MCC Service Opportunity Assignment Title: SALT/YAMEN: Program Assistant – PPYJ Term: August 10, 2016 – July 22, 2017 Location: La Ceiba, Honduras Date Required: August 10, 2016 Synopsis: MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply. For program details, see mcc.org/salt or mcc.org/yamen The SALT/ YAMENer will support monitoring and administrative activities of Proyecto Paz y Justicia (PPYJ), an organization that promotes peace initiatives from church spaces to general society. S/he will help develop materials and activities for the different programs of PPYJ and promote a better understanding within and outside of the Honduran Mennonite Church about the organization’s work. Occasionally, the worker will serve as a connection between PPYJ and young adults in La Ceiba, within and outside of the church. Qualifications: All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and biblical nonviolent peacemaking. 1. Ability to relate well with persons with different levels of formal education. 2. Creativity and flexibility. 3. Willingness to take initiative with regard to work issues, general communication, and relationships, etc. 4. Willingness to learn from others. 5. Willingness and ability to live in an urban setting and use public transportation. 6. Advanced level of Spanish. 7. Good communication skills (oral and written). 8. Good computer and internet skills. 9. Desire to work with different age groups. 10. Willingness and ability to work in a team and be responsible to the policies and decisions of MCC Honduras and PPYJ. 11. People with a professional background in the area of social work or psychology are preferred Assignment Narrative: Proyecto Paz y Justicia (PPYJ, is an organization of the Honduran Mennonite Church (IEMH) created in 1985 to express the calling of peace as part of the church; a calling based on God’s purposes for humanity as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount. Proyecto Paz y Justicia (PPYJ) seeks to promote human and social transformations that contribute to a culture of peace that is based on reconciliation, a harmonic living together and social justice. Currently, PPYJ works in the following areas: community conflict transformation, peace-building, education and rehabilitation processes in prisons, education for peace and mediation in primary and high schools. PPYJ is well connected with several other organizations that work for peace in Honduras. Additionally, PPYJ works with youth and women groups on gender-based violence prevention. PPYJ promotes peace initiatives from church spaces to general society. The office is located one block away from the Central Mennonite Church of La Ceiba, and three blocks away from the central park. The SALT/ YAMENer will support monitoring and administrative activities of PPYJ, develop materials and activities for the different programs of PPYJ and promote a better understanding within and outside of the Honduran Mennonite Church about the organization’s work. Occasionally, the worker will serve as a connection between PPYJ and young adults in La Ceiba, within and outside of the church. One of PPYJ’s goals is to make more connections with the Honduran Mennonite Church, so that the church supports the work and so that the church can understand that peace-building work is a part of loving one’s neighbor as a foundation of a church that lives out peace by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. This position requires flexibility and initiative on the part of the worker. The SALT/ YAMENer will coordinate with his/her supervisor a work plan, and together they will define her/his daily responsibilities based on the organization’s needs and the worker’s abilities and interests. If necessary, the Connecting Peoples Coordinator of MCC Honduras will provide support in defining and establishing the work to be done. The worker will work during organization’s normal office hours (8:00 am - 5 pm Monday to Friday). Duties: 1. Support in educative campaigns with children, youth and adults. 2. Digitalize information. 3. Support in the elaboration of learning material. 4. Support in activities that strengthen PPYJ’s volunteer network. 5. Support in monitoring PPYJ’s activities. 6. Support in developing brochures about their different programs. 7. Organize the devotional schedule and lead a devotional at least once a month. 8. Support in different administrative duties such as: e.g. digitalizing administrative information of financial programs and collect price quotations for different activities. 9. Attend to inter-institutional coordination meetings (e.g. the Committee of Violence Prevention and the Network of Violence Prevention against Women). 10. Support in maintaining the social networks of PPYJ. 11. Integrate in the activities of the youth of the Central Mennonite Church of La Ceiba (as a support of PPYJ). 12. Active participation in a local Mennonite congregation. 13. Participate in meetings/retreats of MCC and PPYJ, and provide plans and reports to MCC and PPYJ. 14. Due to the nature of the work, PPyJ is sometimes asked to provide professional accompaniment in the form of psychological support or conflict transformation and trauma- healing processes. Ideally, the worker can assist PPyJ in these areas. 15. Note: This job could include other responsibilities depending on the personal adaptation process, the worker’s skills and the organization’s needs. Some of these duties might not be required given certain circumstances. Location Description: Honduras is the second largest country in Central America with an area of 112,492 square kilometers and a population of approximately 8 million inhabitants. The country shares borders with Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. Honduras is a mountainous country with many micro-climates. Temperatures are hot with humidity high on the Atlantic coast and in and around San Pedro Sula. The Pacific coast is hot but arid. The climate is moderate in the capital, Tegucigalpa, because of its altitude of 975 meters. There are two main seasons in Honduras: the rainy season (called winter), which extends from May to November or December and the dry season (called summer), which lasts from January to April. The SALT/ YAMENer will be placed in the city of La Ceiba, a tourist city and Honduras’ third largest city. La Ceiba offers various modern conveniences, including medical services, cultural events, recreational and tourist areas, international restaurants, parks, and imported goods. The city is known in Honduras as the “girlfriend of Honduras,” for its tourist attractions, including beaches, mountains, rivers, and their annual carnival. MCC Honduras’ office and the country representatives are based in San Pedro Sula. San Pedro and the capital Tegucigalpa are transportation hubs for the region and offer a variety of bus options. La Ceiba is located three hours from San Pedro Sula and seven hours from Tegucigalpa by bus. The Honduran Mennonite Church (IEMH) is headquartered in La Ceiba, and there are various Mennonite congregations in the city. The Central Mennonite Church of La Ceiba is one block from PPYJ’s offices, and has various services throughout the week. There is a group of young adults and in the past, the church has been very hospitable to previous MCC workers. Challenges: • La Ceiba has a high rate of crime and gang activity which suggests the worker should not be out at night alone. As in most large cities in Honduras, petty crime and theft require vigilance with respect to belongings and personal safety. MCC Honduras takes security precautions according the recommendations of our partner organizations and communities very seriously with what they recommend. The worker should never be out at night alone. The worker needs to become accustomed to using their community as the most important source of security, even when it might infringe on one's independence. • In many Mennonite churches, there is an active youth group and the Mennonite Church has been very welcoming to previous MCC workers. It may be a challenge for the worker to adjust to a different pace of worship and church life and to adapt to a conservative lifestyle (especially concerning issues like the use of alcohol and tobacco, sexual orientation, gender roles, dancing). • It may be a challenge for to balance involvement with personal needs for rest and time at home. • Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika are health concerns in all of Honduras. • Managing frustration when things don’t turn out as expected can be hard. While we do our best to determine and outline job responsibilities with our local partners, assignments really come alive based on the passions, skills, and giftings of an individual. Responsibilities may change or be refined over time in communication with supervisors 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 your 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