Job Description

This role is located out of the MCC Office in Timmins Ontario

Applications Close Date Sep 18, 2023

Start Date Oct 10, 2023

Start Date Flexible

Term Length

Qualifications

All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active participation in a Christian church or Christian community; and nonviolent peacemaking. MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.
Required:

• Highly relational with excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work with people in diverse contexts
• Willingness to work with sensitivity within a diverse cultural and theological milieu
• A creative and innovative mind and willingness to work outside of your cultural \'comfort zone\'
• An understanding of the effects of racism and willingness to work for change essential
• Solid working knowledge of Indigenous cultures, justice issues, political structures and history
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills necessary for letter, report and proposal writing as well as comfort providing occasional speaking engagements
• Ability to work occasional long days, weekends and travel within the province as is necessary
• Experience with providing guidance to volunteers, interns, youth groups
• Experience creating and leading experiential learning opportunities
• A bachelor\'s degree in areas related to education, psychology/social science, or peace and conflict studies (or equivalent) is an asset
• A combination of several years (2-4) of experience in the following areas: facilitation, education, advocacy, social movements, change-making, and stakeholder development
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn about MCC programs and diverse supporters
• Computer experience required with proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), experience working with databases to track work and progress an asset
• Solid organizational skills with attention to detail
• Respect for and discretion in dealing with confidential information
• Police vulnerable sector check (required upon hire)
• Legally able to work in Canada
• Ability to work independently and prioritize a wide variety of tasks

Preferred

• Experience working in Timmins and supporting remote communities.
• Lived experience with the impacts of colonialism.
• Valid \'G\' Ontario driver\'s license an asset but not essential

Job Synopsis The Indigenous Neighbours program team of Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCC) is looking for the right person to take the lead on work in our Timmins office on Truth & Reconciliation and Water Advocacy & Action. This new Indigenous Neighbours Program Associate role will also work with the other Timmins-based Program Associate on Education and Engagement of the wider community on Indigenous justice issues. This engagement work involves creating/facilitating opportunities for learning and building connections across cultures and geography. This full-time position (37.5 hrs/week) will be based in Timmins, the hub of MCC\'s work across Northern Ontario.

This is an exciting time of growth and reflection for MCC\'s work with Indigenous partners in the north. Our team seeks to be of service to the powerful resurgence of Indigenous Nations, cultures and initiatives. It is also a time of unprecedented concern for Indigenous justice among churches and we seek to engage our supporters to listen/learn and seek to become long-term allies in the pursuit of systemic change. We regularly seek wisdom from Indigenous partners about how MCC can evolve and grow to meet their needs. This role will likewise evolve in response to Indigenous partner input.

Mennonite Central Committee is a community-based organization with over 100 years of experience supporting activities that provide emergency assistance, reduce poverty, promote healthy and sustainable communities, and create alternatives to violence. As a Christian organization, we understand our deep responsibility to learn from past wrongs and to respect the sovereignty of Indigenous people and communities. We strive to learn continually and collaborate with Indigenous and settler people in the long-term work of decolonizing both our own organization and wider society.

Challenges

Key Responsibilities Animate MCC\'s work in the north on Water Action and Advocacy
This person will seek to collaborate with Indigenous communities in their efforts to access safe water through raising awareness, supporting creative solutions, and addressing long-term systemic barriers resulting from colonialism. This work is accomplished though:

• Collaborating with Indigenous leaders to develop long term advocacy strategies
• Engaging MCC supporters to learn about water issues in Indigenous communities and to take part in advocacy to call for long-term, systemic changes and solutions
• Responding to requests from First Nations for support in the pursuit of short-term solutions such as wagons to carry water, small scale infrastructure such as a water fountain, etc.

Education and Engagement
This person will collaborate with other MCC team members to promote awareness, understanding, action and advocacy on Indigenous justice issues and the ongoing impacts of colonialism among MCC\'s supporters. This work is accomplished through diverse means including:
- Developing and leading learning tours in the north for supporters from the south
- Developing and/or facilitating learning opportunities for non-Indigenous community members in the north such as workshops, online webinars or the Blanket Exercise
- Fostering short, medium and long-term opportunities for listening into action - such as volunteering in the Timmins office, student internships, or truth and reconciliation working groups in the community

Other
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned
- Collaborate with other team members in Timmins to ensure that the office is a clean, safe and comfortable place to work.
- Attend MCCO orientations, provincial meetings, Peace Conference and Staff Development Day in-person in the south and in some cases online.
- Participate in a local faith community, being willing to use personal gifts within this community and model nonviolent peacemaking through respectful interaction with others
- Maintain a high level of integrity, reflecting respect and Christ\'s unconditional love to those with whom you work, including colleagues, partners, and marginalized people
- Answer inquiries about MCC from constituency and the public; communicate MCC\'s values, articulating the importance of MCC\'s criteria for workers, all of whom serve as representatives of the Mennonite and Be in Christ churches which support MCC
- Model nonviolent peacemaking through respectful daily interactions with staff and the public

Link

Mennonite Central Committee