What is the EYFA collective?

We are a small collective of activists that supports an informal network of grassroots groups across europe in their approach to social and environmental justice.

EYFA strives for a world based on social, environmental and economic justice, in which people feel empowered to act and raise their voices on the issues that affect their lives. EYFA works to challenge the dominant neoliberal social and economic system, while developing new anti-authoritarian ways of organising our communities based on environmental and social sustainability. EYFA projects are mainly for young people, serving as a catalyst for action on local and international levels. A special focus is put on providing access for groups to take part in international grassroots social movements.

The collective consists of a team of staff and volunteers that runs a small office in Berlin. The office is organised collectively and non-hierarchically, meaning that all staff are expected to take an equal role in day-to-day tasks and decision-making processes. From watering the plant to writing reports, tasks are shared and rotated amongst all of those in the office. The office also functions as a ‘training ground’ for young people to develop skills, such as project coordination, fundraising and bookkeeping. Decisions are made by consensus.

Read more on our website https://eyfa.org

 

What do we do?

Each project we do is different and depends on the needs of the groups we are working with and their context. Projects can take the form of a gathering, a publication, an action or a full campaign. We encourage our members to find projects they are passionate about and bring them into the collective.

In the past we supported a diversity of groups and movements, like:
– Movement against house evictions in Córdoba, Spain (2014)
– Feminist environmental justice camp, Kiev, Ukraine (2015)
– various trainings and workshops against exclusion, internationally (2016)
– Gathering on building alliances against war, Potsdam, Germany (2017)

Besides full-on projects, the collective is there for counseling, networking, skillsharing and other forms of on-demand support for activists and groups in our network.

 

Working in the EYFA office:

EYFA office is based in Berlin, Kreuzberg. We generally work 32 hours per week, however some weeks around deadlines and projects can be very hectic and require extra hours whilst others in the immediate aftermath of these can be relatively light-going. We give ourselves 20 days of paid holiday per year.

Although our projects can take many forms, our key skills are in fundraising, and for this the basic procedures of application writing and report writing are crucial to our work. With us you can learn the procedures involved in acquiring funding and the general tasks of running an organisation, so don’t be put off if you don’t already have all the skills that we mention here. What we do ask for is self-intitiative, a willingness to get involved and a real commitment to tackling social justice issues from the grassroots.

The working language in the office is English. Our members travel to projects once a month or every two months. We only support land travel, thus, covering the distance to the project takes time.

We have small salaries that cover our basic living costs and insurance.

 

What does EYFA staff do?

The work of EYFA is a combination of conceptual and practical work involving different tasks such as developing project ideas, writing applications and reports, communicating with funders, participating in collective decision-making, organising meetings and financial management, in addition to answering phone calls, collecting post, and keeping the office tidy. To give you a clear idea about what the work consists of, we’ve divided the description into three inter-related parts:

1] Coordinating EYFA projects and activities:
Developing and organizing EYFA activities to support groups, projects and campaigns within the EYFA network and beyond. Each project done by EYFA can be quite different from the last. Coordinating an EYFA project or activity roughly includes following steps:
developing an idea/concept for a project and checking out possibilities, including finding partners, investigating logistics etc.
writing funding and co-funding applications, which requires careful attention to funder interests and creative and descriptive writing skills;
organising prep-meetings and arranging project logistics (meeting and accommodation space, food, travel arrangements etc);
communicating with prospective participants, which involves large amounts of emailing;
organising project finances, which includes making and updating spreadsheets, keeping a cashbox, reimbursing tickets and other expenses and keeping track of receipts to meet reporting requirements;
writing reports for the funders, which include both financial and narrative components: compiling receipts and tracking financial accounts for the project, describing project activities, ensuring all documentation (infobooks, posters etc) required by the funder are included in the report package etc.

2] Communication:
Communicating about EYFA and other projects to other networks/groups involves updating the website, writing the EYFA newsletter, preparing publications such as the annual report and communicating with various groups and individuals in the network. These things, besides keeping the network updated on EYFA activities, are used to disseminate general information on political activism, current issues, meetings and campaigns across the continent.

3] Running the EYFA office – Office Administration tasks:
Everyone in the EYFA office is expected to get involved with developing future plans for EYFA and to take part in running the office. Besides regular tasks such as checking and responding to emails, collective running of the EYFA office asks for joined efforts in administration:

• checking funder websites for calls for proposals and researching co-funding opportunities;
• writing funding applications and narratives and financial reports for EYFA office core activities;
• writing and publishing the EYFA annual report that covers all EYFA activities and projects;
• learning about, understanding and running the EYFA office finances;
• actively participating in collective decision-making within the office, particularly regarding EYFA projects, activities and finances;
• very good communication, close cooperation and mutual support for everyone in the collective.

 

Who are we looking for?

We would like to work with someone who has some experience in grassroots organizing, at least actively participating, is (or has been) involved in activist groups or collectives horizontally organized and still likes it. We cook and eat vegan lunches, so cooking skills are very welcome. Being able to travel often, or better, enjoying it, is something that makes this work more exciting. Speaking German makes it easier. Sharing our values, in particular solidary attitude, feminist or/and queer perspective is necessary.
A person open to learn, collaboratively and also autonomously, with no fear of LOTS of bureaucratic tasks, based in Berlin (or with easy options to move) is desirable. Minimum 2 year commitment preferred.

 

Interested?

Send us a short text telling about your experience and background until the 15th of September. We don’t necessary have to know about your formal education and diplomas, we are rather interested in your experience in grassroots organizing, activist’s groups, etc.
After going through the applications, we will invite a few applicants for an interview in the end of October or beginning of November. We would like you to be able to start working with us from November or December 2018.
Write to eyfa@eyfa.org indicating “Open position application” on the subject line. Contact us first if you need a PGP key for encrypted communication.