Website Voces Mesoamericanos
Community Organizer and Researcher on Migrant Issues
Tasks & Responsibilities:
Grant writing and support with finding financial resources to support Voces, leadership role in planning, preparation, and improving the “Museo Migrante” project- a living museum that includes stories and reflections related to the overall theme of migration and include personal stories and creative expressions from each community in which it is presented. Other responsibilities include: to encourage and actively seek ways to engage more youth participation in projects, politics, and dialogue; facilitate and ensure logistics and success of Festival de Jovenes on the Dia International de Migrantes, help with post production and subtitles of short video documentaries, language translation work. The work is primarily done in an office setting, although there are opportunities for volunteers to travel and become immersed in Chiapas communities with clients and families who are Voces partners. Work schedule is demanding and pace of work is intense; work hours are typically 9-2 and 4-7, sometimes later and on weekends. The job also involves regularly coming into contact with some of the harsh realities of the social injustices that exist in the region in terms of poverty and human rights violations.
Qualifications:
Organization accepts 6 month volunteers only. Advanced Spanish speaking and writing skills necessary; clear communication skills regarding work; grant writing experience helpful. Student should feel prepared and qualified to work in a human rights organization. Should be enthusiastic, passionate, open minded.
Learning Opportunities:
The organization offers abundant opportunities to learn a great deal about regional migration issues, human rights, responsible aid and development initiatives, indigenous resistance and the Zapatista movement; detrimental effects of neo liberal trade policies on campesinos in Chiapas, grant writing skills, Spanish written and oral skills, human rights violations in relation to migrations and immigration, race relations in southern Mexico, social/cultural/economic power relations in terms of community insiders (locals) and outsiders (volunteers); participation in educational training workshops on Mexico/Zapatistas, history of political systems in region, some basic Tzotsil vocabulary.
