Date Prepared: November 2011

Reports to:

• Director, SDC
• Burma Alumni Program Coordinator, EarthRights International (ERI)

Location: Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Purpose:

The purpose of this unpaid position(s) is to provide the students at the SDC with ongoing Native-English speaking language resources. This position will provide direct training/classes, as well as more personalised supervision and support of SDC Students. Where appropriate, the position will also provide ancillary support to the SDC or other local NGOs with similar goals.

The position is expected to be of four months duration (December 2011 to March 2012). However, depending upon program requirements, shorter periods of volunteering will also be considered. Subject to the successful applicant’s availability, the position would commence during the first week of December 2011, but there is some flexibility as to the commencement date. Basic accommodation and all meals will be provided by the School and available to the volunteer.

Background:

The Social Development Center (SDC) was established by four Karenni EarthRights Burma School alumni in early 2002 in order to educate Karenni people suffering from human rights violations. The vision of Social Development Center is to promote the lives of the people who have suffered human rights abuses, to teach non-violent skills to develop Karenni society, to develop the rule of law, to value human dignity and to protect the environment. The SDC acts to distribute knowledge and skills in human rights, environment and law along the Thai-Burma Border

The SDC has already implemented a series of training courses, and produced a number of human rights and environments activists among its one hundred graduates. Graduates from the SDC have gone on to work in many local camp based organizations- while some have traveled at great risk into Burma to pass on their new knowledge and skill to communities inside and/or to interview villagers in order to collect information on the human rights and environment situation in inside.

The School approach is practical and interactive. The program includes lectures, group work, discussions, presentation, reports, activities, assignments etc. During the current period, students are preparing to undertake the SDC’s Advanced Community Management Course in 2012. The School courses cover topics such as knowledge of earth rights, human rights, environment, women’s rights, child rights, non-violence social change, democracy and government, courts and the judiciary, rule of law, constitution and international institutions. In order to promote student's English language and computer skills to participate in the Advanced program, the students will spend one half day session studying English and a half day on computer skills training. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide daily English-as-Second-Language (ESL) Training for students of the SDC. This training will ordinarily be for a half day session of 3 hours duration, subject to occasional change when circumstances dictate.
• Develop the ESL Curriculum for use by future volunteers.
• Provide ongoing supervision of students’ English-language homework.
• Under the direction of the SDC Director, provide assistance in the writing and editing of reports and project proposals, where appropriate.
• With the approval of the SDC Director, and where time permits, provide assistance to other NGOs based within the SDC’s vicinity.

Position contacts:

• SDC Director, staff and students
• ERI Staff; and
• Staff of other local NGOs

Selection Criteria:

Essential:

• Fluency in English (native English speaker preferred)
• Must be highly organised, a strong communicator, and competent in the use of common software packages such as Word, Excel, and Outlook Express or similar.
• Ability to work cross-culturally, with due regard for cultural differences and values.
• Ability to respect and maintain security precautions.
• Ability to travel (in possession of travelling documents).

Preferred:

• Experience of delivering training to non-native English speakers and/or organising such training.

• Familiarity with subjects including human rights, conflict resolution, the environment, law, women’s rights, development and the international political system.

Please send your applications as soon as possible to:

Ms Maureen Kelly
Burma Alumni Program Coordinator
EarthRights International
Email: maureen@earthrights.org