For information on SDEP see http://www.beckman.illinois.edu/strategic/sdep.aspx. SDEP faculty at Beckman Institute include Professors Tom Bassett (Geography), Ashwini Chhatre (Geography), Brian Dill (Sociology), and Jesse Ribot (Geography). Other faculty who will soon join the SDEP initiative include Zsuzsa Gille (Sociology) and Somnath Baidya Roy (Atmospheric Science).

Job Posting: Community Animator (Toronto area)

Faith & the Common Good is a national non-profit organization that facilitates inter-faith dialogue and action on matters of social and ecological concern. Our main program, Greening Sacred Spaces (GSS), promotes eco-sustainability in faith communities (churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc.), focusing primarily on energy
conservation within faith buildings. We are looking for half-time staff (approximately 75 hours/month) to liaise with green activists within faith communities to assist them in
participating in GSS.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 
- Experience working with faith communities
- Knowledge and understanding of environmental issues and eco-sustainable solutions
- Experience with networking 
- Experience with working with volunteers
- Experience and comfort speaking in front of groups
- Must be creative, energetic, flexible, motivated, and well-organized

DUTIES
-  Conduct all activities in accordance with the ecological and spiritual mission of Faith & the Common Good
-  Plan and coordinate the ‘Greening Sacred Spaces’ program in the local area
-  Identify and liaise with representatives from each faith community and report on activities
-  Plan and participate in GSS networking events
-  Animate interest in the campaign among faith communities and other groups
- Track local environmental resources and liaise with community and environmental groups for opportunities to collaborate.
- Liaise with other environmental groups regional networks.

For more information please refer to the attached poster.

The Centre for Social Justice invites applicants for the position of Social Justice Retreat Coordinator

May 10 – August 30, 2010

The Retreat Coordinator will work with a Steering Committee (made up of experienced community workers and academics working in the field of social justice) to organize the 13th Annual Social Justice Summer Retreat. A member of the Board of Directors will act as a direct supervisor and meet with the student on a regular basis.

Please follow the link for more information on the Retreat:
http://www.socialjustice.org/index.php?page=summer-retreat

Duties:

· Responsible for overall coordination of logistics leading up to and at the event.

· Coordinate regular Steering Committee meetings, take minutes and follow-up with assigned tasks.

· Process registrations and subsidy applications.

· Respond to high volume of inquiries via email and phone.

· Develop a publicity strategy and manage website content.

· Recruit, train and supervise volunteers to help with logistics.

· Track expenses and manage event budget.

· Consult and work collaboratively with external groups, including the development of relationships with other non-governmental organizations, activist groups and the private sector.

· Coordinate fundraising efforts.

· Produce an evaluation report for funders and recommendations for future events.

Qualifications:

· Must have been registered as a full-time student during the preceding academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis during the next academic year.

· Event and social justice organizing experience is a strong asset.

· Demonstrated commitment to social justice work.

· Flexible and resourceful, self-starter with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

· Knowledge / experience using the internet (particularly social networking sites) to promote events and initiatives within the social justice community.

· Strong computer skills (including experience updating website content) would be considered a strong asset.

· Sensitive to individuals with mental health and/or developmental disabilities.

· Sensitive to various ethno-racial cultures and backgrounds.

· Candidate must be able to attend main event on August 26th-29, 2010 at Camp Arowhon, Algonquin Park.

Please send resume and cover letter to retreat@socialjustice.org by April 28.

Late applications will not be accepted. $15/h, flexible hours.

Project Coordinator / Research Assistant, Centre for the North

The Conference Board of Canada recently launched a new five-year initiative called the Centre for the North. The Centre brings together Aboriginal leaders, businesses, governments, communities, educational institutions, and other organizations to achieve a shared vision of sustainable prosperity in the North. We are seeking a Project Coordinator / Research Assistant to act as a prime liaison with project partners and to support the numerous research initiatives that are under way.

Reporting to the Director, the Project Coordinator / Research Assistant will work closely with members of the project team, as well as with external partners and stakeholders. This position is a 6-month contract to start (potentially renewable for up to four years), is available immediately, and is located in Ottawa.

Characteristics
We are seeking a bright, energetic individual who will represent the Centre for the North and the Conference Board in a professional manner. A significant portion of this role involves liaising with key external stakeholders and their contacts. This will require travel to Northern/remote regions of Canada.  To be successful in this role you must have solid organization, research, and customer relationship building skills. A strong customer service orientation, mature judgment, positive attitude and strong work ethic are essential.

This is a unique and exceptional opportunity for someone comfortable working in a fast-paced, professional environment, who can produce high quality work, has well developed interpersonal skills, is culturally sensitive, who is well organized and can meet tight deadlines.

Principal Duties

• Act as the primary contact/coordinator for the Centre’s outreach program. This includes: relationship building with key stakeholders (and their contacts), collecting and coordinating advice and information from contacts/partners; communicating and updating contacts/partners on the work of the Centre; creating and updating profiles for all contacts/partners; writing reports/summaries; updating the Centre’s website; and coordinating other activities and initiatives as the program evolves.
• Provide research support to the Director and other research staff as required ( e.g. conducting literature reviews; assisting with briefing papers, bibliographies and other research related activities; assisting with the design/development of surveys and the collection of data).
• Create and maintain a master database of contacts/partners.
• Fully contribute and provide project support to the Centre in various capacities as required.
• Communicate effectively with the project team, project partners and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Deliver high quality work and customer service.

Skills and Qualifications

• Association with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis issues, and experience working in Northern and Aboriginal communities, is required.
• A minimum of a BA or BSc.,  preferably in social sciences or Northern issues, or 2-3 years of experience providing research support in a professional or academic research environment.
• Knowledge of, and some exposure to, quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Knowledge of, and experience with, Northern sustainable prosperity issues would be advantageous.
•  Advanced communication and interpersonal skills
• Cultural sensitivity.
• The ability to write clearly, concisely and quickly.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task, perform high-quality work, meet tight deadlines, and keep yourself and others organized.
• Proficiency in the use of computers in an MS Office environment.
• Experience with spreadsheets and databases (e.g. Excel, Access) is an asset.
• Ability to travel to Northern/remote regions of Canada.
• Ability to speak Inuktitut or another Aboriginal language would be a definite asset.

Short Term International Volunteer Advisor Opportunities
Albania

Since 1990, CDC Development Solutions (CDS) has worked to link small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging economies with US companies and organizations through volunteer consulting assignments.

Currently, CDS seeks business experts with a minimum of ten (10) years experience for 3-4 week volunteer assignments in the follow areas:

1. Productivity experts in garments and footwear production for operations management (i.e. line balancing, inventory and total quality control, etc.)
2. HR specialists in reviewing and developing HR policies and procedures, remuneration incentive schemes in manufacturing companies, employee recruitment and retention improvements in basic manufacturing companies.
3. Experts in developing sales and marketing tool kits for garment and footwear companies to increase sales.
4. Food processing experts with expertise in marketing, production and sales.
5. Experts in hotel management, tourism, and sales.

Ideally, volunteers will be experts in the above areas. Knowledge of the European textile and apparel industry is a plus as well as language skills in Italian.

To apply for this position, please submit your resume to CDC Development Solutions at resumes@cdc.org. In the subject line of the email please write Albania along with the corresponding sector position that you are applying for. For example “Albania Volunteer Position #2”

*Note: This is an unpaid volunteer position. CDS will pay for airfare, accommodations, interpretation support and some general expenses, but no salary will be paid for this position.

The World Green Building Council and York University have partnered to create the International Green Building Internship Program for eligible undergraduate and graduate level students registered at Ontario Universities and Colleges. This Internship Program presents a truly unique career opportunity for students who are looking to gain hands-on skills and experience in the field of green building.

Internship placements are three months in length and begin in May 2010. There are 15 placement opportunities available for qualified students this year in the following countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jordan, New Zealand, Romania, Spain, and Vietnam. Internship responsibilities vary depending on the needs of the host organization and may include assisting with educational programs, rating tool development, membership management, research, logistical support for events and workshops, administrative support, etc.

Students who are accepted into the program will receive a $3000 stipend and will also be eligible to receive a mobilization award to help offset air travel costs. Interested students are invited to attend a free information session on Thursday January 14th, 2010 at 2pm in room HNES105 at York University. Application instructions and further detail about the program is available at this website: http://international.yorku.ca/internships/wgbc/IGB_intern.htm. The application deadline is set for January 21st, 2010 at 11:59pm.
For more information please refer to the attache flyer