Insider Mediators Consultant

Position title: Insider Mediators / Community Facilitators Consultant

Contract type: independent/local consultant

Berghof Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization supporting people in conflict in their efforts to achieve sustainable peace through conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Headquartered in Berlin, the organization is run by a diverse team and works with local partners around the world. Berghof Foundation is seeking a highly skilled Insider Mediators / Community Facilitators in Lebanon for our project “Rapid Response - host community engagement initiative”.

The Insider Mediators / Community Facilitators will support the implementation of community-level activities aimed at reducing and mitigating tensions between and among host communities, internally displaced persons, and other affected community groups.

They will serve as trusted local actors who are able to engage with communities, identify emerging tensions, facilitate constructive dialogue, support de-escalation efforts, and provide timely insights to the project team. Their role is essential to ensuring that project interventions are locally grounded, conflict-sensitive, responsive to community needs, and adapted to the realities of each target area

Each Insider Mediator is expected to implement between 1 and 4 community-based initiatives, depending on geographic coverage, availability, community needs, and project approval.

Each initiative will be compensated at USD 200, inclusive of all related costs unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Key Responsibilities: 

Community Engagement and Relationship Building

The Insider Mediator / Community Facilitator will:

• Engage with host communities, displaced populations, local leaders, community responders, youth volunteers, civil society actors, municipalities, shelter managers, and other relevant local stakeholders.
• Build and maintain trust-based relationships with community members and local actors in the assigned area.
• Support the project team in understanding the local context, including community dynamics, sensitivities, sources of tension, and key actors.
• Ensure that engagement with communities is inclusive, respectful, culturally appropriate, and sensitive to gender, age, displacement status, sectarian, political, and social dynamics.
• Help identify suitable participants and stakeholders for dialogue, awareness, mediation, or community engagement initiatives.

Identification and Analysis of Community Tensions

The Insider Mediator / Community Facilitator will:

• Facilitate or support mediation and dialogue processes where tensions arise between host communities, displaced persons, community actors, or local stakeholders.
• Help create safe and respectful spaces for discussion, listening, problem-solving, and constructive communication.
• Use conflict-sensitive approaches to support de-escalation and prevent tensions from worsening.
• Support communities in identifying practical, locally acceptable solutions to disputes or misunderstandings.
• Encourage non-violent communication, active listening, mutual understanding, and respect between different groups.
• Refer complex, sensitive, or high-risk cases to the project team before taking further action.

Implementation of Community Initiatives

Each Insider Mediator / Community Facilitator will be responsible for designing and implementing 1 to 4 small-scale community initiatives, in coordination with the project team.

These initiatives may include:

• Community dialogue sessions.
• Awareness sessions on conflict mitigation and constructive communication.
• Small group discussions between and/or among host community members and displaced persons.
• Sessions with youth volunteers, community responders, or local actors.
• Informal mediation or facilitated problem-solving meetings.
• Activities aimed at reducing misinformation, misunderstandings, conflicts or tensions.
• Engagements that strengthen coordination between local actors responding to displacement-related needs.

For each initiative, the Insider Mediator / Community Facilitator will:

• Propose the objective, target group, location, and format of the activity.
• Coordinate logistics with relevant local actors and the project team.
• Ensure participation is inclusive and conflict-sensitive.
• Facilitate the activity professionally and safely.
• Document key issues, observations, outcomes, and recommendations.
• Submit required reporting after implementation.

Coordination with the Project Team and Local Actors

The Insider Mediator / Community Facilitator will:

• Coordinate closely with the Project Manager, project team, and relevant Berghof staff before, during, and after each initiative.
• Participate in briefing, preparation, coordination, and reflection meetings as requested.
• Share regular updates on community dynamics, risks, needs, and opportunities for engagement.
• Coordinate with municipalities, community leaders, local organisations, shelter actors, volunteers, and humanitarian responders when relevant and approved by the project team.
• Ensure that all activities are implemented in line with the project’s objectives, conflict-sensitive principles, and operational guidance.
• Participate in peer exchange or reflection sessions with other Insider Mediators, when required.

Reporting, Documentation, and Learning

The Insider Mediator / Community Facilitator will:

• Submit a brief report after each initiative using the template provided by the project team.
• Report on activity details, participant profile, key issues discussed, tensions identified, community feedback, outcomes, challenges, and recommendations.
• Share timely alerts with the project team when serious tensions, risks, protection concerns, or sensitive developments are identified.
• Contribute to project learning by documenting lessons learned, good practices, and recommendations for future engagement.
• Maintain confidentiality and avoid sharing sensitive information outside agreed reporting channels.

Education:   

• BA in social sciences, law, political science, or a related field. 

Experience:   

• More than 3 years of proven experience in delivery of community sessions in Lebanon or other countries in the MENA region.
• Experience in designing and conducting peacebuilding community sessions in the field in fragile or conflict-affected environments.   
• Strong experience in training and capacity-building.
• Experience with participatory research methodologies and working with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, civil society, and international organizations. 
• Experience in activity reports in Arabic and/or English, depending on project requirements.

Further Qualifications and Skills:   

• Strong knowledge of the local context in one or more of the target areas.
• Existing trust, credibility, or access within local communities.
• Experience in mediation, dialogue facilitation, community engagement, peacebuilding, social cohesion, humanitarian response, or related fields.
• Ability to engage respectfully with diverse groups, including host communities, displaced populations, youth, women, local leaders, and community responders.
• Strong communication, listening, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to identify tensions and analyse community dynamics in a balanced and conflict-sensitive manner.
• Ability to work under pressure and in sensitive environments.
• Neutrality, impartiality, and respect for diversity.
• Good judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive information confidentially.