JPO Stories
The 10 questions JPO Quiz: Caroline Horekens
Caroline Horekens is a Belgium JPO currently working with UNIFEM in Ecuador
1. Name
Caroline Horekens
2. Duty Station
UNIFEM Andean Region Ecuador
3. Where are you from?
Easy answer: Belgium and... a little bit of here, there and everywhere I have lived! Although my parents are Belgian/British, I was born in Brazil (Sao Paulo) and am thankful to my globe-trotting parents who, through their business career, gave me (as well as my brother and sister) the amazing opportunity of growing up in Latin America, Africa, the US, Australia and Asia before heading to live in Europe for the first time at the age of eighteen in order to study at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, in Belgium.
4. What did you study?
I studied Economics but have always had a passion for political science and international affairs - therefore with my economics major in my pocket I undertook a Masters in International Relations. Using precious university summers to do internships in international organizations was an invaluable opportunity to get a glimpse at the "real world" while I studied, and only accentuated my thirst to pursue a career in the development world!
5. What were your pre-JPO professional experiences?
I started off (like many!:-) by doing an internship at the UN in New York (at the council of the EU to the UN in Sep. 2002). This internship was an amazing opportunity to work on Security Council affairs - which was a unique, fast-paced, exciting time which catapulted deep into the issues that I have always loved (governance, peace and conflict, international negotiations, human rights, etc.). Thanks to my acquired experience on African conflicts and political affairs I was sent to Kenya, Nairobi in 2003 to work as consultant with the Secretary General's Panel of Experts on Somalia (yet another formidable experience!). My next step was as a consultant on a couple of UNIFEM East Africa projects (peace and security) and from there I went back to Brussels in 2004 where I worked in an EU international relations think tank (EIAS) for a year. As the desire to work for the UN and be back out in the field never dies out - when I saw the opportunity to apply for a JPO in February 2005 I was overjoyed. Obviously I was even happier to be landing in the gorgeous Andean city of Quito on the 29th of September this new adventure as a JPO.
6. What do you do as a JPO?
I am coordinating the Governance section for UNIFEM's Andean Sub-regional Office, which in a nutshell basically means that I am in charge of the governance and democracy-building projects in Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. We work with a variety of stakeholders who range from grass-roots civil society groups to government authorities and international cooperation partners in the strengthening of the political participation of women leaders throughout the sub-region.
7. Five random words that come to your head about your first year as a JPO
Enriching, exciting, responsibility, non-stop, cooperation.
8. Most enriching professional achievement so far?
It is a difficult question to answer because on the one hand, I could say that for example a highlight of my first year as a JPO was drafting a proposal and winning an UNDEF (United Nations Democracy Fund) grant for Ecuador, but then again, more basic, every-day examples like participating in meetings of local rural women leaders who are happy to achieve their goals thanks in part to our assistance and effort is just as rewarding!
9. Future steps?
I definitely wish to continue working in the United Nations, in the areas of political affairs, peace and security and Human Rights. There are so many parts of the world where I would love to work that I myself am excited at the prospect of not knowing exactly where I will be headed next!
10. Words of advice to future JPOs?
Definitely the best advice I can give to all "young" professionals embarking on this experience is to be open, respectful, tolerant and understanding with everyone that you work with. This is a unique learning experience and we must work hard at accomplishing the tasks that we have been given and which we love, but we must never lose sight of the fact that we are still learning and that therefore whether a JPO is speaking with a hard-working indigenous farmer in the field or with a high-ranking government official or an intern in the office, we must always give the same respectful attention and listen to everybody's needs.
A last little piece of advice: working with a smile never hurt anybody.
