Huseiyn’s most recent deployment was in Gaza, in his role as a Field Manager for Save the Children International. It’s an experience which he describes with mixed emotions.
“On one hand I’m very excited to be leading on operations and pushing to get assistance across the border to distribute to those who have been displaced and affected by the ongoing war, but I’m also feeling the pain of seeing the suffering and hearing the stories from our staff, partners and people who have been through so much.”
Experienced humanitarians are often at the crucible of difficult and complex conflicts such as these, and their work demands practical tools and strategies to navigate crises with resilience and effectiveness.
Huseyin found these practical tools and strategies to be at the heart of the Crisis Leadership Program, when he undertook the specialised five-day intensive ‘Extend’ course in October 2023. Extend is designed for experienced professionals such as Huseiyn with more than eight years in the humanitarian sector.
Huseiyn says he found the course to be an enriching experience.
“The course content was relevant and thought-provoking, providing practical tools and strategies that I could immediately apply in my work,”
Throughout the CLP, I gained invaluable insights into effective crisis leadership, decision-making under pressure, and collaboration in multi-stakeholder environments. The program equips participants with the knowledge and confidence to lead disaster responses.”
During the five-day course, senior facilitators guide small groups of participants with the aim to expand their capabilities to lead teams and organisations in rapidly evolving and crisis contexts. Participants come from different technical and operational backgrounds, and bring myriad response experience, which helps them to build networks to help influence change within the humanitarian and disaster response system.
Mary Ana McGlasson, Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership says of her time working with Huseyin on Extend:
“Huseyin is exactly the type of exceptional leader the Centre is honoured to welcome in our most advanced CLP course. He is a person who was drawn into humanitarian work as someone experiencing war and hardship firsthand in his own country, and who learned to be a leader in this incredibly difficult context. Huseyin’s compassion in bringing that experience to his work in other complex crises, and his openness to learning from and sharing with his fellow practitioners, is a shining example of the types of leaders for whom CLP was designed.”
Reflecting on the importance of the Crisis Leadership Program for fellow humanitarians, Huseiyn says:
The CLP offers a unique opportunity to develop essential leadership skills tailored to the complex challenges of crisis response, and ultimately contributes to more impactful humanitarian outcomes.”
Find out more about the Crisis Leadership Program.
The CLP is supported by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Fondation de France.
