Dear IFSA World!

Would you like to become more involved with what happens in IFSA? A new opportunity is here – you can now apply to become an IFSA Official for the 2019-2020 period!

We are on the search for an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who will serve IFSA in the capacity of the Liaison Officer to the Youth in Landscapes Initiative. The term of this position will be for the remainder of the current IFSA year (until IFSS 2020). This individual must be from one of IFSA’s local committees.

The Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) is a partnership between the Global Agroecological Association (GAEA), the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) and IFSA. Together with Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), YIL does create, prepare and run various workshops at GLFs and related events, and tries to channel youth efforts into stronger and more visible actions. The main goal for YIL is connection and capacity building for young professionals and students. As a Liaison officer for the YIL, you will be part of the Steering Committee (SC). Together, the committee decides on every major involvement of the partnership as well as financial obligations and strategies for the future.

Being the Liaison Officer for Youth in Landscapes Initiative is exciting. It gives you an opportunity to gain leadership experience and a high level of responsibility. You will be able to grow your personal network, collaborate with a motivated and international community and become part of a global movement for sustainable landscape management.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Participate in Steering Commitees’ meetings, both online and on-ground (funded)
  • Develop and contribute to events, workshops and decide on future youth activities
  • Advertise and communicate YIL events to IFSA members
  • Participation in YIL events
  • Function as a focal point for every young person that is interested in participating in YIL events
  • Reach out to other organizations and motivated personnel to expand YIL
  • Work closely with the External Department of IFSA and the GLF youth coordinator

Benefits:

  • You can develop your skills and collect lots of experience in running and designing workshops, leading delegations and organizing events
  • You might be funded by GLF to attend meetings
  • You get the opportunity to reach out to many professionals  across the globe

Expectations to the Position Holder: 

With the YIL position, you should make sure that you have enough time for it. Since you can actively shape and contribute to many events and since YIL has only little capacity to rely on, there is a big responsibility. The position takes lots of time to fill out, especially before GLFs it is not uncommon to work 2 hours a day for two weeks. As you are a key part of the Initiative, you can also decide on its development and on the way it will evolve. Together with your partners, you might take on more work than you would like to, but you also will have more fun and feel great about giving so many delegates chances they would have never had without you. Further, the GLF is a great organization that aims for honest and thorough youth involvement and thus is interested in giving you space and money to make it work! Also, you are very free in what you want to do and realize new projects. Due to the high responsibility and the importance of this position, an experienced IFSA member, who has been to some workshops and international events already, preferably the GLF, is recommended as position holder.

Collaboration (Relationships):

  • IFSA President (Steering Committee Member)
  • External Councilor (first and former LO YIL)
  • International Policy Commission (IPC) and Liaison Officer for Center for International Forestry Research (LO CIFOR) (as part of the UN Decade stakeholders)
  • GLF youth coordinator and team

Desired Skills and Attributes:

The following skills and knowledge are required for this role:

  • Knowledge of cross-sectoral approaches (landscape approach)
  • Proactivity
  • Good command of the English language
  • Team working in a multicultural environment
  • Thinking beyond forests and forestry

The following skills and knowledge are desirable for this role:

  • Communication skills
  • High level of self-organization
  • Fast learning (as the position will have a lot to take in)

Upcoming work: 

  • Help with the upcoming UN decade on Ecosystem Restoration
  • Co-organise a workshop on restoration at the IUCN World Conservation Congress
  • Improve the inner workings and structure of YIL
  • Create a strategy for future IFSA engagement
  • Attend the IFSA Interim (IFSA internal working meeting)

How to apply:
In order to apply, you must send in

  1. a letter from your Local Committee (LC) President verifying that you are a member of the LC,
  2. a Curriculum Vitae / Resume (2 pages max.) and
  3. a motivation letter and strategy for the position (not more than 1 page, font size 12).

Important note: All files must be sent as individual PDF files.

In addition to these, you are required to send in

 

  • A three (3)-minute video about your motivation and the strategy for the position

either as a file or as a link leading to the video.

Selection criteria (your letter of motivation must answer):

  • Why do you think that this position is important for IFSA?
  • Why would you want to become an official for this position?
  • How would you achieve this positions main tasks?
  • Do you think you have the right skills for this position? What are they?
  • What international events are relevant for your position, and will you be able to attend them?
  • What would your key goals for the year be?
  • Why do you think that this position is important for IFSA? How much time will you be able to commit to carrying out this position’s tasks?
  • What, from your understanding of the role and the understanding of the partnership do you think your work will be focused on?

All applications must be sent to: council@ifsa.net

All applications must use the subject: LIAISON OFFICER YIL.

Only complete applications will be considered. Any application not meeting the requirements and instructions listed above will be disqualified.

DEADLINE: 16th -1- 2020 – 23:59 CET