What motivated you to enter the world of safety and security?
From a young age, I had been introduced to NGO work by my mother, a long-time NGO staffer and even longer-time activist. As a project manager, she took me to Aceh in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, where I witnessed the devastating effects the natural disaster and war had on the community. I also saw the significance of what the programs provided, not only in direct aid, but also in development, governance, and conflict resolution following the cessation of the civil war. But most importantly, I witnessed the resilience and mental fortitude of people, their abilities to smile and joke as they worked to rebuild their homes. My mother took me to civil rights protests, anti-war protests during the Iraq and Afghan wars, and to forums with communities whose rights were limited by the state.
Before knowing about the SSMS program, I had already been made aware of crisis and disaster management, the importance of human security and peacebuilding, and the role of the state as both the provider of security for some and the driver of insecurity for others. While I initially had no interest in the world of safety and security, I saw an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of issues that I already cared about with the SSMS course in a way other courses could not provide.
Where and when did you complete your internship? What was your focus?
In 2024, I completed a year-long internship with the Human Security Collective, an NGO in The Hague. I was taken on to write a report for the Civic Horizons project, where seven groups of actors throughout the MENA region conducted participatory action researches in their local communities. In writing the report, I interviewed local coordinators and actors who communicated their experiences in conducting the research, gaining a deeper understanding of the struggles they faced and the lengths they went through to tell their communities’ stories. Hearing their stories and the gratitude they had towards HSC for the platform and training they were given gave me a sense of purpose and reminded me why I wanted to work in this sector. In these interviews, I found inspiration for my thesis, being the financial resilience of NGOs that work in these contexts.
What were some highlights of your internship?
The SSMS program trains students to be professionals, providing a bird’s-eye perspective of many issues and a deep understanding of mechanisms and theories. However, being able to communicate and work with groups on the ground who have suffered firsthand from the drivers of insecurity provides a deep human connection to the reasons why the study is so important; a feeling that is difficult to ascertain in a classroom.
In the first month of the internship, I was invited to attend a workshop with the local coordinators and participants of the Civic Horizons project in Tunisia, where they shared their experiences with the project thus far. They shared with us their frustrations in implementations and worries going forward, yet at no point did I feel a sense of doubt that the work they were doing was important and necessary. They would tell us about the suppression and threats they faced, and were still able to sing songs and laugh about their shared experiences and struggles. Being able to work alongside truly passionate people from these communities and the HSC staff, individuals who care deeply about their work and do so knowing that their efforts lead to positive change, was the most fulfilling part of the internship.
Where are you now and what are you doing next? How do the skills you developed during the internship and your studies contribute to what you do now/your future plans?
After graduation, I had the opportunity to work with the HIVOS-affiliated organisation Humanis in Indonesia for a few months. I was able to get more experience conducting program management, combining the tools and theories learned during my time in SSMS and experience from HSC to assist in managing a civic space monitoring project. While my time at HSC provided experience in conducting a section of a project, my time at Humanis gave me experience in management, administrative, and organisational roles. Since ending the contract with Humanis, I have returned to the Netherlands to search for employment in the non-governmental sector.