Breaking the Silence: Guatemala Coordinator

The Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Solidarity Network (BTS), based in the Maritimes of Canada on the unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, and  Passamaquoddy, seeks a dynamic, caring individual, who is passionate about human rights, to be our  Guatemala Coordinator in Guatemala.

Breaking the Silence (BTS) is a voluntary network of people in the Maritimes who began to organize in 1988 to support the efforts of Guatemalans struggling for political, social, and economic justice. Injustice is the result of structural inequalities both within and between countries, and BTS is committed to supporting structural transformation both in Guatemala and in Canada. Read more about BTS here: https://breakingthesilenceblog.com/about/.

Work location: Based in Guatemala City with regular in-country travel, annual travel to the Maritimes, and online communication with volunteers and staff in the Maritimes of Canada.

This position requires that the applicant be a Canadian citizen, dual citizen, or permanent resident of Canada.

Guatemala Coordinator position
We are seeking a creative and thoughtful Guatemala Coordinator with a deep commitment to and passion for solidarity and community building. This person will support BTS solidarity work, primarily in Guatemala, and, on occasion, in the Canadian Maritimes and elsewhere in Canada. The successful candidate will be BTS’s ongoing representative in Guatemala, enabling the deepening and growth of the network’s relationships with its partner organizations and taking the lead on priority work in Guatemala and connecting that work to advocacy and solidarity in Canada with Maritimes-based BTS staff and volunteers. The main themes of BTS work are Defense of Territory; Truth, Justice and Impunity; and Accompaniment.

Permanent full time: 35 hours/week  

The successful candidate will:

• Share BTS’s commitment to our work and philosophy
• Be flexible and self-motivated with strong time-management skills, excellent interpersonal and organizational skills and a demonstrated interest in community engagement
• Have an understanding of the historical and current social and economic context in Guatemala
• Have excellent Spanish and English language skills (spoken and written); knowledge of Mayan or Xinka languages an asset
• Be committed to deepening their understanding of the ongoing impacts of colonialism and structures of oppression within Guatemala and Canada, and between the global North and Previous solidarity or accompaniment work in Guatemala is an asset
• Have a demonstrated interest and commitment to global human rights and social justice
• Have experience in program development or coordination
• Be able to juggle multiple tasks and prioritize accordingly

The Guatemala Coordinator’s responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing and coordinating all BTS work carried out in Guatemala and supporting the Canada-based work of the Maritimes Coordinator and network
• Maintaining regular communication, including conducting regular visits to BTS partners throughout Guatemala
• Responding to urgent requests for advocacy and emergency accompaniment
• Organizing delegations of Canadians to Guatemala, and co-leading these delegations with the Maritimes Coordinator or a network volunteer
• Collaborating with the BTS Mining Justice Facilitator to represent BTS in the context of mining justice and human rights/ transitional justice in Guatemala
• Staying informed, through research and regular communication with BTS partners, about human rights, genocide, and transitional justice in Guatemala
• Sending urgent actions and critical information/ analyses of genocide/ transitional justice to BTS listserv, as needed
• Providing accompaniment to public events, hearings, trials, etc, for BTS partner organizations and friend organizations
• Representing BTS in different coalitions and with the diplomatic corps in Guatemala (Canadian Embassy, UN offices, etc.)

Annual Salary is CAD$25,000, which is competitive with similar international coordinator positions based in Guatemala, reflecting local costs. In addition, BTS provides a non-taxable monthly stipend based on a daily per diem, and covers international health insurance and health costs, expenses,  two return flights Canada-Guatemala and 4 weeks annual vacation (after seven years, 5 weeks annual vacation). BTS has a dedicated and active volunteer fundraising committee; staff are not asked to fundraise.

BTS provides one work-related and one personal return flight between Canada and Guatemala per year; professional development opportunities through the Tatamagouche Centre; and full international health coverage/ benefits.

To apply:
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until a successful candidate is found. To apply, please send the following to :

• Resume
• Maximum one-page cover letter outlining your motivations, skills and experience as they relate to this position. In the cover letter, please mention where you heard about this position.

Breaking the Silence encourages people from diverse race, gender, ethnic group, sexual orientation, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, abilities, education, and backgrounds to apply. If your life experiences and skills differ from what is in this posting but you think you are the right person for the position, please apply!

Find the full job description at our website: https://breakingthesilenceblog.com/2022/05/17/were-hiring-bts-guatemala-coordinator/