Why her understanding could never be mine, and mine could never be hers

When asked to contribute to ALNAP’s Annual Meeting blog series on relevance in humanitarian action, I felt compelled to share an experience that altered the way I perceive the world. It has created a conflict in my beliefs around how our present global society reacts to humanitarian crises.

In 2001, with no understanding nor experience in emergency management, conflict, international relations (or any other related disciplines for that matter), I was selected by the United Nations to act as an electoral officer for the presidential elections in East Timor. Back then, the possibility of being a humanitarian worker, was a distant dream and to say that I was prepared to face this challenge would have been a profound lie. And yet, I accepted the offer.