Job Description:
U.S. National Organizer
Korea Peace Now! Women Mobilizing to End the War
Women Cross DMZ (WCDMZ) is recruiting a part-time consultant for the position of a U.S. National Organizer with Korea Peace Now! Women Mobilizing to End the War. Start date October 1, 2019 for a period of one year.
Background
Four prominent feminist peace organizations—Women Cross DMZ (WCDMZ), Nobel Women’s Initiative, Korean Women’s Movement for Peace, and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)—have jointly launched Korea Peace Now–a campaign to formally end the Korean War between the United States and North Korea. Through education, advocacy and organizing, the campaign focuses on the United States, United Nations and select countries to urge them to shift their policies of “maximum pressure” against North Korea towards one of engagement, genuine diplomacy, and lasting peace. Our campaign presents a critical opportunity to advance peace on the Korean Peninsula and also to redefine the U.S. national security discourse from a militarized one towards a feminist foreign policy built on genuine human security.
WCDMZ was founded in 2015 when it led an international delegation of 30 prominent women peace activists including Gloria Steinem and Nobel Peace Laureates Mairead Maguire (N. Ireland) and Leymah Gbowee (Liberia) across the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) from North to South Korea. WCDMZ walked with 10,000 Korean women on both sides of the DMZ on the streets of Pyongyang, Kaesong and Paju, and held women’s peace symposiums in Pyongyang and Seoul on the urgency to end the Korean War. The Nobel Women’s Initiative is a decade-old organization founded by six women Nobel Peace Laureates. Korean Women’s Movement for Peace consists of four prominent women’s organizations in South Korea–Korean Women’s Association United, Women Making Peace, National YWCA of Korea, and Korea Women’s Alliance. And Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is the oldest women’s peace organization in the world, dating from 1915.
Objectives
The successful applicant will lead organizing efforts of key constituencies across the United States to advocate for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. This includes: Korean-American organizations; grassroots peace/anti-militarism organizations; and people of color-led social justice organizations challenging war and militarism. This person will also work with the US, North and South Korea, regional and international peace movements working to end the Korean War with a peace agreement.
The U.S. National Organizer will work under the direct supervision of and report to the WCDMZ Lead Organizer. This person will work collaboratively as part of a staff collective and coordinate the Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network.
Specific Results and Outputs of the U.S. National Organizer Position
A) Coordination and Communication
- Develop a six-month/one-year work plan in close coordination with the Lead Organizer
- Closely coordinate and communicate with the Lead Organizer, Executive Director, WCDMZ staff collective and the Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network.
- Produce monthly report for WCDMZ Board of Directors on progress in building key constituencies for action and key activities (to be included in monthly WCDMZ e-newsletter and for donor reports)
- Attend weekly staff calls to give updates on the campaign.
B) Organizing and Advocacy
- Work with the Lead Organizer to coordinate the organizing and advocacy strategies for the U.S. campaign for peace in Korea–including organizing strategic events, letter campaigns, and lobby days.
- Assist in coordinating the Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network and cultivating grassroots base by providing strategic direction.
- Work with the legislative consultant to coordinate advocacy for a peace agreement ending the Korean War.
- Organize activities to cultivate younger generation activists.
- Travel and/or attend U.S. national and international meetings and maintain contacts to advance advocacy strategy.
C) Analysis and Media
- Keep abreast of relevant political developments related to Korea peace process and contribute to developing a shared analysis among the WCDMZ staff and campaign partners
- Participate in trainings to develop media skills–including social media, radio/TV interviews, writing op-eds, etc.
D) Project management, planning and reporting
- With guidance from the Lead Organizer, develop U.S. national organizing strategy and six-month/annual work plan.
- Track project activities, communications, tasks and progress in key objectives.
- Update and assess progress made in accordance with work plan.
- Provide monthly progress reports on campaign.
- Manage project budget and other expenses with monthly submissions for reimbursements to Peace Development Fund finance team.
- Adhere to administrative and record-keeping guidelines to support Finance/Admin.
E) Other: Carry out other duties as required
Contract and Work schedule
Duration of consultancy contract: October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020
The contract is three-quarters time: the consultant will work an average of 30 hours/wk (Option to start at 10 hours/wk in October 2019, then increase to 30 hours/wk starting in November 2019)
Travel is required and coordinated in agreement with supervisor and project team.
Conditions
This is a 1-year consultancy contract with some travel nationally and internationally.
Location: flexible
Reporting line: Lead Organizer supported by the Executive Director, WCDMZ Staff and Board of Directors
Remuneration: $50,000/year paid in monthly payments of $4166 upon the receipt of invoice. The consultant will be responsible for acquiring their own social benefits.
Start date: October 1, 2019
Requirements
- Excellent written and spoken fluency in both English and Korea
- A degree in the humanities or social sciences, politics, international relations, law, gender, Korean or East Asian studies, or a similar field
- At least five years’ work experience related to Korea with civil society or women’s organization
- Strong organizing, advocacy and/or campaigning experience
- Savvy media communication skills, written/oral or social media experience a plus
- Excellent organizational skills, inter-personal communication, and sound political judgment
- Motivated self-starter, comfortable working independently and remotely and capable of managing multiple tasks simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines
- Administrative and IT skills
- A feminist understanding of the social, political, economic, cultural and development/humanitarian landscapes in Korea
How to Apply – Deadline for application September 8, 2019
Send your cover letter and CV, in Word or PDF format, to info@womencrossdmz.org with “U.S. National Organizer” in the subject line. Include names and contact information for 3 people who can provide references. We only receive applications by email. Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview.