MCC SALT/YAMEN Service Opportunity
Assignment Title & Partner Organization: SALT/YAMEN: Graphic and Web Designer –Wi’am
Term: August 17, 2021 – July 21, 2022 FTE: 1.0 Location: Bethlehem, Palestine and Israel Date Required: August 17, 2021
Program information and policies can be found at mcc.org/salt or mcc.org/yamen. MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.
Synopsis:
The SALT/YAMENer will assist three MCC partner organizations in the West Bank with graphic and web design to communicate their mission and vision as well as promote their visibility to the general public and the donor community. These partner organizations work in the thematic areas of peace, education, and health.
Qualifications:
All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and nonviolent peacemaking.
An invitation to an assignment is contingent on the successful completion of a criminal background check.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, professional or technical writing, relief and development, or another relevant field is ideal. • Ability to set and achieve challenging goals. • Ability to create content for web and social media platforms. • A problem-solver who can gather and analyze information skillfully to resolve problems quickly. • Demonstrated ability to write and speak clearly and informatively; and adapt language to meet audience’s expectations. • Excellent oral communications skills in English. • Proactive and creative team player. • Flexibility, openness to change and willingness to take on new experiences. • Willingness to work between three workplaces and work environments. • Willingness to learn basic Arabic. • Strong self-care skills.
Assignment Narrative:
Al-Malath Charitable Society is a non-profit organization located in Beit Sahour with the aim to provide rehabilitation, education, training, and care for young adults with intellectual disabilities and help them emerge in their society and gain social acceptance.
The idea to establish the centre came out of a real need when mothers could not find a school for their children with intellectual disabilities. They started the centre to provide suitable rehabilitation programmes for their children.
Currently Al-Malath’s beneficiaries are young adults with intellectual disabilities who have difficulty understanding daily life concepts, processing of information and sometimes facing negligence in their home environment. Classifications of disabilities include mild, moderate, severe and profound. The presence of other disabilities (motor, social or sensory) are factors that influence the way that person functions, the kind of services needed and support to be given by parents, family and the community.
The main goal of the project is to enable 19 beneficiaries – youth with intellectual disabilities- to expand their personal autonomy and enhance their self-confidence by providing a safe space for them to prosper. Al Malath provides suitable rehabilitation programs and sessions which are conducted on a group and individual basis, these programs are carried by professional staff, a team made up of three specialized workers, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, and a special education teacher, whom all co-operate to do the training and care of the beneficiaries so they will be able to reach their full potential through developing their physical condition, skills, and abilities hoping that they would be able to leave the center and integrate in the society.
Al-Malath is open 5 days a week from 08h00 to 14h00. They are closed on Fridays and Sundays.
Hope School in Beit Jala is a non-government, non-profit and charitable organization was founded in 1962 by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to provide suitable and quality education for orphans and disadvantaged children in the Bethlehem area and the Palestinian territories. Fifteen years later, the Arab Charitable Society was founded to replace the Mennonite community in running the school. The school is committed to a unique vision based on Christian values of love, peace, tolerance, human dignity and justice. These values are the driving force of all the school activities through which the Christian message is conveyed to students and the local community at large.
Hope school is known as “the second chance school,” it aims at giving new hope and second opportunity for those who were kicked out from other schools because of their bad performance academically or behaviorally or were not able to cover their tuition fees.
Students who come to Hope school suffer from disgrace and neglect. They are known as troublemakers and losers. Hope school provides the care and supervision in a healthy environment. Hope School focuses on their academic-schooling and psycho-social outreach counseling, targeting the students and their families. The main goal is to improve the students’ academic results and tackle the psycho-social causes that may affect the students’ performance.
Hope School is open 5 days a week from 7:30 to 14:00. They are closed on Fridays and Sundays.
Wi’am is a grassroots organization with a focus on reconciliation/peace with a particular expertise on using indigenous knowledge to achieve that end. Being a grassroots agency, they have been able to react to what is happening on the ground as well as being proactive. Their programming has worked at empowering women in a conservative and patriarchal society. Their programming is guided by an understanding of gender justice and gender sensitivity. Wi’am is part of a network of agencies in Bethlehem that work with women, providing educational opportunities about civil rights and nonviolence, helping them find jobs and building their self-esteem and self-worth.
The project is based on the premise of mediating conflicts at the community level by equipping youth, children and women with conflict transformation knowledge and capacities that they can deploy in mediating and managing conflicts encountered in their communities.
Wi’am is open 5 days a week from 8:00 to 16:00. They are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Duties:
Specific tasks and duties with be determined in coordination with the direct supervisors of the three partners. Generally, involvement will include the following:
• Become familiar with the agency’s visions and missions and operational principles • Use your web design skills to assess the current agency websites and make recommendations encompassing different aspects, including webpage layout, content production, and graphic design • Use your graphic and web design skills to assist in designing, planning, implementing social media platforms or updating existing social media platforms • Use your communication skills to assist in designing, planning, and implementing media campaigns when called upon • Able to attend agency meetings, trainings and events when called upon • All tasks are located at the agency offices in Bethlehem/Beit Jala/Beit Sahour or the MCC office in Beit Hanina. • Other duties as assigned
Location Description:
Al-Malath Charitable Society is located in Beit Sahour, which is a Palestinian community situated 1.5 km to the east of Bethlehem and 8 km south of Jerusalem. It has a population of approximately 14,000 people. Since the 1995 Oslo Accords, Beit Sahour has been administered by the Palestinian Authority.
The name of this historic city (the house of vigilance) reportedly stems from the Canaanite words ‘Beit’ (meaning ‘home’), and ‘Sahour’ (meaning ‘night watch’). It reflects the city’s importance for shepherds, both as a grazing site during daytime and as a place of safety in the abundant caves available to the flocks at night. It has a pastoral setting and the olive groves dominate the horizon. Christian tradition holds Beit Sahour to be the site of the Annunciation to the shepherds.
Hope School is located in Beit Jala which is a Palestinian Christian town located approximately 10 km south of Jerusalem opposite Bethlehem. It has a population of approximately 13,400 people. Hope School is on the border of Area C of the West Bank and therefore in an Israeli controlled area. On the other side of the road from Hope School is Area B which is jointly administered by the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
Wi’am is located in the shadow of the separation wall near the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, approximately 10 km south of Jerusalem in the West Bank. Bethlehem has a population of approximately 25,000 people. Since the 1995 Oslo Accords, Bethlehem has been administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Bethlehem/Beit Jala/Beit Sahour have a Mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers and mild, wetted winters. Winter temperatures (mid-December to mid-March) can be cool and rainy. January is the coldest month, with temperatures ranging from 1 to 13 degree Celsius (33–55 °F). From May through September, the weather is warm and sunny. August is the hottest month, with a high of 30 degrees Celsius (86 °F). Bethlehem receives an average of 700 millimeters (28 in) of rainfall annually, 70% between November and January.
The Israeli construction of the West Bank barrier has affected Bethlehem/Beit Jala/Beit Sahour politically, socially, and economically. The barrier is located along the northern side of the area’s built-up area, within distance of houses in the Aida Refugee Camp on one side, and the Jerusalem municipality on the other. Most entrances and exits from the Bethlehem agglomeration to the rest of the West Bank are currently subjected to Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks. The level of access varies based on Israeli security directives.
Arabic is the main language spoken in Bethlehem/Beit Jala/Beit Sahour although many people speak at least some English. Good healthcare is available in the area and nearby Jerusalem. One can find a wide variety of western goods, including food products, clothing, etc. in Bethlehem/Beit Jala/Beit Sahour.
There are no Mennonite or BIC congregations in Palestine/Israel. There are, however, many churches representing a variety of denominations. There are some services held in Bethlehem/Beit Jala/Beit Sahour where you can get English translation and there are English speaking congregations in nearby Jerusalem.
The MCC Palestine and Israel office and Representatives are located in Beit Hanina which is 22 km from Bethlehem/Beit Jala/Beit Sahour. There are frequent bus connections to Beit Hanina from Bethlehem via Jerusalem on a daily basis.
Challenges:
• The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect countries around the world. While we remain hopeful that the pandemic will stabilize by August 2021, to prioritize the well-being and limit risk to our participants and the local community, assessments of each assignment will continue on a regular basis. If it is deemed that an assignment is no longer viable, we will do our best to help you secure an alternative assignment. • The Palestine and Israel context is often a challenging place to live and work, as one tries to negotiate between cultures, religions, and lifestyles. Every decision one makes often seems to have a political dimension, including where one buys groceries, where one goes for entertainment, what language one speaks and even what roads one drives on. This perplexing diversity can also be invigorating. • Living in a high-stress, densely populated environment. • Living in a militarized society where human rights abuses are frequently visible or communicated in the media. • Patience is needed to handle the bureaucratic and physical obstacles. Examples include a high level of surveillance, security checkpoints, and scrutiny of personal history such as travel, political involvement or criminal record. • Handling frustration at not being able to change situations of deep systemic injustice. • Water, electricity and internet disruptions. • This assignment is unique in that it is with three partner organizations. Patience and flexibility will be needed as a schedule of duties and priorities are determined. • Significant cultural/religious differences/perceptions of LGBTQ+ individuals. Local church and local area are not supportive to LGTBQ+ persons. • Managing frustration when things don’t turn out as expected can be hard. Handling last minute changes in a very fluid environment with grace is important. While we do our best to determine and outline job responsibilities with our local partners, the experience really comes alive based on the passions, skills, and giftings of an individual. Responsibilities may change or be refined over time in communication with the partner and MCC Reps to meet the ongoing changes and needs within a local context. As such, the greatest characteristics a participant can bring to an assignment are adaptability, flexibility, patience, a willingness to get one’s hands dirty, and humility to complete even mundane tasks. • For those who are very task oriented, it can be a challenge to recognize the importance of "being" instead of always "doing" as building healthy relationships and mutually transformative learning is an important part of the participant experience. We hope participants will come with a desire to walk alongside our local partners, rather than see the assignment solely as a way to "get things done".