Interview with Masayoshi Mita, protection team leader in Sittwe, Myanmar
1) Could you chart your ICRC journey thus far?
I joined the ICRC in 2012 as a protection delegate. My first mission was in Nablus, Palestine, which was for one year. In October 2013, I joined an Afghan support mission based in Afghanistan and Tajikistan as a detention delegate.
I took a year off to spend time with my family when we had our first child in 2014. Then, I joined the Japanese government as a programme adviser, providing pre-deployment training, including in international humanitarian law (IHL), to peacekeepers. In September 2015, I was back with the ICRC in Pattani, Thailand, as a protection team leader and worked there for two years.
In 2017, I took paternity leave again when my second child was born and then went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as detention team leader in 2018.
My family decided to move to Japan after this and I took a long break from the ICRC. I worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in Tokyo for two-and-a-half years.
Finally, I’m back with the ICRC! Since November 2021, I have been working as a protection team leader in Sittwe, Myanmar. This mission will end in October 2022 and I will head to Jakarta, Indonesia, to take up my next role as a humanitarian affairs adviser.
2) Which assignment has left the deepest impression?
My first mission in Nablus in 2012 was very impressive even though it had a slightly bitter note to it.
An elderly lady who had been repeatedly and severely affected by protracted armed conflict, once sarcastically told me: “Thanks to this conflict, I can meet many foreigners from different countries.” She was smiling, but her eyes were not.
ICRC delegates and other humanitarian aid workers had supported her in several ways, but she felt there had been almost no positive impact on her life in the long run. I was a first-year delegate at the time, highly motivated to do my best humanitarian work, but I felt powerless and started questioning – what am I working for when I work for the ICRC?
3) What prompted you to become an ICRC delegate?
I studied international humanitarian law in university and at the time learned about the ICRC too.
If there is an armed conflict, unfortunately, there are always alleged IHL violations. I was very interested in seeing the reality of humanitarian law in practice. That’s what made me join the ICRC. I also like travelling, meeting new people and trying new cuisines. With the ICRC, I would never be bored!
4) Could you tell us about the teams you work with, and what you think is a “perfect team”?
At the moment, my team consists of two mobile and seven resident colleagues. It feels like a family. After a long field trip, we sometimes go out for ice-cream.
In a perfect team, we can trust and rely on each other. As a team leader, I am still in the process of learning how to manage the team better.
5) What does working with the ICRC mean to you?
To put it simply, this work implies getting involved in someone’s life, which is why we are expected to do our best at all times. I have to say, it’s not easy.
6) What is the most difficult aspect of your work?
Protection work is usually invisible, or in the background. We go and talk to people affected by armed conflict and all the parties concerned but it’s difficult to measure how much we have achieved.
There might not be an end to humanitarian work. The impact of armed conflict is enormous and often irreparable. This work is extremely rewarding but can often make me feel frustrated.
7) Do you find it difficult to adjust to new cultures?
Not really, because I genuinely love varied experiences and new roles coming my way. The best way for me to get to know about any new culture is to chat with resident colleagues and, if security allows, to take walks in the cities I am posted to and experience local customs.
8) What qualities does a person need to become an ICRC delegate?
Humanitarian work is demanding. Anyone wanting to join the ICRC as a delegate will have to understand their limits and set boundaries at work. Sometimes we need to celebrate our achievements as well, otherwise we will not be able to continue working and will burn out. We mustn’t forget that we are also human.
9) What tips do you have for someone who wants to join the ICRC?
Communication skills are very important. We need to engage with different types of people, internally and externally. Therefore, I try to be a good listener.
10) What sets the ICRC apart from other humanitarian organizations?
The distance between the ICRC and people affected by armed conflict is very less. In many situations, the ICRC is the first to respond and the closest to humanitarian issues and their solutions.
11) The moment you knew you’d made the right decision of working with the ICRC?
Each time I see people that we’ve worked with smile.
12) How did your background in humanitarian law help you with your current role?
Since I studied IHL, I’m able to analyse humanitarian issues in a technical manner. But we usually have to find solutions beyond what is written in law. Law is important, but the reality is different. I have learned that the ICRC always tries to find the best possible solutions with flexibility.
13) What does professional success mean to you?
To make a difference in someone’s life, even if it is only a small degree of change. I would like to continue staying close to people affected by armed conflict.