If aid actors were to take the idea of worldmaking in the margins seriously, this could to lead to an ontological shift: the solution to crises becomes not merely (aid workers’) response, but (people
International aid agencies pay the price for boom and bust
‘If they were strengthening local actors, they would never have grown so much in the first place.’ A global funding squeeze on humanitarian finances has rippled through the system, as multiple donors
Localisation doesn’t shift power. It deepens international dominance.
International aid actors are reinforcing their power through localisation processes. The system still determines whether local actors are worthy humanitarians, if they’re capable of receiving funding
How use of language can breathe life into localization
Despite promises to advance localization, progress has been limited. Uganda National NGO Forum’s Moses Isooba speaks to Devex about what it will take to truly advance the agenda and why language play
Global South leadership on climate philanthropy
Discussions around a power imbalance within climate philanthropy are both necessary and important, but have also led to the rise of a problematic and simplistic narrative that philanthropic organisat
Women-led organisations in humanitarian response
This edition of the Humanitarian Exchange, ‘Women-led organisations in humanitarian response’ is the first to be co-edited by an Editorial Committee of women-led organisations (WLOs). Focusing on the
Reshaping the UN’s Peacebuilding Efforts with Civil Society’s Call for Genuine Partnerships and Localised Decision-Making
As the United Nations prepares for its 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review (PABR), civil society actors have mobilised to ensure that their perspectives contribute to reshaping the UN’s peacebuild
“Wai manga! We want a peaceful Hela!” – perspectives and experiences of peace and justice in Hela Report
The report provides a comprehensive overview of the prevalent interpersonal and intergroup violence in Hela Province, in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, showcasing its devastating impact including
Unfolding the Tapestry: Weaving Themes and Strategies of Feminist Crisis Response
In 2023, the Equality Fund commissioned research on feminist response to crisis to inform its approach to a new grantmaking stream, acknowledging that research from feminist voices from the Global So
Coloniality and the inadequacy of localisation
This article uses coloniality as an analytical framework to critique the concept of localisation. It argues that localisation is inadequate to respond to the asymmetrical power dynamic that it seeks