PBI Mexico Call for Volunteers
Apply before the October 28 to work in Mexico alongside human rights defenders!
Peace Brigades International’s Mexico Project is looking for field volunteers for a 12-month minimum commitment in one of the following locations:
1. Chihuahua City, serving the north of Mexico (Chihuahua and Coahila states)
2. Mexico City, serving the center and south of the country (the capital, Guerrero and Oaxaca states).
PBI Mexico provides protective accompaniment to individuals, communities, grassroots movements and NGOs fighting against impunity and violence whilst working toward land, territory and environmental rights, women’s rights, minority rights and access to justice. Find out more about the at-risk organisations our field volunteers support here.
As a PBI field volunteer, you will live and work as part of a culturally diverse and horizontally-structured international team. PBI Mexico provides a specialised training process, based on more than 40 years of experience working for human rights and peace. You will have the opportunity to learn about non-violent resistance movements and accompany defenders dedicating their lives to conflict transformation and peace-building. You will also have the chance to learn about a broad range of activities related to the international solidarity movement, including human rights observance and analysis, advocacy and lobbying, security and protection training, networking and coalition-building, as well as communications campaigns and administrative tasks related to the organisation’s strategy.
A day in the life of a PBI volunteer is never the same!
While field work is unpaid, PBI will cover:
✔️ Return flights from your country of residence
✔️ All work and living expenses (accommodation, maintenance, medical insurance etc.)
✔️ A monthly stipend of 250 euros for personal expenses and a repatriation fee of 45 euros per each month worked.
✔️ Volunteers also have access to psychosocial support during their stay, as well as a range of personal and professional development opportunities.
If you are motivated to work in solidarity with human rights defenders in the field, read on for more information about how to apply to the Mexico Project…
A step-by-step guide of the selection and training process
To become a PBI field volunteer you must first comply with the requirements listed below.
You must be a national of a country other than Mexico*
Solid personal motivation to work with PBI in the field.
Working proficiency in Spanish (equivalent to C1/C2 level or similar). We cannot make exceptions for the language requirement.
Previous experience working/volunteering in a human rights NGO, co-operative, grassroots or community-based organisation, especially in Latin America.
Commitment to at least 12 months of field work in a PBI Mexico team.
An understanding of PBI Mexico’s mandate, and commitment to work following the principles of non-violence, non-interference and non-partisanship.
Capacity to carry out all areas of work: advocacy, accompaniment, communication, security and administrative tasks.
Experience working and living in groups, especially in stressful situations.
Computer skills: databases, word processors, email.
Ability to comply with security standards to work within a context of conflict and pandemic.
Knowledge and application of intersectional and gender perspectives; commitment to gender equality, respect for diversity and minorities.
We also value:
Knowledge of the history and current context in Mexico.
Ability to engage with different actors from government and civil society (e.g. authorities) knowledge of campaigns, communications and advocacy.
An open attitude to other perspectives and experiences to live and work in a team where everyone feels supported.
Experience in conflict resolution and/or ability to deal with conflicts in a positive and mature manner.
Ability to conduct political analysis.
Experience using consensus decision making, knowledge of tools and processes or capacity and interest in training in this area.
Discretion in handling of sensitive information.
Cultural sensitivity and critical reflection towards privilege, inequality and oppression with a historical perspective.
Good stress management and ability to prioritise.
Volunteers over 25 years of age (not a set restriction, but maturity and responsibility is vital).
If you feel you meet the requirements and share our vision and mission, then let’s get started!
You will need to go to the PBI Mexico website and download and complete the general application form. You need three references to complete the reference form. These documents must be sent to formacion@pbi-mexico.org by the 28th of October.
If your application is successful you will be invited for an online interview.
If the interview goes well, you will be invited to participate in the first virtual training week from the 18th to the 26th of January 2023 from 9am to 1pm (time in Mexico City). It is important to note that the training week is part of the selection process and is not a guarantee to join a Field Team.
To prepare for the training week, you will be sent a series of workbooks to complete which include readings, supplementary tasks and groupwork. This will be reviewed and upon successful completion of the exercises you will be able to attend the first virtual training week. It is vital that you attend all training days. A second week of virtual training is planned in April 2023.
During the training week, a final selection of the people invited to be part of the field teams will be made, based on the criteria mentioned above and the current needs of the project.
The recruitment of new PBI Mexico volunteers takes place every 2-3 months throughout the year. In 2023, arrivals are expected from the month of February. Therefore, interested persons must have flexibility regarding the date of entry to the team.
Upon arrival in the field, the new volunteers will participate in an orientation period in Mexico City with the CDMX Coordination Office and a subsequent orientation period with their Field Team.
PBI can decide on the suitability of the candidate to participate in the PBI Team at any point in this process.
After three months in the field project you will undergo an evaluation of your performance.
We thank you for your interest and we encourage you to continue working in the defence of human rights defenders. For more information, please contact formacion@pbi-mexico.org
*If you are a Mexican citizen and you are interested in volunteering with PBI, we encourage you to check the website, https://www.peacebrigades.org/ where you can obtain information on how you can volunteer with Mexico in other countries.
