SHIREEN SABANEGH

Born and raised in, Jordan, Egypt, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, Shireen carries more than her Jordanian nationality. Her father arrived in Jordan in 1948 as a Palestinian refugee and her mother is from Syria. With a BA in Graphic Design, Shireen realized that she could combine her creative skills and her eagerness to learn about cultures and history by working in museums. Subsequently, she embarked on career that spanned over a decade and ended with serving as Deputy Director of Children’s Museum in Jordan. In 2019 she moved to the UK with her husband and three children. From this move, Shireen rediscovered her old passion for producing art and continuous interest in museums, which lead her to pursue a postgraduate degree in Museum Studies to further ground her career within the cultural and heritage sector in the UK.

“Moving Out of Jordan Forced Me to Learn that Change Is a Learning Opportunity”

Q: Tell us a few things about your country, and also your life's story!

I am a daughter of a Palestinian refugee. My father was only four years old when his family was forced to leave Palestine in 1948. Like many Palestinians of my generation, I carry a Jordanian nationality. I was born in Amman the capital of Jordan, where I spent my childhood years. My mother is Syrian and I spent most summers in Syria visiting family and soaking up all the beauty and culture of that part of the Levant. My father's engineering career moved us around contents, we lived in Egypt, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates before moving back to Jordan, where I completed high school, my university years, and met my lifelong friends and husband.

As an individual, I began my career journey with a BA in Graphic Design, I worked in marketing and design agencies and even taught art for a few years. However, having an enduring interest in visiting museums, exhibitions, and galleries, I soon realized that I could combine my creative skills and passion for learning, by pursuing a career in the museum industry.

 Throughout the Eleven years spent in museum management, I developed a broad and versatile skills-set from delivering accessible and engaging exhibitions and programmes, both in-house and mobile, to initiating and delivering projects. I was also privileged to collaborate with numerous third-party organizations and experts around the world, building and maintaining a flourishing network of professional colleagues and acquaintances with interest in museums, heritage, science, arts and more.

Learning from the museum field has been a humbling experience, it even changed how I see the world; it is a constant reminder that my understanding of the past, present, and future is persistently shifting and evolving.

Relocating to the UK was a joint decision by my husband and me. We wanted our three children to have a wider understanding of the world and a future with more options. I left behind my family, friends, and job that I loved. My job gave me a clear purpose and brought me immense satisfaction. I was in a senior position and considered a leader in my organisation and field. However, moving into a new environment made me realize that despite all challenges and successes of my previous role, I never really stepped out of my comfort zone. Furthermore, before moving, I did not grasp to what extent I defined myself as a woman, by what I did professionally until I stepped away from it all.

Q: How did you experience the global pandemic crisis, did it change your life or/and your views about the world? How?

I arrived to the UK with my husband and three children end of July 2019, by the time we began to settle the news of the pandemic was emerging and like many countries around the world, the UK went into full lock-down by the end of March 2020.

Yes, going through a global pandemic, in a new country away from any form of familiarity did change my life. It made me understand that less is more. Being deprived of face-to-face human interaction, forced me to reevaluate most of my personal relationships. I discovered, I would rather invest in deeper connections with a few people than have superficial connections with many. It also forced me to look inwards and reevaluate my personal priorities and rethink where I want to be professionally. Earlier this year, after the pandemic madness settled, I took the decision to apply for a post graduate degree in Museum Studies, my program starts in October 2022, and I can’t wait to equip myself with the core principles that will help me ground my career within the cultural and heritage sector. 

In my view, the pandemic came with one major blessing, the blessing of, standing still. Being accustomed to moving at a fast pace, the stillness brought me some anxiety. I also realized that I was working harder but not always smarter!

The harsh truth, humanity needed the pandemic. It is unfortunates that most change is brought upon by hardship or a disaster, it rarely comes from a place of comfort. We needed the wakeup call, l hope with the hard learned lesson, the world becomes a better place for future generations. Reflecting on it all, I am a happier person today than I was three years ago. I feel gratitude and I am more aware of my blessings. I still have a lot of work to do to before I reach my goal, but I am determined to enjoy the journey.

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society currently? 

Like most of the countries in the region, Jordan faces challenges caused by inequalities and the continuous violation of human rights. In fact, the increase in poverty, geographical and social marginalization and unemployment rates particularly among young graduates are the main reasons behind the political unrest. Not to mention the political challenges with the Occupying State of Israel since 1948 and the Syrian refugee crisis in the past ten years.

Q: Share with us some of the hurdles that you had to overcome in your life so far? How did you handle them?

I consider myself very fortunate, since I did not face any emotional, physical, or financial hurdles that prevented me from progressing or evolving. However, my biggest hurdle was my inability to step out of my comfort zone. Moving out of Jordan forced me to learn that change is a learning opportunity.

Q: If you were to ask one thing from our current leaders, what would it be?

Quality education for all.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you?

Because mentors offer a fresh perspective and assist in turning ideas into tangible projects. Experienced mentors have been through their own set of challenges and have a wider view of how the professional field operates. Mentors also assist in networking with other professionals that you could learn from along the way.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share?  

There is a reason why specialization matters. Being an expert in a subject matter while maintaining general knowledge in other areas, is certainly better than, knowing a bit about everything, but not really understanding it.

Also, if you are blessed with a talent, regardless of how simple it is, use it.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives!

• The Children's Museum Jordan. The museum is a great organization. Since it opened in 2007, it brought quality fun educational experiences to children and families across Jordan. It has provided children in Jordan with a shared childhood memory, regardless of their economic or social background.

• Basma Nazer founder of Khoyoot Initiative. Khoyoot creates partnerships with women in refugee camps to produce hand embroidered products. Khoyoot seeks out the women of the camps, providing them with embroidery courses after which they can join other graduates of the course in creating different product lines. They help these women in marketing and branding the different product lines to sell worldwide. They are now selling in 7 countries. The revenue from the sales of the products is then used to fund more courses and fund initiatives within the camp. Along with the financial benefits came a sense of contribution and a spark of hope that outcomes will change for future generations. Khoyoot connected the heart of the camp with the rest of the world to increase equality and promote awareness.

Q: Share with us a phrase, a poem or a story that means something to you.

The Time of The White Horses - Ibrahim Nasr Allah

Charts the history of three generations of a Palestinian family in a small village, spanning the collapse of Ottoman rule and the British Mandate in Palestine. It is the story of three generations of a defiant family from a Palestinian village called Hadiya before 1948. Through the lives of Mahmud, chief elder of Hadiya, his son Khaled, and Khaled's grandson Naji, the lives of a tribe whose fate is decided by one colonizer after another. This book helped me reconnect with my roots and is one of my favourite reads.

Q: Share with us a project that you would like to make happen for your country or a cause that you are passionate about.

Early Intervention, Puberty and Sexual Health Awareness Programme for Girls.

The proposed early intervention programme aims to spread awareness amongst girls ages 8-10, concerning the topic of puberty and the biological changes their bodies will go through during this important growth stage, it will also explain menstruation in detail and touch upon the threats of early marriage.