Vacancy for

Consultancy on Young People and Social Inclusion in European Cities

Background

The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) is an intergovernmental organization based in Lisbon, Portugal, and dedicated to promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue around the world. KAICIID has a unique dual governance structure, a Council of Parties consisting of States, and a Board of Directors made up of religious leaders, it brings together followers of different religious traditions, religious leaders and policymakers. Its member States, the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Holy See as a founding Observer, and Board of Directors stand as guarantors of the independence of its programmes from the interests of any one country, or any one religious denomination. KAICIID is a convenor and facilitator, bringing religious leaders, policymakers and experts to the dialogue table so that they can find common solutions to shared problems.

In 2019, KAICIID’s Europe Region Programme started an annual conference, the European Policy Dialogue Forum (EPDF), which is going to be organized for the fifth time in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 7-9 November 2023 in partnership with the KAICIID-supported Network for Dialogue and the European Council of Religious Leaders / Religions for Peace Europe (ECRL/RfP) and the support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). This year, the Forum’s title is “Young People and Social Inclusion in Cities”. In preparation for the main Forum, the EPDF Expert Meeting with 20 experts, including more than 30% young people, took place in Lisbon on 28-29 March. Ahead of the Forum, three policy briefs on the three main tracks will be published, for which this research consultancy is offered.

The three themes discussed at the 5th EPDF are the role of young people in countering hate speech, amplifying the voices of young refugees and migrants and the role of religious actors towards enhancing participation and empowerment of young people. For each theme a policy brief is produced.

The role of young people in countering hate-speech – The rise of discriminatory language and xenophobic expressions - particularly online - are on the rise. The targets of hate speech include often religious actors, e.g. in the form of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred. Young people can play an important role in preventing and countering disinformation, defamation, stereotyping up to expressions of violence. As digital natives, young people are massive users and creators of online contents. The increasing isolation and loneliness, also as a consequence of COVID-19, amplifies worryingly the risk that young people fall in the traps of fake news, conspiracy theories and other forms of disinformation, exposing them to discriminatory language up to hate speech. In this dynamic, young people can be both victims and perpetrators of hate speech. By offering an inclusive emotional environment based on values of mutual understanding and respect, religious leaders and faith-based organizations may be particularly suitable to promote critical thinking among young people, as a way to prevent and counteract online hate speech. In scoping the main factors that drive hate speech among young people, the policy brief will provide suitable examples in European cities that can offer inspiration for a renewed engagement of young people in responding to hate speech, in cooperation with religious actors and local authorities.

Amplifying the voices of young refugees and migrants through interreligious and intercultural dialogue - Young refugees and migrants are particularly at risk of social and economic marginalization, often due to their religious and ethnic affiliations, adding further strain to the complexities related to their social inclusion. Urban planning, housing, education and employment policies at local level are critical towards providing spaces where young migrants and refugees can act and interact with their peers and with adults, so to create a sense of belonging that can prevent tensions and enhance social cohesion. Local policymakers, civil society organizations, the private sector and young migrants and refugees themselves would benefit greatly from a better understanding of the cultural and religious factors that could enhance the outcomes of their social inclusion efforts. Religious leaders and faith-based actors can act as catalysts of participation and mutual understanding, offering ways, opportunities and spaces where young migrants and refugees can express themselves, including through their own associations and movements. By scoping promising and inspirational experiences, the policy brief will explore the untapped potential for interreligious and intercultural dialogue in making the concerns and aspirations of young refugees and migrants heard and considered, so to make urban neighbourhoods a place where everyone feel belonging.

The role of religious actors towards enhancing participation and empowerment of young people. Increasingly in gentrified neighbourhoods and in cities’ peripheries, the sense of insecurity often stirred by the cultural, social and religious diversity of residents, generates suspicion and distrust, exacerbated by the growing precarity in the life trajectories of neighbours. The unequal power relations that young people experience in the home and the city results in an increasing sense of frustration and anger that amplifies the sense of ‘no longer fitting in’. The urban planning is usually based on adult understandings of space use, which does not always sit well with young people’s practices of re-appropriation and play, as they oscillate between the formal and informal use of space. Religious and faith-based spaces may offer a participatory environment, where young people can be active users and designers of their own spaces, providing the opportunity to rebuild connections at community level and feel safe in expressing themselves. In offering role models and environments inspired by values of understanding and respect, religious actors, especially young religious leaders, are particularly well placed to offer a positive emotional climate where young people can thrive. By taking stock of relevant experiences in urban areas, this policy brief will explore which type of religious leadership is needed to catalyse the positive engagement of young people – including those who consider themselves as non-believers - towards fostering communities where everyone feels belonging. In doing so, the paper will provide examples of inter-faith dialogue – particularly among young religious leaders – and cooperation with local policymakers that have proved fruitful and could possibly inspire further experiences in city neighbourhoods, particularly those characterized by the coexistence of different religious and cultural groups. 

Scope of Services

The Consultant will work remotely to conduct desk research and qualitative expert interviews with relevant stakeholders to elaborate a 5-6 pages policy brief on one of the three themes. The policy brief should provide the reader with insight into the challenges encountered and lessons learned from initiatives carried out over the last five years. It will map and discuss the most important initiatives and resources connected to the relevant topic across Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Europe, as well as the nature of such initiatives’ involvement of religion and religious actors. The policy brief will consider which initiatives have shaped public policy in European cities on this topic and how they have (or why they have not) managed to do so. It will analyse the most pressing gaps, challenges and needs, to come up with recommendations for policymakers and religious leaders seeking to work more effectively and collaboratively at city level. Importantly, the Consultant must provide in-depth and precise analysis based on the findings and the data.

Deliverables and Reporting

Specific deliverables include:

• Inception Report with proposed data collection and analysis methodology to be submitted within 5 working days and latest by 8 June, including a list of planned interviewees and draft questions they will be expected to answer;
• Carry out desk research, having also in mind the results of the EPDF Expert Meeting on 28-29 March 2023 in Lisbon;
• Conduct 15 expert interviews related to young people and social inclusion in European cities;
• Submit a draft policy brief of 5-6 pages (excluding the list of resources and references) including policy recommendations for policymakers and religious leaders by 31 July;
• Submit revised policy brief of 5-6 pages, incorporating the feedback delivered by selected experts and stakeholders, to be delivered by 31 August.
• Participation and presentation of the policy brief in the framework of in the 5th European Policy Dialogue Forum on 7-9 November 2023 in Rotterdam.
• Include changes identified during the discussions in Rotterdam and submit final version of the policy brief by 1 December.

Reporting directly and regularly to the supervisor designated by KAICIID, the Consultant shall submit the deliverables to KAICIID by email. All deliverables must be delivered in English. The consultant shall remain available for all necessary editorial revisions requested by KAICIID within a reasonable timeframe from the submission of the final draft. For the duration of the consultancy period, the Consultant will keep KAICIID informed of their activities on a regular basis.

Time and Place of Performance

The Consultant shall commence performance of the assignment remotely starting as early as possible with completion of the final policy brief by 1 December 2023.

Qualifications and experience

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, humanities or a related field;
• Proven track record of writing policy documents (add to CV with hyperlink);
• Having worked on youth policy in Europe for at least five years;
• Exposure to work with religious actors and importance of interreligious dialogue (desirable);
• Experience of working for an inter-governmental organization, such as the UN, or for international non-governmental organization (desirable);
• Excellent professional proficiency in English (verbal/written) with strong editorial skills, proficiency in other European languages is considered an asset;
• Commitment to highest ethical standards and human rights;
• Flexibility and ability to work in a pressured environment with strict deadlines;
• Strong ability to digest, analyse and synthesize information

Deadline for Applications

28 May 2023

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter in which you indicate the requested compensation for the expected 16 working days or give your daily rates. We encourage you to be as detailed as you can in your cover letter concerning how you would approach the assignment.

In your cover letter we ask you to outline your relevant previous experiences and include / refer to relevant previous written products for which you were in the lead. Clearly state which of the three themes you would be able to cover.

Please also indicate in your cover letter your availability to be present at the 5th EPDF on 7-9 November in Rotterdam, Netherlands. KAICIID will cover the costs of travel (economy), accommodation and meals on-site for attendees.

KAICIID is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply.