Anti-Racism Strategist for the NHJ

Call for Proposals

Sep 11, 2024

Location

Remote

Type

Part-Time / Full Time

Deadline

11th November 2024

Overview of the National Healing Journey

The National Healing Journey (NHJ) is a coalition of individuals, families, and organizations dedicated to ending intergenerational trauma within Afro-descendant communities across Canada. Our mission is to work with Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving organizations across the country to co-create a healthy Black ecosystem that supports the health and well-being of Afro-descendant individuals, families, and communities. The NHJ aims to unite the Afro-descendant community in the collective effort to heal the traumatic wounds associated with the enslavement experience in a post-colonial context, fostering a just, equitable, and thriving society.

Overview of the Becoming Project

The Becoming Project is a strategic multi-phase initiative under the NHJ, designed to end intergenerational trauma and promote the health of the Black ecosystem in Canada. Over the course of three years, the project will unfold across four key phases:

Building the National Round Table: Mobilizing Black-led, Black-focused, Black-serving organizations across Canada to form a strong coalition that uses a coordinated approach to co-create a national strategy for building a healthy Black ecosystem.
Individual & Communal Healing: Providing unhindered access to individual trauma recovery journeys and organizing an annual Truth and Reconciliation Jubilee that supports communal healing.
National Social Awareness Campaign: Designing and implementing a national social awareness campaign focused on normalizing trauma recovery at the individual, family, and community levels. Production of the Becoming Show, a docuseries that exposes the Canadian audience to the healing journey of 7 individuals, 7 families, and 1 entire community over a 3-year period.
Train, Monitor & Evaluate Impact: Train 151 trauma recovery specialists in every province supporting diverse but especially Afro-descendant communities with unhindered access to Afro-centric trauma recovery care. Continuous assessment of impact and refinement of strategies for sustainable change.

Consultant Role: Evaluation Specialist (1 – 3 Year Contract)

Position Description

The NHJ seeks an experienced and visionary Anti-Racism Strategist for a consulting role lasting 1-3 years. This consultant will design and implement comprehensive anti-racism strategies that align with the NHJ’s mission to heal intergenerational trauma and build a healthy Black ecosystem. The Anti-Racism Strategist will collaborate closely with the National Change Management & Mobilization Strategist, Healthy Ecosystem Pathway Strategist, Evaluation Specialist, and Social Awareness Campaign Specialist, ensuring seamless integration of anti-racism efforts into all aspects of the Becoming Project.

Key Responsibilities:

Designing and Implementing Anti-Racism Strategies

1. - Strategic Development: Formulate and implement multifaceted anti-racism strategies targeting overt and covert racism at the individual, institutional, and societal levels. These strategies should align with the NHJ’s mission to heal intergenerational trauma and promote systemic change.
  - Integration with the Becoming Project: Embed anti-racism initiatives into every phase of the Becoming Project. This includes incorporating anti-racism education, practices, and policies into the healing processes, community engagement activities, and the project’s public awareness campaigns.

Supporting the End Race of Wars

Promoting Racial Healing and Reconciliation: Facilitate and lead dialogues and initiatives designed to promote racial healing and reconciliation both within and across communities. Create safe spaces for honest conversations about race, historical injustices, and the path to healing, aiming to foster mutual understanding and solidarity across different racial and ethnic groups.
Addressing Systemic Racism: Focus on identifying and dismantling systemic racism within institutions and structures that affect Afro-descendant communities. Work to influence policy changes, promote equity in resource distribution, and advocate for reforms that challenge racial disparities in areas such as education, healthcare, employment, and the criminal justice system.

Advancing Anti-Racist Education and Awareness

Educational Campaigns: Develop and lead educational campaigns aimed at raising awareness about the impacts of racism and the importance of anti-racist practices. Target various audiences, including policymakers, community leaders, educators, and the general public, to cultivate a deeper understanding of racism’s historical and contemporary manifestations.
Intersectional Approach: Ensure that all educational and awareness efforts are inclusive of various identities and experiences, particularly those of marginalized groups within the Afro-descendant community.

Building Alliances and Collaborative Networks

Coalition Building: Build and fortify strategic alliances between Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving organizations, as well as other anti-racism movements across Canada and globally, to amplify the collective impact and foster a unified against racial injustice.
Engaging with Policymakers: Work closely with policymakers at local, provincial, and national levels to advocate for anti-racist policies and legislation. By influencing policy changes, help create systemic shifts that contribute to dismantling racism at its core.

Supporting Trauma-Informed and Culturally Sensitive Approaches

Healing Racial Trauma: Ensure that all anti-racism initiatives are trauma-informed and culturally sensitive, acknowledging the deep psychological and emotional scars caused by racism. Integrate healing practices that address racial trauma within the broader context of the Becoming Project’s initiatives.
Empowering Communities: Provide Afro-descendant communities with the tools, resources, and support needed to resist racism and advocate for their rights. This includes leadership development programs, community organizing training, and opportunities for civic engagement.

Contributing to Global Anti-Racism Movements

Global Advocacy: Actively engage with global anti-racism movements, contributing insights and strategies from the NHJ and Becoming Project to the international discourse on race and racism. Facilitate cultural exchange programs to build solidarity between Afro-descendant communities worldwide.
Cultural Exchange and Solidarity: Facilitate cultural exchange programs and initiatives that foster solidarity between Afro-descendant communities in Canada and those in other parts of the world. This global perspective should help build a unified movement against racism, transcending national boundaries and contributing to the broader goal of ending humanity’s race wars.

Required Expertise:

Comprehensive Anti-Racism Strategy Development: Proven experience in designing and implementing anti-racism strategies at individual, institutional, and societal levels, particularly within marginalized communities.
Racial Healing and Reconciliation: Expertise in facilitating dialogues and initiatives that promote racial healing, reconciliation, and mutual understanding between diverse racial and ethnic groups.
Policy Advocacy and Systemic Change: Strong background in advocating for anti-racist policies and legislation, with experience in influencing systemic change within institutions and structures.
Coalition Building and Collaborative Networking: Demonstrated ability to build and strengthen alliances between various organizations and movements to create a unified front against racial injustice.
Trauma-Informed and Culturally Sensitive Approaches: Deep understanding of trauma-informed care and culturally sensitive practices, particularly in addressing racial trauma and empowering communities.
Global Anti-Racism Engagement: Experience in engaging with global anti-racism movements and contributing to international discourse on race and racism.

Submission Guidelines

Interested candidates or consulting firms are invited to submit a detailed proposal by November 11, 2024. Proposals should be sent to becomingproject@nationalhealingjourney.com and must include the following components:

Overview of the Consulting Company or Person (150 words max): Provide a summary of the company or individual, including relevant experience and expertise.
Alignment with NHJ’s Mission, Vision, and Objectives (150 words max): Demonstrate how the consultant or consulting firm’s vision and mission align with the NHJ’s goals.
Understanding of the Becoming Project (150 words max): Provide evidence of understanding the need for the Becoming Project and its impact, particularly in the context of dismantling systemic racism and promoting racial healing.
Capacity for Anti-Racism Strategy Development (250 words max): Outline the capacity to develop and implement comprehensive anti-racism strategies that are integrated with the NHJ and Becoming Project’s broader initiatives.
Experience in Coalition Building and Policy Advocacy (250 words max): Detail your experience in building coalitions and advocating for policy changes that challenge racial injustice and promote equity.
Capacity to Undertake the Project (250 words max):
- Organizational and Financial Capacity: Demonstrate the ability to manage complex, large-scale projects with a particular focus on collaborative settings. Highlight your ability to effectively allocate resources, manage risks, and ensure financial stability.
- Experience with Priority Populations: Highlight experience working with Afro-descendant or similar populations.
- Project Management and Results: Provide examples of successful project management and the achievement of results, particularly in anti-racism initiatives.
Proposed Timeline and Milestones (1 page diagram): Provide a timeline with key milestones and reporting intervals to demonstrate how you will manage and track progress, accounting for the four phases of the Becoming Project.
References and Case Studies (150 words max): Include references and case studies from similar projects to verify your experience and effectiveness in anti-racism strategy development.
Proposed Budget & Financial Stability Documentation: Submit documentation or evidence of financial stability to ensure your ability to manage the project without risk of financial shortfalls.
Partnerships and Collaboration (150 words max): If applicable, describe any partnerships or collaborations with other organizations that will enhance the proposal’s effectiveness and broaden its impact, especially in the context of coalition building and global engagement.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs: 150 words max): Propose KPIs that will measure the success of your work and align with the project’s goals, ensuring these are developed collaboratively with NHJ stakeholders.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria:

- Relevant Experience and Expertise (30%)
- Alignment with NHJ’s Mission and Vision (15%)
- Capacity for Strategic Campaign Development and Innovation (25%)
- Capacity and Experience with Priority Populations (15%)
- Proposed Timeline and Milestones (10%)
- Proposed Budget & Financial Stability (5%)
- Clarity and Completeness of Proposal (5%)

Eligibility

Only Canadian organizations or individuals with relevant experience in the Canadian context may submit proposals under this solicitation. Individuals must be legally able to work in Canada without restrictions. may submit proposals under this solicitation.

Pre-Submission Information Session

To assist potential applicants, NHJ will host a pre-submission webinar on Wednesday, September 18th, 202 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM EST. This session is designed to clarify expectations, provide an overview of the project, answer questions, and offer guidance to ensure high-quality submissions on the submission process. Attendance is highly recommended.

Submission Deadline

The deadline for submission is November 11, 2024, at 11:59 pm EDT. Applications should be submitted to becomingproject@nationalhealingjourney.com. Late submissions will not be considered. Please allow for enough time to fully complete and submit your proposal. Applications should be submitted to becomingproject@nationalhealingjourney.com.

We look forward to receiving your proposal. Together, we aim to heal historical wounds and create lasting change within Afro-descendant communities.