Hugo is 26 and comes from Cork in the Republic of Ireland. He joined the Bogota team of the Colombia project in January 2005 and stayed until April 2007.  Prior to volunteering for PBI he studied linguistics and then International Conflict.

I studied linguistics at university, and then went on to study the topic of International Conflict.  Through these studies I was lucky enough to become aware of the true situation in Colombia as well as many other countries whose people endure similar conditions of unnecessary hardship and oppression.  Informing myself of these realities and situations of blatant injustice made me quite angry at times and also want to combine these sentiments with who I am and the interests I have, to live my life both being true to myself while at the same time being able to help just a tiny fraction of the people I had been reading about.

I’ve always felt that you only live once, and carpe diem has been an important phrase to me.  I want to get out there and experience the realities of the world, doing more than ordinary things and making a difference.  My biggest fear is finding myself in the latter years of my life and having regrets about the things I didn’t do, and the chances I didn’t take... that would be unbearable.  For me, if you live your life to the full and have confidence in yourself then in essence you have nothing to lose… or maybe it’s that only when you can lose everything can you be truly free of anything.  Life is a very paradoxical thing, and sometimes the deepest truths can come from the most unlikely of sources. 

I want to do a job I am truly interested in more than anything else, I think that way you will always be much happier than if you have the extra cash but hate five days out of every week of your life, I mean, what’s the point in that?  For me, at this point in my life at least that is most definitely not worth it.  PBI also provides you with very valuable field experience (being one of the very few internationals on the ground in Colombia, going where you ‘shouldn’t go’ but in a highly organised and professional way), helping you to gain the experience you need if you want to continue to work in this kind of profession, in the field, on the ground, doing a stimulating job in real-life conflict situations where you are shown the true meaning of life, and the value of what it means to have a life.  As I said, having regrets and having ‘played it safe’ rather than seizing your dreams is a fear I would have which is turned into reality for all too many people. 

I think the methods of PBI, specifically protective accompaniment, work because of the ways their design is catered specifically to the political situation - it is quite intelligent.  The Colombian government claims in the world press that it does certain things and fulfills certain obligations demanded by its own domestic, not to mention international laws. PBI acts as a counterbalance to bring those who are responsible for improving the situation to account, putting pressure on them to do their job.  It comes from good analysis and implementation of political strategies. 

Being a volunteer with PBI is an extremely interesting and satisfying job, and provides very useful field experience with a respected organisation.  It allows me to put into effect the knowledge I’ve gained from my studies, being able to apply that knowledge and put it into practice, and being able to help people who find themselves in dire situations because of the situation they reveal.