MARGARET McKELVEY
Posted by smahaskey
It always bothers me when people disparage government jobs. So, one of my best days as a federal employee was when the organizer of my 30th college reunion — a high-powered wealthy executive in the private sector — told me that she had seen all of our classmates’ job descriptions and it was clear that I had the best, most interesting job of anyone in the class.
Most people do not know that the federal government provides millions of dollars of humanitarian assistance overseas. And most do not know that the State Department manages more than $1 billion in help each year for people fleeing for their lives owing to persecution and wars.
My office covers the continent of Africa — more than 50 countries — and works to make sure that uprooted people have a safe place of refuge and are ultimately able to return home in safety and dignity when wars are over and repressive governments change, or to find new homes in other countries.
Protection from being pushed back into a war zone, from sexual violence or from harassment goes hand in hand with assistance providing sufficient clean water and sanitation, food and shelter. Our work is diplomatic, pressuring countries to uphold their refugee treaty obligations, and it is programmatic, making sure for example that malnutrition rates are within accepted limits. We work with other governments and with international and nongovernmental organizations with dedicated people from all over the world, all joined together in a common humanitarian endeavor.
McKelvey is director of the Office of Refugee Assistance for Africa, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, State Department.