Lutheran World Federation – Consultant – Regional Advocacy

Brief description of the project

Communities in East and Horn of Africa experience an array of development and human rights challenges including massive displacement of human populations, poverty trap, unsustainable livelihood and lack of access to basic social services (health, education, access to water, etc.). Additionally experiences such as discrimination; sexual gender based and domestic violence; violation of children’s rights and chronic insecurity in the context of conflict and climate change are rife. These challenges often have appreciable implications for the human rights of local communities and refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Resultantly, the East and Horn of Africa UPR project seeks to address some of the pertinent human rights issues affecting the Displacement Affected Population (DAPs) in particular refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the hosting communities. Observably, right holders and in particular, women, vulnerable and marginalized communities, refugees and IDPs, are more susceptible to denial, restrictions as well as violation of their human rights. They are often disempowered or marginalized; resources are not allocated to them (or they are denied access to resources they have used for centuries) or legal and policy frameworks do not exist to guarantee those rights. Even where resources and frameworks exist, there is no political will or capacity to implement them. Those who bear a duty of ensuring that communities have access to basic rights are not held to account, nor (sometimes) enabled to have the capacity to deliver. These basic rights are the focus of much of LWF current programming in the region.

Each of the countries in the RBA L2G initiative has identified priority issues which they aim to address, in line with their context and existing country programme.     

Scope of the regional consultancy

In 2023 we identify key opportunities and milestones:

• As short-term objectives in 2023, we plan to participate in the October 2023 session of the African Commission in Banjul, with a stronger delegation and clear goals and outputs and coordinated side events and advocacy engagements. We also want to register LWF at the African Union. We plan to organize a preparatory workshop in Juba in May 2023.
• As a longer-term objective (2023/2024?), building on the results of a regional meeting in 2019 in Lalibela, we would want to better define our regional advocacy engagement: identifying priority issues for the 4 countries (in 2019 climate justice and displacement were identified), map out and engage with key networks/stakeholders, and have a regional strategy for our advocacy.
• In relation to the UPR regional project, the 3^rd phase will end mid-2024, we need to discuss with donors to see if we could design a new project to build on all the good results and continue with the RBA L2G initiative in the region. We would thus need to define the needs and lessons learnt from the current phase to design a new intervention. This could be an opportunity to fundraise for our regional priorities. 

Objectives of the mid-term monitoring 

• Coordinate and organise the regional advocacy workshop in Juba in May 2023 in liaison with key colleagues, including support for logistics, designing the program and presentations/material
• Ensure the Juba workshop delivers a concrete plan for engagement in the African Commission in Banjul in October 2023, including specific activities and budget
• Coordinate LWF’s engagement in the Banjul Commission session in October 2023, including support for logistics, registration and event organization during the session
• Support LWF registration process with the African Union
• Mapping and analysis of regional engagement opportunities for LWF (including support to countries in engaging with the AU mechanisms)
• Prepare reports of the various regional activities (regional workshop in Juba, Banjul visit)
• Consult colleagues and prepare a brief to strengthen LWF’s regional advocacy engagement with a proposed way forward until the end of the current project phase (june 2024)
• Prepare an analysis of the lessons learnt and challenges of the current project phase for regional advocacy to inform the design of the new project phase (from July 2024).
• Support Member churches in the region in engagement with the African Commission
• Liaise with colleagues in CPs as well as in headquarters (Geneva)

Deliverables

• Activity reports
• Brief on regional advocacy engagement for LWF

 Consultant profile

• • 5-7 year experience with human rights advocacy in the region, preferably with displaced populations
  • Previous experience with AU and its mechanisms, and participation in ACHPR sessions
  • Familiar with Rights-Based approach in a variety of settings (humanitarian, development, human rights/advocacy)
  • Able to articulate key elements of RBA in practice in relation to project design, implementation and impact
  • Strong organizational skills, experience in event organization
  • Experience in capacity-building and coaching others to participate in technical advocacy/human rights platforms/mechanisms
  • Understanding of how to link grass-roots projects to national and international level advocacy
  • Able to work with a diverse team

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