Rabab Ahmad, Ex-Policy Analyst for the United Nations looking for remote editing and writing gigs!

About

I am an English native speaker with fluency in 5 languages (Arabic, French, Spanish and Dutch). Having completed a BA degree from Oxford University in Linguistics and Modern Languages, I am passionate about literature and the complexity and intricacies of languages in general. I also hold an MA degree in Human Rights (with a focus on human displacement) and worked for 6 years at the United Nations' Agency for Migration (IOM) where I was responsible for the labour migration and social inclusion portfolio covering the European region. During my time at the UN, I developed expertise in the area of migration as well as very strong hard skills, including project development, project management, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation as well as excellent verbal and written communications skills. Since resigning from my post (in June 2022), I have become a certified Yoga Ashtanga instructor and Airbnb host. I am looking for remote work in editing and writing to complement my ongoing work as a yoga teacher and airbnb host. This will allow me to finally put my degree and passion for reading and writing to professional use! My other interests include: mixed martial arts, traveling to remote places, learning from people and their cultures, playing Bagammon and experimental cooking! On a personal level, I would describe myself as an easy-going, positive and disciplined person, rich with life experiences and stories to share.

Experience

United Nations - Migration Agency

Oct 2016 – Jun 2022

Brussels

Regional Thematic Specialist - Labour Migration and Social Inclusion (Europe)

• Ensure liaison with EU institutions, provide policy contributions and support advocacy efforts vis-à-vis the EU and other relevant stakeholders on Labour Migration and Social Inclusion (LMI) related areas, in line with IOM’s institutional position and policy developments. • Provide technical expertise and support to Country Offices (COs) in the development of programmes, including of EU-funded projects. The RO Brussels LHD portfolio comprises +80 projects across the EEA area, including a dozen EU-funded programmes. • Ensure knowledge-management of 30 IOM Country Offices (COs) on both internal and external developments in areas linked to LMI and transversal issues; including through the regular organization and delivery of thematic webinars, production and circulation of knowledge materials and policy analyses. • Build the capacity of COs through the development of regional tools and trainings; including most recently the development of a Private Sector Engagement Strategy for Migrant Workers’ protection in Supply-Chain Contexts and the development and delivery of a 9-module training programme on Labour migration and the Protection of Migrant Workers in Europe. • Provide strategic inputs to internal policy and institutional developments as relevant. • Manage the LMI team within RO Brussels.

International Refugee Trust

Aug 2016 – Sep 2016

London

Fundraising Assistant

• Assisted a team of 5 in administrative, organizational and coordination tasks. • Researched funding and framing strategies of NGOs in the UK addressing different faith groups and developed IRC's communication strategy to donors. • Updated social media content of IRT’s online platforms including its social media pages. • Created promotional and communication material addressing potential and actual donors. • Encoded and registered donors’ grants.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Mar 2015 – Sep 2015

Luxembourg

Protection Intern

• Monitored legal and policy developments on asylum matters in Luxembourg. • Produced a comparative analysis of past national legislation on the asylum procedure, Parliament’s draft legislation transposing the EU Directive 2013/32/EU and the EU Directive itself. My analysis was used by the Liaison Officer to prepare comments for review by the Luxembourgish Parliament . • Produced weekly news updates for internal use summarising local press coverage under strict deadlines and short word limits. • Researched and compiled information on legislation projects, parliamentary activities and local practices relative to migration and asylum in Luxembourg. • Organised World Refugee Day 2015 (created leaflet from scratch, liaised with all parties involved, drafted press releases, and acted as focal contact person between stakeholders). • Attended monthly meetings with local NGOs, Caritas and the ICRC and produced minutes thereof for my supervisor’s use. • Drafted reports, correspondences, briefing notes and talking points both for internal and external use. • Created an intern file detailing all activities to be performed by future interns to facilitate their transition. The file included fact sheets summarising key aspects of national legislations, asylum procedures and important statistics.

Secretaría Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (SENATEL)

Dec 2012 – Feb 2013

Ecuador, Quito

Translation intern

• Translated the 2012 report of Ecuador’s performance for the “World Summit of the Information Society” from Spanish to English. • Authored a comparative analysis of previous amendments in Ecuador’s “Organic Law of Telecommunications”. • Prepared minutes of weekly meetings for SENATEL’s Secretariat at the time, Dr. Ruben Leon. • Assisted the Secretariat in administrative work including book keeping, photocopying, drafting emails and filling out invoices.

Cabinet Maitland Hudson

Sep 2012 – Dec 2012

France, Paris

Translation Intern

•Translated legal documents from French to English and vice versa including contracts, pleadings, briefs and pieces of legislation. •Assisted two lawyers with administrative work including drafting letters, emails and reports; telephone reception and book keeping.

Education

University College London (UCL)

Sep 2015 – Sep 2016

Masters of Arts in Human Rights (Political Science Department), Human Rights, Policy, International Affairs, Migration and Displacement, Gender

University of Oxford

Sep 2010 – Jun 2014

Linguistics and Modern Languages (French), Sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, syntax, morphology, phonetics, phonology, philosophy, French literature, translation

La Sorbonne Paris-IV

Feb 2013 – Jun 2013

Erasmus exchange , Arabic Language, Literature, Economics, International Policy

Rabab Ahmad

Ex-Policy Analyst for the United Nations looking for remote editing and writing gigs!

Skills

Languages