CGHR Expert Practitioner Series: Working in Human Rights, Peacebuilding, Humanitarian Aid and Development

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• Mona Sadek, International Committee of the Red Cross
• Wednesday 22 May 2013, 17:00-18:30
• ARC Cafe, Ground Floor, Alison Richard Building, Sidgwick Site, 7 West Rd, CB3 9DT.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Annette LaRocco.

The Centre of Governance and Human Rights (CGHR) has launched a practitioner seminar series, partnering with expert speakers from key organisations to delve into the gritty realities of what working in field like human rights and international development really involves.

Mona Sadek is deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission in the United Kingdom and Ireland. She engages with political, military and non-government contacts on a range of issues related to the ICRC ’s humanitarian work in armed conflict and other situations of violence. In 2011 Mona was deployed to Libya to lead the ICRC ’s protection operations there. Previously she was responsible for all programmes in Afghanistan involving protection of the civilian population, detention visits and the restoration of family links. She has also worked with the ICRC in Gaza, Liberia, Serbia, Montenegro and Jordan. She joined the ICRC in 2002 after completing an MA in human rights in London, having worked in the field of human rights in Cairo.

The sphere of work known variously as the ‘Third Sector’, ‘Development and Humanitarian Aid’ or simply – doing good in tough places – is notoriously impenetrable, and frustratingly difficult to navigate for the uninitiated. For somebody hoping to pursue a career within this field, the range of agencies and institutions, initiatives and centres is at the very least bewildering. Most areas intersect, and organisations work with an array of crosscutting issues and contexts. Yet what at first glance can appear to be a morass of very similar organisations doing generally related things, is in fact often sharply delineated, with different sectors requiring surprisingly different competencies and operating under quite specific mandates. Working as an international human rights advocate would demand a different skill set and working environment from a project officer of a first phase emergency response – and both would have relatively different routes to entry. And a Master’s degree isn’t always the best option. Cambridge University educates and trains many of the best young minds in the country and provides a critical insight into the issues surrounding international politics, security, development and humanitarianism. But with little clarity around what is involved in working in this sector, attempting to translate this theoretical knowledge into a meaningful start to a career can be a minefield. With this in mind, the CGHR series will allow students to listen and speak to a selection of high-level experts working in these fields, and address key issues and questions. There will be two one-and-a-half hour seminars throughout Easter 2013, designed to equip students with an in-depth and critical look at what each area involves; the type of work carried out, contingent challenges and essential competencies. The first hour will introduce the speaker, chaired by a discussant from CGHR , and will open up to the audience in the second hour to provide the opportunity for students to engage with the topics discussed. The event will be followed by a drinks reception.

This talk is part of the Centre of Governance and Human Rights Events series.

This talk is included in these lists:

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• Economics and Philosophy
• Gem's List
• The Audrey Richards Annual Lecture in African Studies
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