8 January 2024
Silvia
I work with words. Policy. The law. It can get frustrating at times because it can feel like you’re not getting anywhere, and if you are, it’s at an extremely slow pace.
My story of how I ended up working in mine action begins in Geneva when I was working at the Italian permanent mission. I was the focal point for GICHD, and I had a running joke with Stefano (GICHD’s Director). When we would meet to discuss funding among other topics, he’d say with a smile that 1 million Euros would be a good amount. I'd respond jokingly, ‘If I can secure 1 Million Euros in funding for the GICHD, can you get me a job there?!’.
For a very long time, I worked on disarmament issues on activities in and around Geneva. My work focused mainly on weapons of mass destruction: nuclear, biological, some chemical. Whenever I went to these meetings, I found them intellectually very interesting — it was like watching a game of chess. But despite finding them stimulating, I also acknowledged that they felt very remote and removed from everyday life.
What drew me to GICHD was that the area of work is very concrete, there is a lot of substance. I distinctly remember one of the GICHD speeches at the 2016 International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDM). The speaker described in depth, and very concisely, the relationship between mine action and broader efforts. This idea that mine action is an enabler for something so much larger, has stuck with me since then.
So...I didn’t end up generating 1 million in funding, but I did end up getting a job with the GICHD. Not much more than a month after my first day, I was in Ethiopia speaking with a regional conference meeting participant. They asked me how long I had been working, and when I told them that it had been four weeks since I started, they said “wow, from the way you speak, it sounds like you’ve been there forever”. That was a touching moment for me as it’s when I realised this role was right for me. I would be able to represent the GICHD and be proud to do so.
If I didn’t believe my job would help at least one person in their daily life, I wouldn’t be doing this — I'd be baking, then selling cakes all day. When I collaborate with national authorities, it reminds me that in some way, I'm part of a much bigger machine that helps people.
#TogetherAgainstMines