MIJARC Europe is a non-governmental organisation for rural youth, by rural youth. We promote sustainable agricultural, rural and international development, European citizenship, youth policies, gender equality, environmental protection, interculturality and human rights. In line with our Christian values, we strive to implement and raise awareness about these issues and goals by facilitating inter-cultural non-formal learning opportunities and engaging in advocacy and partnership processes. Employing our methodology of ‘see-judge-act’, we encourage the participation of young people to build the Europe of tomorrow.

We are seeking to hire a resourceful person with strong communication and advocacy skills as well as a good understanding of the EU youth policy environment to fulfil the tasks of a Communication and Policy Officer. This is a critical role primarily accountable for a strong engagement with our member organisations, our political work and the visibility of MIJARC Europe. To be successful in this role you should be passionate about working for non-profit organisations, understanding their specificities and possess a flexible and proactive approach to work.

1. Job duration and conditions

Role: Communication & Advocacy Officer
Reports to: Report to the secretariat management team
Duration: One year contract (CDD) approximately from January 2023 to December 2023. There is a possibility for the contract to be extended.
Location: Office in Brussels (Rue de l’Industrie, 10) with the possibility of occasional travels in Europe. This is not a remote position but there is the possibility of partially working remotely.
Working time: Full-time (38 hours per week).

Renumeration: 2300 EUR gross per month
Benefits: 7-euro lunch vouchers on full-working days.

2. Responsibilities

COMMUNICATION (50%)

Coordinate the creation of MIJARC’s annual Communication Action Plan in line with our Communication Strategy;
Ensure the communication (before-during-after) regarding MIJARC’s Europe events and activities;
Manage our social media channels and ensure regular posting, supported by our volunteer Communication Commission;
Develop European-wide communication campaigns in cooperation with our member organisations;
Monitor communication campaigns from partners in order to identify possible collaborations;
Support the volunteers in the Communication Commission, providing assistance and training and ensuring their well-being;
Manage our website www.mijarc.eu and engage in its development, creating contents and visuals.
ADVOCACY (50%)
Coordinate the implementation of our Advocacy Strategy;
Support the work of the volunteers in the Advocacy Commission, providing assistance and training and ensuring their well-being;
Monitor some key policy developments and networks (Farm to Fork, Our Food Our Future,HREDD, ERDN, CoE, EU Youth Strategy);
Support the Executive Board in the communication and interactions with the various partners and represent us in various international events (ex: the European Coordination la
Via Campesina – ECVC);
Represent us in meetings with European Institutions or partners.

OTHER RESPONSABILITIES
Undertake any other related responsibilities commensurate with the evolving objectives of the post and the evolution of the organization, as may reasonably be requested by the Secretariat Management Team or the Executive Board.

3. Profile

A relevant degree in Communication, Politics or International Relations;
Experience with strategic planning of communication activities
Experience with designing social media campaigns and managing a WordPress-based website;
Experience in policy monitoring, especially with regards to agriculture, environmental or rural policies;
Experience in representation and networking at international conferences and events;
Experience with youth and/or volunteer team management;
Very good knowledge of the Youth representation system and events of the EU and the CoE(Youth Forum Jeunesse, Year of Youth 2022, European Youth Parliament…)
Very good knowledge of Office tools (Word, Excel, Canva, video editing, etc.);
Graphic design skills and/or Website design and management (WordPress);
Comfortable working with different IT and web management tools, and willingness to learn more tools;
Be a Team player, creative, proactive, and autonomous
Highly valued

A rural background;
An interest in agricultural issues and knowledge of peasant farming and agroecology would be an asset;
An interest in a long-term position in MIJARC Europe
Previous experience with volunteers of different nationalities;
Previous experience in an INGO or a Youth Organisation;
Knowledge of Dutch or French;

Other
All applicants must have the right to live and work in Belgium.
Application procedure

To apply, send us a motivation letter (max 1 page) and your CV (max 2 pages) in a PDF file to recruitment@mijarc.eu with the subject line “Application Communication & Advocacy Officer_Name”. We will review applications on a rolling basis and the last date for applications will be Friday 6th January 2023 at 23:59 CET.

Selected candidates will be invited for a second selection phase as an online or offline interview. The successful candidate will start at the earliest convenient date but no later than the 23rd January 2023. We reserve to close the call earlier if we find the right person for the position.

Call-for-Communication-and-Advocacy-Officer-2023.pdf (1779 downloads )

WE ARE RECRUITING!

MIJARC Europe is a non–governmental organisation established for the rural youth and by the rural youth. We promote and advocate for sustainable agricultural and value chains, environmental protection, development of rural areas in Europe, European active citizenship and youth policies, gender equality, interculturality, human rights and diversity inclusion. In line with our Christian values, we strive to implement and raise awareness about these issues by facilitating inter–cultural, non–formal learning opportunities and by engaging in advocacy and partnership processes.

Currently, we are seeking to hire a resourceful person, with strong administrative and financial skills, as well as, a good understanding of the legal environment for ASBL and AISBL in Belgium, in order to fulfil the role of a part–time Administrative and Financial Officer. This is a critical role primarily accountable for the effective running of the Secretariat and the office of MIJARC Europe. To be successful in this role you should be passionate about working for non–profit organisation, understanding their specificities and possess an adaptable and proactive approach to work.

1. Job duration and conditions
Role: Part–time Administrative and Financial Officer
Reports to: The Board of MIJARC Europe
Duration: Permanent Contract (CDI)
Location: Office in Brussels (Rue de l’Industrie, 10 – 1000 Bruxelles) with the possibility of occasional travels around Europe.
Working time: Part–time (19 hours per week). Flexible working schedule can be arranged (either 2,5 days a week, half–days, etc.).
Renumeration: 1,275 EUR gross per month.
Benefits: 7 EUR lunch vouchers on a full working day.

2. Responsibilities
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
• Perform bookkeeping and accounting (monitor and maintain all financial records for internal and external accounting, according to MIJARC Europe’s rules and Belgian legislation);
• Assist with payments (process all invoices, reimbursement forms, etc.);
• Be responsible for other services as necessities arise (post, delivery of annual documentation to Moniteur Belge, etc.).

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT
• Support the effective functioning of the MIJARC Europe’s office and supervise office supplies and contract;
• Support the Executive Board with the legal management of the organisation;
• Assist the Executive Board and staff members with administrative tasks: minute–taking, reservation of services, travel arrangements, payments and filing of organisational documentation and folders;
• Act as the first point of contact for external and internal enquiries to MIJARC Europe sent via email.

HR MANAGEMENT
• Manage payrolls, lunch vouchers, taxes and ensure timely compliance with legal requirements connected to our Commission Paritaire and the Belgian legislation.

OTHER RESPONSABILITIES
• Undertake any other related responsibilities commensurate with the evolving objectives of the role and the evolution of the organisation, as may be reasonably requested by the Executive Board.

3. Profile
• A relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting, Business Management, HR Management, Political Science, Law, Economics or similar;
• Good command of English language (B2/C1);
• Knowledgeable about the administrative and legal requirements for NGO/INGO in Belgium (Commission Paritaire, Moniteur Belge, Transparency Register, etc);
• Experience with HR and financial management (processing contracts, payrolls, leaves, benefits, insurances, taxes and maintaining book–keeping records in hard and digital copies);
• Experience with organisational and project–related audits and expertise in Belgian Tax Law and/or Labour Law;
• Very good knowledge of Office tools (Word, Excel, etc.);
• Creative, proactive and autonomous;
• Comfortable working in teams.

Highly valued
• Knowledge of Dutch or French;
• Previous experience with volunteers from different nationalities;
• Experience of volunteering or working in an NGO;
• A rural background.

Other
• All applicants must have the right to live and work in Belgium.

4. Application procedure

And send your CV (max 2 pages) in a PDF file to recruitment@mijarc.eu with the subject line “Application Administrative and Financial Officer_Name”. We will review applications on a rolling basis and the last date for applications will be 24th of December, 2022, at 23:59 CET. Selected candidates will be invited for an online or offline interview. We reserve to close the call earlier if we find the right person for the position. The successful candidate will start at the earliest convenient date but no later than the 2nd of January 2023.

Call-for-Administrative-and-Financial-Officer_December2022.pdf (1562 downloads )

The EU HREDD : Why MIJARC Europe stands for a stronger proposal

In February 2022, the European Commission released its proposal on a Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) directive on the EU companies even outside of Europe.

What is due diligence?

In the system we currently live in, most of the products we use every day, from food to textile and technology, come from all over the world. Since the supply chains have been delocalised and globalised, the way we consume in Europe has therefore an impact on other continents, such as South East Asia textile workers, African and South American farmers and African miners.

Due diligence is a legal concept used to talk about the responsibility of companies abroad, mainly on environment, climate and human rights issues. It concretely means that during the phase of examination of a company by another: When a big european corporation wants to develop a product, they usually use a subcontractor company in countries where the prices are lower. Usually, the due diligence asks the company to make some legal control of the structures they work with beforehand. The new Due Diligence on Human Rights and Environment will ask the verifications to be done on these topics and if the parent company decides to work with subcontractors that do not respect it, then it will be the responsibility of the Big European company, and not anymore the one on the ground only: all the steps of supply chain should be held responsible.

The prevention of the harm done to the environment and humans all across the supply chain is therefore a very new and very important addition to due diligence, helping to make big companies accountable. The lack of due diligence laws can lead to violations of human rights and destruction of the environment abroad without the people suffering from it being able to take European companies to court and repair those violations. This Due Diligence proposal is an EU proposal to make the businesses accountable for their harmful practices and also to provide the legal capacity for workers to defend themselves and the environment when needed.

HOW CAN THIS NEW EUROPEAN DIRECTIVE CHANGE THIS?

Today, only France and Germany have binding due diligence laws in the EU. Having a common European framework will provide citizens affected by European companies’ illegal actions with legal means to take them accountable. This type of legislative action can offer solutions for workers that are not protected by their national laws. Its field of application will include companies working abroad, but also to their supply chain, so that the goods and services sold in Europe will no longer rely on the exploitation of humans and the environment abroad.

The current proposal shows positive elements, such as civil liability. However, if the directive is not as far-reaching as our partner human rights and environmental NGOs ask for, it will be too little, too late. The end goal is the decolonisation of supply and value chains, where the surplus value is hoarded by Western companies, and the extension of the right to a fair wage to the right to a living income in order to include self-employed smallholder farmers.

WHY DO WE CARE?

As rural youth, we know the price of the food related supply chain and we know that we need to act if we want a fairer and ecological system in which we can all live. The current situation is based on unfair competition.

Due diligence should ban unfair competition that European farmers face regarding companies importing unfair products.Today industrial farmers that work violating human rights and harm the environment have it easier to sell their products cheaper than farmers complying to ecological farming and fair trade.

Due diligence directive should be the first step towards a levelling up on living conditions and dignity of farmers and workers all across the world. The current proposition of the EU remains too weak, and it is weakened more and more during the legal process of voting. We therefore incite the European Union to develop a strong and binding due diligence that will truly change the way business is currently going on in the world.

The next step in the process will be at the beginning of december when the Council of the European union will officialise their position, and then, the trilogue will start to renegotiate the HREDD.

We also invite you, as a MIJARC Europe, as a member of the Our Food Our future Consortium, and as a partner of the Justice Is Everybody’s Business’s Campaign, to sign the petition in favour of a stronger Due diligence within the EU : https://justice-business.org/fr/rejoignez-le-mouvement/#petition.