Community Advocate Consultant (1 position- 50%) At Syria Justice and Accountability Centre

Community Advocate Consultant (1 position- 50%)

Reports to: Legal and Human Rights Adviser

Location: Germany

About the Consultancy:

The Community Advocate consultant will conduct SJAC’s outreach activities in Germany, including networking with Syrian victims and activists as well as developing relationships with local and Syrian NGOs and human rights groups. They will increase awareness of SJAC’s mission and goals and engage with community leaders to emphasize the importance of participating in outreach events. The community advocate will work to conduct targeted outreach to marginalized groups in their communities, while also conducting documentation activities through interviews with relevant witnesses.

General Duties:

• Promote awareness of victims’ rights and the participation of Syrians in national justice mechanisms in Germany.
• Conduct interviews with witnesses and survivors/victims of violations and collect other first-hand documentation as appropriate.
• Publicize SJAC’s events through local job centers, places of worship, community centers, libraries and other venues, with attention to the inclusion of marginalized communities. They will also engage with community leaders to emphasize the importance of participating in the outreach events.
• Increase awareness of universal jurisdiction prosecutions in Germany among Syrian communities and contribute to SJAC’s universal jurisdiction publications.
• Track activities and news for UJ cases and investigations in Germany.
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with human rights groups and activists in Germany.
• Maintain close communication with SJAC’s Legal and Human Rights Adviser in order to discuss the project strategy and efforts.
• Follow SJAC’s ethical standards and security policy, in order to conduct the work with no harm to persons or data.
• Refer survivors to other service providers for relevant support (e.g. psychosocial support, legal representation, etc)

Work Products/Deliverables:

• Monthly M&E Indicators
• Interviews
• Weekly work report

Qualifications:

• University degree required, a degree in Law, human rights or similar field is preferred.
• Knowledge of Syria and the Syrian conflict (including Syrian Arabic dialects), an advantage.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written), as well as the ability to network and liaise effectively with a wide range of potential stakeholders at all levels both within local and national groups and with the Syrian community.
• Ability to connect with and identify networks of Syrians in target country.
• Experience conducting documentation interviews.
• Ability to discuss sensitive topics in an open, respectful, and effective way. Experience in gender-sensitivity and SGBV-sensitivities preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Fluency in Arabic and proficiency in German is required. English is an added advantage;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to function professionally and effectively with co-workers and supervisors.