12 April 2024
Lubna
It was a rigorous two-week training, we would start at eight in the morning. It was intense. I’ve been participating in Arab Regional Cooperation Programme training for mine action, and the most inspiring training I have been to was by far on Gender Diversity Equality and Inclusion in Lebanon — every participant had a voice.
It struck me as in my previous experiences, I noticed the widely known misconception that mine action is a male dominated field. While there, I observed countless expert women from the region. There was confidence. They know what they’re talking about. It showed me that, no! — mine action is no longer a male dominated field, and the stereotypes are no more! There is still a way to go, however having the element of a common language played a huge part in this experience for me. This factor broke the ice for everyone.
For those two weeks, I listened to participants from Lebanon, Yemen, Libya, Mauritania, and other countries in the region, exchanging with each other using common references, cultural background, history, language, which naturally created a safe and trusting environment. By providing the know-how in the local language of the region, if this means conducting a training in the local language, or translating a resource in the local language such as an IMAS, then this is seen as a gem. Language is an important factor for building trust with our stakeholders in the region. No matter how much we translate, there are things which will be lost in translation. The original which is not if your language will always be the second-best option.
#TogetherAgainstMines