Call for Consultancy - Youth capacity building training: positive communication

Generation Gender

Positive communication

Position: Consultant

Requirement: Capacitating a group of youth in positive communication

Location of implementation: Beirut

Duration of assignment: 1 month

About ABAAD

ABAAD– Resource Center for Gender Equality is a UN ECOSOC accredited organization that aims to achieve gender equality as an essential condition to sustainable social and economic development in the MENA region.

ABAAD advocates for the development and implementation of policies and laws that enhance women’s effective participation, through a rights-based approach that would bring about tangible change to gender justice.

With the purpose of ending gender-based violence, ABAAD adopts a holistic care approach to provide protection and support services to GBV survivors/right holders during times of peace, war and disasters since 2011.

About the project

Generation Gender is a five-year program that aims at positively influencing public opinion, laws and policies towards gender justice, as well as strengthening civil society to advocate for gender justice all the while combatting GBV and inequality. More specifically, the program at hand relies on an innovative and inclusive gender-transformative strategy that equips youth leaders and civil society organizations (CSOs) to address the root causes of gender inequality and foster sustainable change. Its goal is to raise public support, advocate for improved policies and laws, and strengthen civil society.

Overall goal of this assignment

The consultant will be required to deliver a training on positive communication to a group of young men and women from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The capacitation will equip the youth with the necessary tools to be able effectively and positively communicate with the goal of reaching a common ground and identifying shared goals. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and develop a training curriculum on positive communication in collaboration with ABAAD;
• Ensure the learning materials are rooted and practicality founded on participatory active learning, discussions, case studies, demonstration sessions and group activities;
• Carry out 2 training sessions that will result in the following learning outcomes:

• • Participating youth are equipped with constructive and positive methods of dialogue avoiding hostile, aggressive and alienating communication patterns;

• • Participating youth are able to objectively debate and discuss topics in a matter that is rooted in a factual approach without being overpowered by emotions.

• • Participating youth are able to practice active listening when engaging in discussion with the goal of obtaining information, comprehending and analyzing it, learning and exchanging opinions. This includes:

• • • Limiting interruptions;
    • Paying attention to what is being said;
    • Withholding from passing judgment;
    • Approaching peers with compassion;
    • Reflecting on others’ input and requesting further clarity when needed.

• • Participating youth become more receptive to differences of opinion and are able to better accept diverging stances;

• • Participating youth are able to better navigate difficult conversations that often originate from cultural, religious and/or political differences without resorting to disrespectful, demeaning and/or provocative speech;

• • Participating youth are able to utilize their non-violent communication skills to mediate, manage and resolve conflict as well as identify common ground when possible.

• Develop a list a KPIs relating to positive communication based on which the youth participants will be periodically evaluated moving forward;

• Submit a final report detailing achievements, challenges, lessons learnt and main takeaways along with any notable success stories.

Skills required

• Applicant is required to have a BA or MA in social sciences, political sciences, anthropology, or other related fields;
• Applicant is required to have experience in communication, mediation and conflict resolution.
• Applicant must have experience working in the humanitarian field –particularly engaging with local communities;
• Applicant must have experience in carrying out trainings and capacity-building workshops. Experience working with youth is of added value;
• Applicant must have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the local context in Lebanon;
• Applicant must possess excellent communication skills in Arabic;
• Applicant must have experience working in culturally sensitive contexts.