Member Bzzz Interview: Mariam Bhacker
Mariam Bhacker
Newburgh Member
A human rights advocate passionate about “living a good life,” Mariam first joined the Beacon hive in 2017, then transferred to the newly swarmed Newburgh hive as a founding member in January 2021.
I’m a(n)…
nomad landed in the Hudson Valley.
I’m passionate about…
living a good life.
Briefly describe your work.
Through my work at Humanity United [as manager, forced labor & human trafficking], I provide funding to organizations that advocate for the rights of migrant workers building mega-projects (like the FIFA World Cup) in the Arab Gulf.
What do you love about what you do?
Getting to speak to and learn from incredible human rights activists and workers pushing for the most basic rights in countries where freedom of expression and the right to organize are severely curtailed. And that it maintains my links to the region where I am from.
How did you start (your work)?
How long have you got? It’s been a circuitous route! I’ll sum it up as chance encounters, Twitter networking (before it was a cesspool of hate), roots in the Gulf, and a commitment to rights and dignity.
Where do you see your work going in the next year… five?
I’d like to know too! Still in this line of work, but with more personal projects on the side.
What do you like best about BEAHIVE?
That it moved with me! I’ve worked remotely most of my career, and I was thrilled when I moved to Beacon and found BEAHIVE. Then BEAHIVE Newburgh opened a few months after I moved to Newburgh.
What’s your favorite thing about the local community?
That I get to live and get a feel for where my husband is from; that it feels like a city.
