Ulla Godtfredsen tiltræder ved årsskiftet som direktør i International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), der har globalt sekretariat i København.
Den 39-årige antropolog og cand.scient. kommer fra et job som direktør for Mellemfolkeligt Samvirkes træningscenter ved Arusha i det nordlige Tanzania (MS-TCDC). IWGIA er vagtpost for verdens urbefolkninger, eller oprindelige folkeslag, som de også kaldes.
Ulla Godtfredsens forgænger, Jens Dahl, har skrevet følgende afskedsbrev til venner og kolleger:
Dear friends,
For some while now, I have felt it was time for me to leave my job as director of IWGIA, and I have decided to do so in October of this year. I informed the Board of IWGIA of my decision about a year ago.
My many years in IWGIA have been personally very rewarding, and I hope this has also been the case for IWGIA and our many partners. I will in any case continue to work with indigenous peoples and on indigenous issues, albeit in a different way, and this is something I am looking forward to very much.
Whenever I have represented IWGIA on visits to indigenous communities or organisations, I have returned home with new ideas and with the privilege of having been received as a partner, a colleague and a friend.
I am happy to be able to say that, over the years, I have become friends with many of our partners and, although no longer employed by IWGIA, I sincerely hope that I will have the opportunity of meeting some of you again in the future.
As director of IWGIA I have always tried to promote an open dialogue with partners, be they indigenous organisations, NGOs or governments. We have discussed issues of common concern, have often inspired but sometimes also criticized each other, always however with our common goals in mind and out of a respect for each others views.
I am fully confident that the new director, with the support of the IWGIA staff and Board, will continue IWGIAs cooperation with indigenous peoples in the same spirit.
It gives me great confidence that IWGIAs Board has unanimously agreed on the appointment of a new director. Her name is Ulla Godtfredsen. She is a Danish anthropologist, educated in Denmark.
She has extensive experience in the field and, since 2002, has been employed as the director of a training centre in Arusha, Tanzania. She will start work in January 2007 and, until then, Lola García-Alix will hold interim responsibility as director.
Best wishes to all of you.
Jens Dahl
New e-mail from 1 October: [email protected]
Address: Malenevej 14 A, 3060 Espergærde
