Terms of Reference.
Project Title: Reinforcing community capacity for social cohesion through societal trauma healing in Bugesera District.
Organization: Prison Fellowship Rwanda.
Position: Local Expert on Prisoners reintegration & Social Cohesion
Duration: six months
Language: English Kinyarwanda
Duty Station: Bugesera (with frequent travel to parts of the country)
Background
Prison Fellowship Rwanda (PFR) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the government of Rwanda and its relevant agencies, local and international organisations as well as UN agencies to foster interventions that support psycho-social healing, peacebuilding and reconciliation, restorative justice, crime prevention, human rights promotion and legal aid, intervening in emergencies as well as nurturing socio-economic empowerment in Rwanda in the wake of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi and its aftermath. Prison Fellowship Rwanda was founded on 01/07/1995, affiliated to the Prison Fellowship International in 1997. It was officially registered and recognized by the ministerial order no 037/17, of 23/10/2002, by the Ministry of Justice as a non-profit organization, published in the official gazette of the Republic of Rwanda in 2002.
Rwanda has identified mental health and trauma healing as areas of priority. A 2018 Mental Health Survey revealed a high prevalence of mental health disorders, particularly among survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. In addition, the country’s National Unity and Reconciliation Policy recognise “serious levels of trauma” as a major effect of the genocide that still weighs heavily on society today. It identifies the healing of psychological wounds as a guiding principle on which unity and reconciliation are established. High levels of trauma, anxiety and depression make it more difficult for people to trust and forgive each other. Trauma affects the ability to open up, receive and trust others, and it is a major cause of inter-community suspicions, especially between groups of genocide survivors and former genocide prisoners. This has limited people’s ability to cooperate in shared, mutually beneficial economic activities. Based on that observation, Rwanda’s 4th Health Sector Strategic Plan emphasises the need for holistic innovative programmes that simultaneously promote mental health service provision, advance social cohesion and support sustainable livelihoods.
With funds from European Union (EU), Prison Fellowship Rwanda in partnership with Interpeace is implementing a programme focusing on the linkages between psychosocial wellbeing, reconciliation and socio-economic development with a goal of reinforcing social cohesion and sustainable peace through scaling up community-based healing initiatives. The Programme is in line with, and will further inform, the Government’s policy of establishing community mental health services to improve the uptake among traumatised individuals of Government-funded mental health support.
In addition, the programme is tailored to the context of Rwanda and is based on a core partnership and the shared expertise of the Rwanda National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, Prison Fellowship Rwanda and Interpeace; in close collaboration with other key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice and Rwanda Correctional Services.
Currently Prison Fellowship Rwanda is looking for a qualified and highly motivated candidate of high moral character and professional integrity to fulfil the position of Local Expert on Prisoners reintegration & Social Cohesion to contribute to the successful implementation of all social cohesion and social reintegration of prisoner’s related activities, as stipulated within the project document.
Key Responsibilities
In close collaboration with other senior local experts on mental health and livelihoods, the Senior Expert on Prisoners reintegration & Social Cohesion will undertake the following specific tasks:
- Contribute to the progress of conducting a mapping of social cohesion and reintegration programmes and approaches that are currently being implemented in Rwanda (and in Bugesera District particularly), including through governmental and non-governmental initiatives.
- Contribute to the exercise of conducting a baseline survey and contribute to the interpretation of findings from perception surveys and impact evaluation research conducted within the project, and in documenting such findings through policy briefs, media articles and scientific reports.
- Identify and curate protocols and approaches already in use in Rwanda, related to social cohesion, inter-generational dialogue on the genocide against the Tutsi and social reintegration of ex- genocide prisoners.
- Contribute to the design and/or adaptation of additional protocols and approaches for social cohesion, ensuring that these protocols or guidelines are evidence-based and are culturally/socially appropriate in Rwanda.
- Contribute to the development of prisoner’s rehabilitation and reintegration curriculum/manual to support in Pre and Post Release support services.
- Participate in the training of a team of staff and facilitators who will be implementing all social cohesion and reintegration related project activities at the Sector level (for all 15 Sectors of Bugesera District).
- Contribute to the establishment of research protocols to assess the impact of social cohesion and reconciliation modules incorporated within the project, and supervise dialogue facilitators to ensure that the research protocols are correctly implemented.
- Participate in meetings and workshops with senior project stakeholders at all stages of the project’s cycle, to ensure that the project’s reconciliation activities are compatible with its wider objectives.
- Participate in public events for dissemination of the project’s findings.
Essential skills and qualifications
- PhD in a related discipline (e.g. sociology, anthropology, psychology, peace studies/conflict management, international relations, law, political science)
- At least 10 years of professional experience and/or civic engagement in related fields (e.g. dialogue facilitation, mediation, community organizing, human rights advocacy, transitional justice initiatives), of which at least 5 years must have been within the context of Rwanda.
- Published works on topics related to peacebuilding, social cohesion and reconciliation.
- Experience in designing and/or implementing perception surveys for the assessment of social cohesion, sustainable peace and/or reconciliation.
- Experience in collaborating with governments, mandated commissions, and/or international organizations, for the design and implementation of peacebuilding and social cohesion or reconciliation initiatives.
- Must be fluent in English and Kinyarwanda.
How to apply
To apply, please send the following by e-mail to recruitment.pfrwanda@gmail.com attaching the following:
- CV (maximum 3 pages);
- Motivation letter (maximum 1 page) outlining your skills and experience relevant to the Terms of Reference and your specific interest in the specific assignment for which you are applying.
- Description of the methodology/approach you will use to deliver on the assignment you are applying for (maximum 2 pages).
- A Financial proposal .
- Three examples of previous relevant work.
- Please include ‘’ Local Expert on Prisoners reintegration & Social Cohesion’’ in the subject line of the application e-mail.
Due to a large number of applications, Prison fellowship Rwanda will only be able to respond to short-listed candidates. The application deadline is the 30th of March 2022. The application can be addressed to the Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Rwanda.
For more information about Prison Fellowship Rwanda, consult: www.pfrwanda.com
Done at Kigali on 10th March 2022.
Bishop Deogratias GASHAGAZA
Executive Director Prison Fellowship Rwanda.
