New Inspiration has come to Palestine

New inputs have come to Palestinian partner organisations. Ane, Camilla and Amy are ActionAid Denmark's new Inspirators in the West Bank.

From the left: Ane, Camilla & Amy.

Three talented women have come to Palestine to share their skills with local organisations working with youth issues. Ane Sommer Knudsen (26), Camilla Holm-Jensen (30) and Amy Elizabeth Ward (29) all arrived in Palestine between July and September, but are already well into their work as Inspirators for ActionAid Denmark.

It is not only their job title and commitment to development issues that these three women have in common. In spite of their young ages, the three of them already hold significant experience in their respective fields. And with so different backgrounds as political science, development studies and law, the three of them have all gathered their expertise and brought it to the West Bank. Here they are providing local organisations with inputs on capacity building.

The Inspirator is part of ActionAid Denmark’s goals to create direct contacts of solidarity to inspire people to act themselves. So, who are the Inspirators? An Inspirator has previous experience from developing or newly industrialized country, experience that will be used to inspire, provide capacity building input and give an outside perspective to the local partner organization they are placed to work with.

Translation of experiences
“It is incredibly fulfilling using my skills this way”, Amy Ward says, about her work with the organization, the Students' Forum Institute in Bethlehem, who are implementing projects all over the West Bank. She has been a lawyer for seven years working in the private sector, before she decided to transfer her skills and knowledge to development issues. “I believe my skills provide a fresh perspective to the organisation”, she explains, “You might want to call it a translation of experiences“.

And it is exactly this outside perspective and transfer of new ideas that is essential for the Inspirator program. Ane, Camilla and Amy are working with different organisations, that all share ActionAid's overall vision of youth participation as an important mechanism for social change. The Inspirators are placed to boost the organisations and help them focus, re-think or simply being better at implementing specific activities through shared learning and critical reflection.

Ane is working with Sharek Youth Forum and PCPD (Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy) to increase the youth's voices in decision-making through local councils. Camilla is placed with the initiative Madrasati to booster the creative ework of a  needs-driven educational programs in public schools.

ActionAid Denmark’s Inspirator programme was launched in 2008 as a part of the People for Change Strategy, which aims to provide cross-national solidarity and capacity building in new and creative ways. One of these is by supplying traditional development workers with more diversified and innovative personnel categories.

If  you are interested in getting inspired while inspiring people with your work, please apply online at http://ims.actionaid.dk