Backus: Passionate about empowering diverse populations

An unexpected end to her Peace Corps stint in Jordan left Deborah Backus uncertain about her future.

“As a Peace Corps volunteer, I lived in the city of Aqaba, where I taught English and served as an activities coordinator for the SOS Children’s Village and worked for an international committee of the Red Crescent/Red Cross-sponsored women’s community center,” says Backus, who will graduate today with a master’s degree from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work.

Deborah Backus pauses in front of the United Nations office in Bangkok, Thailand. “I began volunteering when I was young due to my parents’ influence,” she says. “They instilled in me that the greatest values of life are not monetary gains but instead the value gained from influencing and equally being influenced from those around you.”

In November 2002, after approximately two years of service, her group was evacuated from Jordan because of security concerns in the region before the war in Iraq.

“With less than 24 hours’ notice, we returned to the U.S., and I found myself wondering what I was going to do with my time, as I expected to be in Jordan another eight months.

“It also was hard to leave so quickly. The reverse culture shock was harsh, especially returning to the U.S. at the height of anti-Arab/Middle East sentiment.”

While in Jordan, Backus worked with a predominantly Palestinian community and became interested in the issues of forced migration and community development. So after the evacuation, she decided to apply to the School of Social Work.

“I applied to the School of Social Work because I was very attracted to the philosophy of social work as a profession, could adapt the program to suit my personal interests and was excited by the opportunity to do my concentration practicum overseas,” she says.

George Warren Brown School of Social Work

In addition to her class work in the areas of social and economic development and management, Backus worked part-time as the volunteer coordinator for the Refugee Employment Mentoring Program at Catholic Charities Refugee Services.

“This only strengthened my interest in refugee issues as I recruited and trained community volunteers to offer local Bosnian refugees social support and to serve as mentors in the areas of career development and English as a second language,” she says.

Backus brought that dedication to her practicum with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Office for Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in Bangkok, Thailand. The UNHCR is responsible for protecting the nearly 143,000 refugees in Thailand.

She is working as an adviser to the UNHCR deputy regional representative, Bhairaja Panday, and has had a wide range of experiences during her practicum.

“I’ve attended UNHCR negotiations with the Thai government, assisted with logistics, wrote situation reports and worked at the detention center during the registration process to address any issues,” she says. “This practicum opportunity has taught me a great deal about refugee protection on an international level and has been a very unique learning opportunity.”

Backus’ passion for helping others developed at an early age.

“I began volunteering when I was young due to my parents’ influence,” she says. “They instilled in me that the greatest values of life are not monetary gains but instead the value gained from influencing and equally being influenced from those around you.

“Throughout my life, I’ve been continually amazed and humbled by the stories and lives of individuals that overcome great struggles and continue on to achieve great things throughout their lives, or to simply survive.”

The faculty, staff and students at the School of Social Work have encouraged Backus’ interest in social work on an international level. She considers Gautam N. Yadama, Ph.D., associate professor and director of international programs, one of the major influences on her career.

“Deborah is a natural for the kind of international development work that she is doing at UNHCR,” Yadama says. “She is enormously competent in her understanding of other cultures, keenly aware of the thorny development concerns and is able to work in developing countries without much hesitation.

“She is the kind of American graduate student that we aspire to attract and educate at the School of Social Work as we increasingly internationalize the school.”

Following graduation, Backus will continue her work with the UNHCR office in Thailand.

“I have fallen in love with the country, the people and, of course, the coconut and curry,” she says.

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