks, mitigation and contingency measures in the Mekong region.
• Experience supporting and coordinating capacity-building initiatives with human and/or environmental rights defenders.
• Knowledge of protection mechanisms, including emergency support providers and human rights mechanisms at the international level.
• Knowledge of practices related to gender inclusion and wellbeing that can be applied in the working context of EarthRights in the Mekong Region.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a positive and professional attitude, demonstrating the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and a wide range of local and international partners.
• Knowledge of digital security practices.
• Basic understanding of physical and legal security concepts and measures.
• Basic understanding of common wellbeing needs among defenders in the Mekong region.
• Basic understanding of the concepts of gender and inclusion and knowledge of practices that can be applied in our work.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English (written and spoken); fluency in at least one other Mekong language is desirable.
• Experience working in culturally diverse settings and willingness to travel in the region.

Equal Opportunity Statement

EarthRights International is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices, and actively encourages people of different ethnicities and religions, people with disabilities, women and LGBTQI people to apply.