king in war zonesShe then interned with the InternationalLaw Commission in Geneva and was apolitical advisor on human rights andinternational law to the Australian AttorneyGeneral. Before joining the United Nations,she was also an attaché in the AustralianPermanent Mission to the UN.While winning a position in the UNis very competitive, the opportunitiesare significant for people who arereally committed.“Students who want to do this sortof work need to choose the relevantsubjects, get involved in groups oncampus and volunteer organisations,and build their personal knowledge andnetwork of contacts.”Since last year Kym has been aSpecial Assistant with the United NationsSupport Mission in Libya working with arange of UN agencies.Because of heavy fighting in Tripoli, theUN mission was evacuated to Tunisia inJuly where the humanitarian program isnow being coordinated.Risk is an every day part of the job, butKym tries not to worry. Her response to adifficult situation is to try and stay calm.It’s an approach that worked well inDarfur and Libya which posed quite differentyet equally confronting challenges.“The living conditions in Darfur werevery tough,” says Kym. “I slept outsideunder a mosquito net most nightsbecause it was too hot inside as there wasrarely electricity to run the air conditioners.“I was sick a lot of the time fromstomach bugs and infections, I showeredout of a bucket, and I lived with the risk ofbeing car jacked or kidnapped.”Libya was a different sort of challenge,living and working in the same UNcompound, travelling in armouredvehicles and adhering to strict curfews.The quality of living was much higherbut Kym faced the threat of heavy shellingand rockets flying over the compound.Despite the risks, she says it’s amazinghow normal life can be. Day-to-day livinggoes on, albeit with lots of rules andprocedures to follow.“You need to be very securityconscious, but for me the risks areoutweighed by the opportunities andsatisfaction of my work,” she says.“I’m grateful to have had the opportunityto work in very different countries andcultures because I’ve seen for myself thatwhile religion and politics can be verydifferent, fundamentally people are not.“Most people want the samethings – to live in peace and providefor their families.”Main image: in the desert near the border ofLibya and AlgeriaAbove: Kym attended an ANZAC Day dawnservice at the Commonwealth Cemetery in Tripoli|e University of Adelaide | Alumni Magazine 11
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