Featured Member: Candace Rondeaux

What is your current organizational affiliation, your position, and location of work? What are the current objectives that your department pursues?

I am a Senior Analyst of the International Crisis Group in Afghanistan. We are a small team of researchers analysing the drivers of the conflict in Afghanistan and examining the institutions and political factions of the government. We place the current events into a broader context, informing those who are new to Afghanistan and those who seek a better knowledge of the country and of how the conflict evolves. We publish in-depth analyses on various topics in the ICG reports that are featured on the international website, but we also aim to reach out to domestic constituencies by providing translations of the summaries and introductions of our reports.

What are your main tasks on a day-to-day basis?

In the office my daily tasks consist of administrational activities and research. I do a lot of interviews with government officials, members of the opposition, civil society groups, international actors, and representatives of the military. In general, I try to support a better understanding of the situation. Also, I spend a lot of time doing advocacy, which means that I give media interviews, engage in direct one on one conversations, lobby towards the Afghan government as well as towards the US and UK governments, which – of all the international governments – have the most influence over the course of events in Afghanistan.

What was your first professional experience in humanitarian protection; which path has led you to your current position?

That is a really good question. A part of my interest stems from journalistic work on criminal law in the US. Also, 9/11 played an important role. I used to work in the World Trade Center and was working as a reporter for the New York Daily News on the day it was attacked. Several years later I sort of closed the circle when I went to report on developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan as bureau chief for The Washington Post. In time, I realized that my reporting would have a bigger impact if I was able to do deeper analysis; that’s when I decided to work for ICG.

What do you particularly love about you work, what keeps you inspired?

The fact that there is no end to learning. Every day is a new challenge in terms of understanding the day-to-day context of the conflict, and of trying to interpret events as they unfold.

What has been an important or very memorable experience in your professional life, and why?

This question is difficult to answer because there have been so many different memorable moments. From a professional perspective, learning more about the complications stemming from the US-run prison at Bagram has been quite instructive for me. It helped me to identify the gaps in the strategy the U.S. employs in its application of the laws of war. To me, it highlighted the deep conflict between a regime that rests on Islamic authority on one side and a regime that rests on secular/ Christian authority on the other.

What do you experience as a professional challenge?

One of the most difficult things is navigating cultural perceptions of gender – in both Afghanistan and the West alike.

How far have you been able to maintain a normal personal life in your career?

Not very.

Which book currently lies on your bedside table?

I’m currently reading ‘Midnight’s Children’ by Salman Rushdie. For me, the value of the book is that it is a fresh way to imagine the roots of conflict in South Asia.

Could you give a description of PHAP in one sentence?

For me PHAP is a great opportunity to meet likeminded people with a diverse range of field experience and theoretical backgrounds. PHAP to me is about expanding knowledge.