Thailand: Curriculum Development Fellow

EarthRights International (ERI) is recruiting for the following position:

EarthRights School (ERS) Curriculum Development Fellow (Full Time, 7 months)

(Stipended fellowship)

Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Application deadline: May 22, 2016; ERI will continue to accept applications past the deadline if the position is not yet filled

Start date: June 6, 2016

End date: December 22, 2016

Position overview:

EarthRights Schools teach that the promotion and protection of earth rights are the cornerstones of democracy, and an engaged civil society is required to secure and defend those rights. Students gain specific knowledge and skills essential to the creation of a strong civil society and take this knowledge into their own communities, equipped to lead as agents of change.

ERI will launch a new initiative to develop an open source curriculum for a global network of independent functioning “EarthRights Schools”. This innovative initiative will provide support for advocacy, legal action, and strong locally-based leadership for defending human rights and protecting the environment in local communities worldwide.

The main fellowship responsibilities include:

 Attending the EarthRights School for the entire term from June 5 to December 21 and documenting the curriculum currently taught, which is the first step toward development of the core open source curriculum.

 Working with ERS students and staff to identify and resolve gaps in the documentation of the curriculum.

The ERS Curriculum Coordinator may also be asked to assist with:

 Collecting and reviewing all curricula materials, identifying gaps in the existing core curriculum

 Writing “how to” instructions and necessary materials to replicate the EarthRights School model in partner schools

 Formatting existing modules of ERS core curriculum into a unified whole that can be expanded and tailored to meet the needs of other organizations, communities, and countries

 Developing experiential learning activities that emphasize critical thinking skills for curricula and that are appropriate for second language learners

 Creating new materials on topics that need to be integrated into core curriculum such as climate change, etc.

 Developing and maintaining an electronic library of ERI curricula

The curriculum development fellowship position provides an exceptional opportunity to:

 Participate as an observer at the EarthRights School and learn how to, in the words of EarthRights’ Mission Statement, “combine the power of law and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment”

 Gain exposure to best practices in training, an essential skill in environmental and human rights advocacy

 Get to know some of the best and brightest emerging earth rights leaders from the Mekong Region of Southeast Asia

 Join school field trips to visit communities in Thailand impacted by earth rights issues, if there is curriculum to document (may depend on available space on the field trips)

Required qualifications:

 Self-starter who can work independently and meet deadlines with limited supervision

 Familiar with human rights and environmental issues

 Strong organization and time management skills

 Attention to detail

 Strong cross cultural skills and experience working or living in a multicultural setting

 Self-motivated, work well in an informal, team-oriented environment and have a sense of humor

 Good writing skills

 Native or near-native fluency in English

 Fast typist

 Skilled in use of Microsoft Office programs

 Available the entire term, including occasional weekends and evenings, when there is instruction

 Able to travel occasionally

Preferred qualifications:

 Experience and/or education in teaching, training, or curriculum development

 Human rights or environmental advocacy/campaigns experience

 Educational or professional experience related to law, such as legal coursework or work in a law office

 Knowledgable about the Mekong Region and the earth rights issues facing Southeast Asia

 Language skills in Southeast Asian languages, especially fluency in Thai

 Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

 Passion for defending human rights and the environment

We offer:

 6,000 Thai baht per month stipend

 Expenses for two visa runs

 Ten vacation days, to be taken at a time while school is out of session (during most of September and October)

 A casual, and fun, fellowship environment

How to Apply:

About EarthRights International

Mission

EarthRights International (ERI) is a nongovernmental, non-profit organization that combines the power of law and the power of people in defense of earth rights. We specialize in fact-finding, legal actions against perpetrators of earth rights abuses, training for grassroots and community leaders, and advocacy campaigns. Through these strategies, ERI seeks to end earth rights abuses, to provide real solutions for real people, and to promote and protect human rights and the environment in the communities where we work.

EarthRights International Programs in Asia

ERI conducts campaigns to support communities struggling to protect their earth rights. Unsustainable development activities are pervasive in Southeast Asia, and ERI works to prevent destructive mega-development projects such as large dams from moving forward and to ensure that community-driven options are assessed. In addition, ERI works on innovative and precedent-setting legal work to hold corporations and governments to higher standards of social and environmental accountability. ERI works particularly on issues related to Myanmar and Thailand. ERI also works for women's rights and conflict transformation, and incorporates these perspectives into its various program initiatives.

The EarthRights School

The EarthRights School (ERS) is an innovative 8 month-long program in Southeast Asia that trains ethnically diverse indigenous people in environmental and human rights monitoring and advocacy techniques. The School, which has been in operation for over ten years, uses an experiential training methodology. The unique combination of classroom instruction and fieldwork trains effective monitors who are equipped to build community networks in Southeast Asia for documenting and exposing human rights and environmental abuses. By returning graduates to their home regions to actively engage local citizens, the program has a widespread, ongoing impact and provides crucial information for international advocacy efforts.

Alumni Program

Since 1999, many students have graduated from the EarthRights School program and are working for social change and environmental protection in grassroots organizations in the Mekong region including Myanmar. The ERS alumni program supports them and helps to maximize the impact of their work by providing opportunities for graduates to network, collaborate, exchange information and resources, and receive training and technical assistance. We provide small project grants from the Daniel Clark Memorial Fund, conduct ongoing mobile trainings on specific areas, and facilitate alumni networking, through newsletter, an email listserv and reunions.

EarthRights International is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should email the following to apply-sea@earthrights.org with “Curriculum Development Fellow” in the subject line.

 1-page cover letter

 1-2 page resume

 1-5 page writing sample

 3-5 references with phone numbers and email addresses, must include at least two

professional references