CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Leading non-profit organisations has been an important part of my work. In chairperson roles, I have combined strategic and practical leadership, focusing on organisational development, professional structures, network building and long-term sustainability.
Academia Arabesca, Marrakech
Photos by Laura Fernández García
As Chairperson of Academia Arabesca, I have worked to develop the association as a meeting place where art, research and culture cross borders.
My work has focused on strengthening the organisation’s mission to foster intercultural collaboration and deepen understanding of cultures in North Africa and the Middle East, through partnerships with cultural organisations, academies and media.
Key areas of development include digitalisation, archival work, publishing and long-term structural planning, supporting the organisation’s ongoing evolution as an international platform for art, culture and research.
Early Music Sweden
My involvement in Early Music Sweden began with communication and networking work, including website development, social media and audience engagement, as well as work as a producer for international concert arrangements. It was a period of combining cultural work with digital storytelling and relationship building between festivals and audiences. I also served as Secretary of the association, with responsibility for supporting board processes, structure and long-term development. The role also involved contributing to initiatives that strengthen the organisation’s position within the cultural sector.
CID – Conseil International de la Danse (UNESCO)
As a member of CID – Conseil International de la Danse, the official dance organisation within UNESCO, I have contributed to the international dance community in several ways. My engagement has focused on sharing information and raising awareness of dance in all its forms: from traditional folk expressions to contemporary performance. I have also contributed to archival research and documentation of Sweden’s role in the founding and development of CID, offering a historical perspective on its evolution.
Voluntary Work with IM in Lebanon and Stockholm
My voluntary engagement with IM – Individuell Människohjälp has taken me beyond Sweden’s borders. I spent a period in Lebanon, working as an assistant at a Catholic school in Baskinta, a mountain village near Beirut, where I worked closely with pupils, teachers and the local community. The experience gave me a deeper understanding of development work based on IM’s principle of self-help and empowerment rather than dependency.
Alongside this, I co-organised a study circle in Stockholm on international aid, exploring the meaning of “development” and the opportunities and challenges of volunteering, combining personal experience with critical discussion. Overall, my time with IM has been a journey of solidarity, mutual learning and respect for people’s own capacity to shape their lives, and it continues to influence my approach to voluntary and international work.
Josefine Chiacchiero 