Finding an international career in Brussels: Oxfam

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Oxfam is one of the best known humanitarian organizations in the world. It's another major international organization with an office in Brussels. The Belgian office of Oxfam is the European twin of the original British organization.

Oxfam was founded in Britain in 1942, called the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. The organization grew after the war, and there are now 12 other Oxfam organizations around the world. Oxfam is involved in community aid work in multiple areas and on multiple levels. In addition to crisis relief, Oxfam has a number of ongoing programs: The Health and Education Campaigns These campaigns are a good look at what Oxfam does, and how it operates. They include:

Health & Education for All

According to Oxfam, the world needs six million more doctors, nurses and teachers. This is an overview of several related programs. As you can see how many different roles are involved.

Climate Change campaign

The Climate Change campaign is more about awareness and is directly aimed at getting more action from governments. Oxfam is persuasive, and widely supported by concerned people, and people pay attention to these approaches.

Agriculture campaign

This is a specialist, as well as a generalist, field. Food supplies, distribution, and overloaded demands on agriculture, particularly in the Third World, are the target of Oxfam's multi level drive to improve the situation of the world's poorest. Oxfam provides both information and solutions.

Control Arms

The arms trade, and seemingly endless wars in the world's poverty stricken nations are an obvious disaster which Oxfam is trying to do about arms trade control. An international Arms Trade Treaty is one of the options Oxfam is trying to promote to world governments and the public.

Trade campaign

Trade is one of the biggest obstacles to ending global poverty. Unfair trade treaties, and blatant abuse of terms of trade from affluent countries have done unspeakable damage to generations of people in the developing world. Oxfam is also trying to promote real trade treaties, among a range of efforts to achieve real change.

Jobs with Oxfam

If you think Oxfam's information sounds like they're looking for committed people, you'd be right. There are several ways you can help, and two of them are working with Oxfam, either as a volunteer or as an employee.

Jobs

This is an international career, any way you look at it. Oxfam has 3000 partners in 100 countries, and that's a good indication that there's plenty of work around for the Oxfam agencies.

The Oxfam regional organizations are the primary hirers of staff. The organization is a confederation of 13 separate organizations operating under the basic Oxfam umbrella organization structure. There are also internships, through the organizations. The Oxfam FAQ is the best guide to the processes involved. Oxfam as an international career Oxfam as a career rates on a par with any humanitarian organization, anywhere. This is one of the most highly respected of all international NGOs, and with good reason. The quality of the work is extraordinary. The challenges are gigantic.

Oxfam doesn't 'specialize' in terms of its aid. It does what it thinks needs doing depending on situations. Oxfam responds to emerging issues, as well as 'core business'. This degree of commitment to humanitarian programs demands commitment from its people. Oxfam's professionals are among the top in their professions.

If you want a job with Oxfam, you have to be good. There are plenty of people who want these jobs, and competition is pretty tough. But you get a career unlike any other, if you get one of these positions. It's a good way to measure the success of your international career.