occupied Palestinian territory: GIS/Open Source Mapping Intern
Country: occupied Palestinian territory
Closing date: 15 Jun 2014
Organizational profile:
Grassroots Jerusalem (GJ) is a platform for Palestinian community leadership and advocacy. Together with local community representatives, GJ strategically addresses development, humanitarian, and political issues.
- GJ bridges and networks between community-based organizations and political advocacy targets.
- GJ amplifies grassroots activists’, leaders’, and organizations’ resources by developing virtual and physical environments for meeting, sharing information, educating, growing, and coordinating on shared issues of urgent and long-term concern.
- GJ seeks to strengthen Palestinian grassroots networks that represent the community voice.
- GJ is a home for opposing the occupation in Jerusalem (AlQuds), for building alternatives to oppressive systems, and for realizing the full AlQuds potential. We are looking for people who can join and help us do our job better.
Job Description and Responsibilities:
One of GJ's three pillars is Mapping and Assessment. Grassroots Jerusalem has been working on a community needs assessment and organizational profiling project designed to create an interactive and dynamic map of Jerusalem that reflects each community’s experiences. The main role of the GIS/Open Source Mapping intern is to support our field team and community mappers in the development of community informational and advocacy maps. This work will require the ability to assist with community mapping workshops, upload and work with GIS data in multiple formats (shapefiles, OSM data, SQLite), and to create maps that meet the advocacy needs of both Grassroots Jerusalem and our community partners. The GIS/Open Source Intern will develop print and online maps using Quantum GIS and TileMill, maintain our Frontline SMS incident reporting system, and contribute creatively to the maps and information displayed on our network www.grassrootsalquds.net. This is an ideal opportunity for any individual interested in gaining GIS experience and exploring how open source technologies and public participatory mapping can play a role in advocacy and human rights.
Requirements:
- Fluent in English, and knowledge of Arabic is beneficial,
- Basic familiarity with GIS technology (Open Source and/or ArcGIS),
- A strong commitment to participatory approaches and community organizing,
- A strong ability to work in a diverse team,
- A sound understanding of the political context in Jerusalem.
While all applications will be considered, preference will be given to those that can either commit to 6 months and/or have prior experience living in the region. We are currently looking to fill the position as early as November 2013.
Supervision:
Upon arrival in Jerusalem interns will undergo an orientation designed to introduce them to the layout of the city as well as the technologies essential to their project. The GIS/Open Source mapping intern will work closely with our Field Coordinators and report to the Director of Community Assessment and Mapping.
Compensation:
As this is an intern position there is no salary, but the Grassroots Jerusalem staff is committed to helping their interns take advantage of the variety of funding they qualify for through their educational institutions. Interns will be responsible for securing their own housing during their time in Jerusalem. A small stipend will be provided in order to cover communication and work related travel expenses.
How to apply:
Please email the following items to intern@grassrootsalquds.org
- Resume and cover letter (max 2 pages)
- On a separate page please answer the following questions to the best of your ability: Please describe the extent of your GIS mapping experience and level of familiarity with open source technologies (e.g. Frontline SMS, TileMill, QGIS, and OpenStreetMap) and any related skills such as programming languages.
- Beyond the mapping specific skills required for this internship, what skills do you feel will make you an excellent candidate for this internship?
Due to a lack of administrative resources only successful applicants will be contacted.
