Camilla Bredholt (AC 83-85) set up the Danish office of Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) in 1993, and now sits on the Danish government’s Central Science and Ethics Committee as well as the Boards of various humanitarian organisations. She is also Chair of the Danish National Committee.

 

“Atlantic College gave me tolerance, and an understanding of different backgrounds and different points of view,” says Camilla. “Sometimes that kind of tolerance and understanding can be perceived as weakness, or indicative of an inability to hold strong views or make tough decisions – but the strength of a UWC education is that it shows you how to combine tolerance with leadership and positive moral values.

 

“The other thing my time at the College gave me was the confidence to tackle everything that life would bring for me with the belief that I could do it, which has been crucial to almost everything I have taken on in my career!”

 

On graduating from UWC, Camilla returned to Denmark to work in the travel industry, and was soon running the hotel booking department for a large travel agency. “I had this idea that I wanted to work at the European Commission, though, so I took a French course in Provence and then left Denmark to try and find work in Brussels. It was a very lonely and difficult time – I’m a very sociable person, and I didn’t really know anyone. But through Atlantic College I had some very good friends in Holland, and through them I found a contact within the EC who suggested that I might work for a Danish company, Europa Information, hosting its visitors to Brussels. It was interesting work – I might be hosting a group of travel agents one week, and then a government party the next.”

 

Eventually Camilla set up a Brussels office for Europa Information, but was still not entirely satisfied in her career. Visiting an Atlantic College friend based in Pakistan, she was so moved by what she saw that she decided to pursue a career in development work.

 

“I quit my job in Brussels and began applying to development agencies in Brussels,” explains Camilla, “but I was rejected by everyone because of my lack of university qualification and experience. Eventually I approached Medecins sans Frontieres, and I loved the atmosphere of the organisation immediately. I hassled them, and eventually they offered me a job!”

 

Camilla spent four months in Baghdad in June 1991, followed by a six month stint in Tirana, after which she was approached to establish a Danish office – the first Scandinavian office for Medecins sans Frontieres.

 

“The first few months were crazy! I gathered all my friends to help; in fact, some of them are still working for Medecins sans Frontieres. It was very grass roots, with lots of volunteers. But we were lucky in that we received a lot of publicity. I was only 26, and I think this young girl starting the MSF office made a nice story for the papers.”

 

In 1994 Camilla won a Woman of the Year award from a major Danish magazine, and then in 1995 she won the prestigious Ebbe Munck Prize for her work with MSF. In the meantime she also found time to have two daughters, sit on the Boards of various humanitarian organisations and undertake volunteer work.

 

“Recently I have been working as a fundraiser and programme manager for Humanity in Action, which promotes human rights and the protection of minorities,” says Camilla, “But I have just resigned in order to focus my time more on the Danish UWC National Committee. I hope to be able to energise it and really make something valuable for UWC.”