NGO Monitor Analysis (Vol. 3 No. 4) 15 December 2004

NGOs Advertise Positions in Middle East - Save the Children, Oxfam and HRW Seek New Staff

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A number of major NGOs with strong political agendas have recently advertised for key positions relating to their activities in the Middle East. Save the Children is seeking "a Field Officer Director (FOD) ( to maintain overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the operations of the West Bank/Gaza Field Office". Encouragingly, the job description states that "Knowledge of USAID regulations and experience in management of USAID funded programs… would be highly desirable", implying that SCF is receptive to the strict funding guidelines laid down by USAID, which include a pledge that NGOs will not engage in activity with groups deemed as terrorist, such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades.

Oxfam GB is currently advertising for a "Country Programme Manager Palestinian Territories/Israel" with a budget responsibility of up to £2,000,000 per annum. Key responsibilities for the suitable candidate include delivering "demonstrable impact through direct action and develop and apply advocacy strategies based on programme experience and outcomes in order to bring about policy and practice changes relating to Oxfam GB's regional aims." Oxfam states that "Fluency in Arabic is a clear advantage". Human Rights Watch (whose record of hiring highly politicized individuals to run its Middle East operations, includes employees such as Joe Stork and Sarah Leah Whitson), advertised for a Researcher on Israel/Palestine and Middle East/North Africa Advocacy. In June 2004, NGO Monitor called for transparency and accountability in HRW's hiring process. NGO Monitor noted that the criteria for the Israeli/Palestinian researcher required knowledge of Arabic, whereas Hebrew fluency was only "desirable". This suggested a preference for someone who is Arabic speaking and likely to be familiar with and sympathetic to the pro-Palestinian orientation that is already dominant at HRW. However, the details of the process by which applicants were screened remains hidden, and the identity and backgrounds of HRW's newest Middle East research personnel are far from transparent.