I’ve just concluded nearly a year working as a Program Officer at the UN Special Envoy for Yemen office, under the leadership of Hans Grundberg. It was a demanding and formative experience, made richer by working closely with my supervisor, the courageous Libyan human rights defender Zahra Langhi. Grateful for the experience, the colleagues, and the opportunity to contribute during an important period for Yemen.
Since the appointment of the first UN envoy for Yemen in 2012, several envoys have taken on this demanding mandate. As a journalist, I spent years closely covering their work. That perspective deepened in 2018, when I served as a fellow at the UN Security Council—an opportunity to observe firsthand how global decisions are shaped, negotiated, and often diluted behind closed doors.
Working under the leadership of Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg was a particularly meaningful experience. As a Swedish citizen, I shared a cultural frame of reference that helped me better understand his leadership style, diplomatic instincts, and approach to mediation.
Working at the Special Envoy’s Office during one of the most critical moments for Yemen, I sought each day to translate Yemeni realities into policy language—without dulling their urgency. Above all, I worked to expose the cost of inaction: the price Yemenis continue to pay when diplomacy stalls and accountability fades.
I do not see human rights advocacy, external critique/analysis, and working from within institutions as contradictory paths, but as complementary ones. My journey—from journalism to formal policy spaces—has shown me that while global institutions offer real opportunities to influence decision-making, they must remain closely connected to human realities. Even the most well-intentioned systems risk becoming bureaucratic and detached if they are not continually grounded in people’s lived experiences and reminded of the human cost of silence.
As I look ahead, I’m eager to apply these lessons in new opportunities and roles that value principled analysis and impact.
Working under the leadership of Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg was a particularly meaningful experience. As a Swedish citizen, I shared a cultural frame of reference that helped me better understand his leadership style, diplomatic instincts, and approach to mediation.
Working at the Special Envoy’s Office during one of the most critical moments for Yemen, I sought each day to translate Yemeni realities into policy language—without dulling their urgency. Above all, I worked to expose the cost of inaction: the price Yemenis continue to pay when diplomacy stalls and accountability fades.
I do not see human rights advocacy, external critique/analysis, and working from within institutions as contradictory paths, but as complementary ones. My journey—from journalism to formal policy spaces—has shown me that while global institutions offer real opportunities to influence decision-making, they must remain closely connected to human realities. Even the most well-intentioned systems risk becoming bureaucratic and detached if they are not continually grounded in people’s lived experiences and reminded of the human cost of silence.
As I look ahead, I’m eager to apply these lessons in new opportunities and roles that value principled analysis and impact.
