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

Fiona O’Brien, foreign correspondent, UN press officer, academic

Fiona O'Brien began her career as a district reporter on the Kent and Sussex Courier before moving to Reuters. She spent several years as a foreign correspondent based in Africa and the Middle East, reporting on conflicts and post-conflict societies including Iraq, Sudan, the DRC and Madagascar. She was a consultant editor for the United Nations in Khartoum, and spent three years as editor of London-based Gulf States News. She now lectures in journalism at Kingston University.

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 different routes to entry. Furthermore, 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 Practitioner series seeks to allow students to listen and speak to a selection of high-level experts working in these fields, and address key issues and questions. The seminars which take place during the Lent term, are 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 part of the session will introduce the speaker, chaired by a discussant from CGHR , and will open up to the audience in the second portion of the evening to provide the opportunity for students to engage with the topics discussed.