World Movement for Democracy in Middle East and North Africa

World Movement for Democracy in Middle East and North Africa

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This page contains a list of training and employment opportunities on democratization issues.

Position available - Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa, Open Society Institute (OSI) Democracy Coalition Project

Positions available - 5 Senior Analysts, International Crisis Group (ICG) Middle East Program, Amman Office

POSITION AVAILABLE - REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE DEMOCRACY COALITION PROJECT

The Open Society Institute (OSI) is a private operating and grant making foundation that develops and implements a range of programs in civil society, education, media, public health and human and women's rights, as well as social, legal, and economic reform. OSI is at the center of an informal network of foundations and organizations active in more than 50 countries worldwide that supports a range of programs. Established in 1993 by investor and philanthropist George Soros, OSI is based in New York City and operates network-wide programs, grant-making activities in the United States, and other international initiatives. OSI provides support and assistance to Soros foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Guatemala, Haiti, Mongolia, South, Southern and West Africa.

The Democracy Coalition Project seeks to support in targeted countries around the world nongovernmental organizations and coalitions committed to strengthening open democratic societies in their own countries and abroad. In partnership with the Open Society Institute's network of foundations and grantees and with other donors, the Project will work with its NGO partners to promote an activist democratic reform agenda around the general themes of citizen access to information, accountability, and strengthening civil society, and tailored to the domestic situation in each target country. The NGO partners supported by the Project would also press their governments to adopt foreign policies that promote democracy, for example, by democratizing international institutions and strengthening the Community of Democracies initiative launched in June 2000 in Warsaw. The Project will facilitate the creation of an international federation of these groups, which will collectively press for democratic reforms on the international stage.

The Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa will direct the Project's investigative, grant-making, programmatic and evaluation activities in the region. The Regional Coordinator will be based in Istanbul or some other suitable major city in the region. Working with the Project's team in Washington and DCP staff in other offices around the world, the Regional Director will be available on a full-time basis and be responsible for the following tasks:

Responsibilities:

Work directly with civil society leaders in target countries to raise awareness of Project's goals and to explore options for forging national coalitions to promote further democratization at home and abroad.

Facilitate coalition-building among civil society stakeholders in target countries around key issues of democratization outlined above and tailored to domestic political circumstances in each country.

Manage key aspects of grant-making process, including identifying appropriate host partners, making recommendations to Project staff on funding decisions, overseeing implementation of grants and evaluating their results.

Keep abreast of political developments in each target country, sub-regionally and regionally and prepare regular reports to Project team and international advisory board.

Network regularly with domestic and international NGO representatives, government officials, media, judicial officials, political party representatives, donors, academics, experts and other relevant parties.

Travel regularly to 3-4 target countries in region to initiate and monitor Project work.

Qualifications:

Graduate or undergraduate degree in law, international affairs, political science, sociology, government or other relevant field;

5-7 years prior experience in political or social organizing, government, legislative or legal affairs, or democracy and human rights advocacy work in the region.

Direct experience living and working in the region.

Well-organized self-starter interested in working independently in the field while maintaining close contact with Project team.

Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication, and organizational skills;

Strong writing and research abilities;

High level of computer literacy, including Microsoft Word/Outlook 2000, web searching, Lexis-Nexis.

Willingness to travel regularly within the region and to Washington.

Fluency in Arabic and English required; other relevant languages would be helpful.

Applications welcomed from qualified individuals living in the region.

Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience

Start Date: February 2002

To apply: Send resume and cover letter by January 31, 2002 to:
Via e-mail:
OSI Democracy Coalition Project, Attn: Martha Larson, Mlarson@sorosny.org. Subject line should be "Regional Director for MENA."

Via fax: +1 (202) 530-0128

Please note in the cover letter how you learned about the position. No telephone inquiries, please.

The Open Society Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

POSITIONS AVAILABLE - FIVE SENIOR ANALYSTS
INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM - AMMAN OFFICE

The International Crisis Group is embarking on a new project focused on the Middle East, opening an office in Amman. The ICG Middle East Program will produce a range of policy reports that will provide governments, international organizations, and the world community at large with informed, independent and timely analysis of key regional issues. The focus will be on understanding the political, social, cultural and economic factors that feed grievances in the region, assessing both the underlying domestic dynamics and the role of international actors, and coming up with effective strategies to address them.

ICG is seeking five Senior Analysts for its Amman office. Specialists are sought with primary expertise in, respectively:

Iraq;

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States;

Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan,

Israel, the West Bank and Gaza; and

Egypt and North Africa.

Responsibilities include:

Conducting extensive field research into prevailing security, social, political and conditions in the Middle East;

Proposing policy initiatives by the relevant governmental and non-governmental actors to address the underlying issues that fed grievances governments and authorities;

Preparing detailed reports and briefing papers setting out relevant research findings and policy recommendations; and

Advocating ICG's findings and recommendations to key officials and policymakers in the region and abroad and to the media.

Qualifications:

Deep knowledge of the region as a whole, with specific expertise in at least one the five areas named above;

Demonstrated research and analytical skills;

Sound policy judgment;

Experience in a similar field-based position in the government/ non-Governmental sector; and

Excellent oral and written communication skills in the English language; and

Excellent local language skills.

Compensation: Salary and housing allowance (USD 60,000 plus, to be negotiated depending on skills and experience.)

To apply: send CV and cover letter by mail, fax, or email to Ms Blair Blackwell, Human Resources Manager, International Crisis Group, 149 Avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. Fax: +32 (0)2 502 50 38. Email: blackwell@crisisweb.org. Please refer to the job position for which you are applying in the subject heading of your email or fax. Replies should indicate the earliest date at which the applicant would be able to commence work.