Fulbright scholar from Syria 2004 -2006 UN Foundation Fellowship at the DPA –UNHQ- NYC 2006
I returned from the US during the war on Lebanon in 2006. I joined my mother organization United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Syria, and I worked on helping the Lebanese refugees in Syria during that emergency.
Currently I am working with the UNHCR as Protection Consultant in the Gulf region based in Kuwait . This job involves traveling around the Gulf region whenever needed to interview asylum seekers and decide on their eligibility to become refugees. It involves community service and community building, negotiations and ongoing networking with government officials, NGOs and the private sector trying to provide protection and the best assistance possible to people of concern to UNHCR.
I have earlier worked with UNHCR in Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, and also in Central Asia. In addition to following up with refugees concerns, I am in charge of organizing trainings and workshops on capacity building for government officials in the region regarding refugee law, International law and Human rights. These trainings aim at better understanding of the refugee’s issues and more awareness by the government officials and local NGOs about the UN work in order to reach a high level of cooperation to reduce the suffering of the vulnerable groups in the society.
Most recently we finished a training on Age, Gender and Diversity mainstreaming that was attended by UNHCR professionals from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi; officials from the Kuwaiti authorities also attended.
In March ‘07, I will be a resource person (together with colleagues from Geneva and the regional office in Saudi) in training on refugee law for officials of the Kuwaiti government.
In my work with the UN and in my training activities, I work on implementing and educating about restorative justice and conflict transformation, the skills that I learned at CJP. I also use the socio-political analysis skills that were highly empowered during my fellowship at the Department of Political Affairs at the UN HQ in NYC.