NOHA INTERNSHIP REPORT

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NOHA INTERNSHIP REPORT

Student: Clara Miralles Vila

Home University: University of Groningen

Host University: Universidad de Deusto

NOHA Internship Coordinator: Dr. Talita Cetinoglu

Insternship Provider: Information and Research Centre – King Hussein Foundation

7 Ibrahim Al Bajouri St. Sweifieh – Amman, Jordan

+962 (6) 5866060 | +962 (6) 5866070

http://irckhf.org/en

Internship Supervisor: Jude Sajdi, Head of Research

Placement Dates: 26 January – 31 May 2020

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Introduction

I strongly believe in the importance of evidence-based planning and decision-making. I also believe that knowledge is the first step for social change, and information and research is key to provide adequate support to individuals, families and communities. Therefore, I wanted to find an internship in the area of social research for policy and planning. I found about the Information and Research Centre – King Hussein Foundation (IRCKHF) thanks to my exchange programme at the German Jordanian University (GJU) in Amman, Jordan. It was one of the potential placement providers offered in the field training course. The IRCKHF is a research centre that conducts multidisciplinary research on social issues that affect Jordan, including early marriage, gender roles, rights of the child, and women empowerment, among others, and advocates for positive social change.

I had some experience doing research in the humanitarian sector, which I had very much enjoyed so far. The opportunity to join the IRCKHF and conduct research on social issues in the context of Jordan while living there was thus perfectly fitting my interests. Furthermore, my background was on quantitative methods, so expanding my horizons into qualitative research was an added value of the placement. Finally, I was aware that the centre had conducted projects for renowned international organisations, such as the Oversee Development Institute, the Norwegian Refugee Council, or various UN agencies, which reassured me that the quality of their work was potentially very good.

As part of my exchange at the GJU during the previous semester I had to carry out a 125h internship. The IRCKHF was included in the list of potential placement providers. I applied for the position and got accepted, so I worked for them part-time for three months. I really enjoyed the experience, so I decided to apply for a full-time internship after I finished my semester at the GJU. My supervisor and the organisation were happy with my work and accepted to have me on board for two more months.

Since I had some experience working for the centre already, I had a good picture of the kind of tasks I would be carrying out. Nonetheless, as I would work full-time I was expecting to have more responsibilities and have a bigger role in some of the different projects that were being conducted.

The Internship Organisation

The Information and Research Centre – King Hussein Foundation is a Jordanian organisation that aims to bring socio-economic transformation in Jordan and the Middle East through research, information and dissemination of knowledge. The organisation was founded in 1996 as part of the National Task Force for Children and became a separate entity in 2001.

Their work revolves around three pillars: Equality and Justice, Social Cohesion and Civil Society Empowerment. Through objective multidisciplinary research and analysis, the organisation promotes the welfare of children, youth, women, families, communities, and vulnerable

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groups. The research that they conduct is addressed at practitioners, policy makers and advocates to enable effective socio-economic planning and decision-making.

Tasks & Activities of the Internship

My position at the IRCKHF was Research Assistant Intern. As part of the IRCKHF research team, I worked on different stages of the research cycle: research design, data processing and analysis, and reporting results. This included desk review, analysis of qualitative data and report writing. I could not carry out primary data collection due to the language barrier, although I was invited to accompany the researches on their fieldwork to learn about the process. The objectives of the placement were: 1. Become acquainted with the IRCKHF working environment and the topics and research projects that the organisation carries out. 2. Gain in-depth understanding on the Jordanian context and some of the major social issues and challenges in the country.

3. Be exposed to the different stages of research cycle and gain work experience in a research institution with focus on human rights and social issues.

My main tasks and responsibilities were the following: 1. Assist in the research and write up of desk/literature reviews for upcoming projects on topics including masculinities and gender roles, adolescence, and radicalization and violent extremism. 2. Assist in the analysis of qualitative research, including coding of data and pulling out thematic issues.

3. Assist in the write up of qualitative research final reports.

4. Assist in the write up of proposals to secure future grants.

5. Assist in fieldwork and data collection when applicable.

During the internship, I conducted the following activities for different projects: • Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) GAGE is a nine-year longitudinal and evaluation global study on adolescent well-being in low and middle income countries lead by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). The IRCKHF is its partner organisation conducting the research in Jordan.

I worked on the data analysis of several in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted with adolescents living in Azraq refugee camp (Syrian refugees) and Gaza refugee camp (Palestinian refugees). In addition, I contributed to the write up and revision of an academic paper on the results from the Azraq camp and a book chapter on the results from Gaza camp that will be published in the near future.

• Final reports of assessment projects

I supported the writing up and revision of reporting reports for different assessment projects. These included an assessment of the presence of community-based organisations working

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5 with youth and women in Ajloun governorate, and an assessment report on radicalisation and violent extremism among Jordanian and Syria refugee youth in Jordan. • Desk reviews I worked on different desk reviews for different projects. These included projects on the topics of masculinities and gender roles, gender-based violence, and gender-based violence against women with disabilities. • Project proposals I supported the writing and revision of project proposals for research on child marriage and the impact of COVID-19 on gender roles. • HAQQI Information Zone

Haqqi is a knowledge platform created by the IRCKHF in 2014 to provide open access to legislation, research, and media about human rights issues in Jordan and the Middle East. I helped to keep the platform updated by regularly uploading relevant reports and documents related to human rights in Jordan and the region.

• Attendance to conferences

As part of the internship I attended the International Women’s Day Conference on 2 March organised by the Embassies of Canada, Australia, Sweden and Denmark, as well as the webinar ‘Prevention Measures and Management of COVID-19 in Refugee Settings: Global and Local Perspectives’ organised by the Columbia Global Centers Amman.

Supervision

I am really pleased with the supervision I have received from the organisation, and I am particularly thankful to my supervisor and IRCKHF’s head of research Jude Sajdi. The internship has helped me learn and gain different skills step by step. It has been a gradual learning process in which I have progressed from being assigned small tasks at the beginning to being given more responsibilities and independence at the end. In addition, I have been encouraged to take part in additional activities for my own learning benefits, such as attending conferences and taking some time for my master thesis research. I was also invited to accompany the researchers to the fieldwork to see and understand better how they conduct interviews with vulnerable groups.

I was assigned different tasks on a weekly basis from my supervisor. The amount of work was always appropriate – I never felt overwhelmed neither left without anything to do. If I had a problem in any of the projects, I could always reach for help and would always find my supervisor’s support. I felt that my work was greatly valued, that I was being trusted, and that I was considered as one more in the team.

Finally, the organisation has been very considerate during the COVID-19 outbreak and the following lockdown in the country. They regularly checked that I was doing fine, and offered me an extension of the contract and a small financial support while I was stuck in Jordan. It is clear that they see beyond the work, and care for the people that are part of the IRCKHF family.

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Impact of COVID-19

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had various impacts on my internship and stay abroad. I started working from home from 15 _{March, following the measures imposed by the}

Jordanian government to prevent the spread of the virus. On 17 March Jordan closed its borders and suspended all flights to and from the country. As a result, I got stuck in Jordan for longer than expected and I could not follow the call from the University of Groningen to return to the Netherlands or my home country. Given the unexpected situation and in order to financially support my prolonged stay in Jordan, I extended the end date of my internship from 26 March to 31 May, thus completing a four-month internship instead of a two-month internship. I continued working remotely for the rest of the internship, having weekly Skype calls with my supervisor and regularly reporting per email on my tasks.

The outbreak of the pandemic also had a significant impact on the projects that the IRCKHF had planned, especially on primarily data collection. Some of the projects had to be put on hold, and some others had to be re-designed adapting the methodology to the circumstances (e.g. conducting interviews online or by phone, or designing on-line surveys instead of face-to-face surveys). New projects related to the impact of the pandemic in society were also developed. I supported IRCKHF’s team through remote deskwork on those projects that could still be carried out and on the development of new ones.

Living Conditions

Monthly expenses: • Rent: 200 – 250 JOD/month in a shared apartment or 250/300 JOD/month in a one-room apartment in Jabal Amman or Webdeh neighbourhoods • Transport: 50 JOD/month (taxi). A taxi ride costs between 1.5JOD to 4JOD depending on the distance and traffic. There are some buses and ‘service’ taxis, but the system does not function very well and you will need to ask locals for the lines and routes • Food: groceries – 100 JOD/month (vegetarian) • Going out: Meal in a restaurant: 5 – 10 JOD. Café house: 3 – 5 JOD Free time:

Many students and foreigners live in Jabal Amman and Webdeh neighbourhoods. They are nice, safe and lively areas. There are plenty of cafes, nice although quite expensive (Manara, the Good Bookshop, Rumi, Jungle Fever, and many more). There are also nice art galleries and small museums that are worth checking (MMAG, Darat al Funun, and the National Gallery of Fine Arts, for example) and also cinemas where they show films in original version (Rainbow Theatre, Prime Cinemas Abdali, the Royal Film Commission). There is a climbing gym (CLIMBAT) with a great climbing community a bit outside the city – it’s far but it’s worth it if you like climbing. Travelling: It is easy and I highly recommend to travel to the main sights in Jordan – Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, the Dana reserve –, do day trips to Jerash or Salt, or join a hike to Ajloun natural reserve. The best time to come to Jordan is spring (March/April/May), when the weather is not

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Conclusions

I have learnt a lot from this experience, both professionally and personally. On a professional level, it has given me the chance to discover how much I like doing research on social issues and has helped me to define better my plans for a future career. I have gained valuable skills on qualitative research, which will be surely useful for future jobs. It has also given me the opportunity to understand the context of Jordan better and to expand my professional network. On a personal level, it has also been very meaningful. It has showed me the importance of the human component of an organisation, the great difference that a good supervisor can make in the experience of a student, and the value of investing in building a sense of being a team.

The internship has lived up to my expectations, although there have also been some challenges. In particular, the exposure to interviews with vulnerable groups, such as child-married girls and children with disabilities, and the difficulties they face in their lives have been hard to process at times and some of their stories will always stay in my memory. It has nonetheless been part of the learning process. The unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the following situation in the country has been also quite distressful, especially during the first weeks, due to the uncertainty, the lockdown, and the threat of the spread of the virus.

This optional internship has been a great complement to my NOHA master. It has given me the opportunity to put into practice some of the knowledge that I had acquired, and specially understand the humanitarian world from the inside perspective. Living in a different country, experiencing a different culture, and working for or close with humanitarian organisations is a great added value that has helped me to understand better the theoretical discussions that we had heard during our lectures. It has also helped me to have a better picture of future job possibilities, gain skills I will need in the future and identify areas where I need to improve. Finally, it has also been a great advantage to develop the topic for my master thesis and find contacts to conduct my own research. I would definitely recommend the experience to any fellow student.

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Acknowledgments

First of all, I would like to thank Jude Sajdi, Aida Essaid and the rest of the IRCKHF team, for welcoming me in the organisation and accompanying me in this learning process. They are great professionals and very caring human beings. I would also like to thank Dr. Talita Cetinoglu and Dr. Clara Egger for giving me the opportunity to do this internship as an additional part of my NOHA studies. My learning from the master would not have been so complete without it. Finally, I would like to thank the Stages Office from the University of Groningen for its support through the Marco Polo grant.

NOHA INTERNSHIP REPORT