The Better Care Network is seeking a consultant (40 days) to support the delivery of the next phase of a programme of engagement with the global travel and voluntourism sectors.
Background
The Better Care Network (www.bettercarenetwork.org), is part of a global cross-sector coalition called ReThink Orphanages (www.rethinkorphanages.org), working to prevent family separation and the unnecessary institutionalisation of children. It aims to do this by shifting the way countries in the global north engage with overseas aid and development.
Millions of children worldwide live in residential care institutions, often referred to as orphanages. Yet, most of these children – estimated to be about 80% - are not orphans and have parents or other family members who could care for them. Poverty is the main reason for children to be placed in residential care institutions by their families – often to access education and other services such as health care. However, decades of research show that living in residential care institutions is harmful to children, which is why there is a global effort to move away from this model of care as a response to poverty towards supporting and strengthening families and communities.
However, well-meaning support for orphanages - through donations, volunteering, tourist trips and faith-based mission work – is weakening the global care reform effort and perpetuating the cycle of children being separated unnecessarily from their families.
In November 2018, the Better Care Network launched a campaign (www.loveyougive.org) to discourage young people from volunteering in an orphanage, shining the spotlight on the problems with orphanages and the harmful effects of orphanage volunteering.
In recent years, ReThink Orphanages has engaged with several tourism and volunteer-sending organisations, with many of them having ceased orphanage volunteering and tourism trips. It is an encouraging sign that a growing number are taking this step, however a more strategic approach is now needed to ensure this continues without harm being caused to children. There is a risk that if organisations terminate their relationships without an exit strategy in place, it could leave children vulnerable.
Purpose
To facilitate the development of an orphanage volunteering divestment strategy in conjunction with travel sector actors to enable travel and volunteer-sending organisations to responsibly transition away from relationships with orphanages; and a framework for ethical volunteering and tourism to support children overseas, mapped to the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child and the SDGs.
Key activities
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Map the global travel and voluntourism sector to identify supply chains, stakeholder influence and relationships and opportunities for engaging with key stakeholders, e.g. conferences and forums.
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Convene a global task force of sector leaders to inform the development of a good practice model for divestment and a framework for ethical volunteering and tourism to support children overseas.
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Identify and engage sector leaders to become ambassadors for ReThink Orphanages; providing sector representation to the ReThink Orphanages global steering group and regional hubs (US, Europe and Australia) and leadership and influence within the travel sector to embed good practice.
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Develop a practical divestment resource to support travel and volunteer-sending organisations through the process of change for responsibly transitioning away from relationships with orphanages.
Key skills, knowledge and attributes
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Senior level experience of working in the global tourism sector, preferably with a sound knowledge of the voluntourism sector
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Child protection experience or proficient knowledge of child protection principles and issues
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Sound understand of concepts of ethics and ability to apply an ethics framework to travel sector issues.
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Excellent leadership and networking skills, ability to motivate, persuade and facilitate change.
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Demonstrable experiences of producing high quality written materials and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
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Excellent project and time management skills.
Knowledge and commitment to Better Care Network’s vision and mission and the core goals of the ReThink Orphanges Network.
Timescale
Six months (to be completed by September 2019)
Further information
For expressions of interest or further information please contact Justine Williams – justine.williams@bettercarenetwork.org