The current COVID crisis shows (again) the relevance of local organizations in humanitarian responses. And that an open exploration of genuine local leadership in humanitarian responses is both relevant and urgent.
After a disaster, local humanitarian actors are always first and longer term responders and they are good informed responders. However, often local actors are (or at least feel) displaced by international NGOs whenever a disaster response is scaled up.
In 2016 ‘The Grand Bargain’ promised to strengthen the role and position of local actors in humanitarian response. In 2020, when discussions over a new Grand Bargain have been started, local NGOs still feel their position in humanitarian responses has not change substantially.
What innovations of ‘the humanitarian system’ are needed to strengthen local leadership? And how could a new Grand Bargain enhance these systemic innovations? What changes do donors need to make in the funding mechanisms to encourage equitable partnerships and address the power imbalance? And what do local actors need to do to build trust and address risks?
KUNO, the Platform for Humanitarian Knowledge Exchange in The Netherlands, and A4EP, the Alliance for Empowering Partnership, organized during the ImpactFest 2020 an NGO-donor dialogue on systemic innovations of the humanitarian sector for better responses.
Speakers featured in this webinar are:
- Fatima Imam, Founder Executive Director, Rehabilitation Empowerment and better Health Initiative (REBHI) – Nigeria
- Shaheen Anam, Director, Manusher Jonno Foundation – Bangladesh
- Regina Gujan, Deputy Head, Multilateral Affairs Division, Swiss Development and Cooperation & Co-conveners of Localisation workstream – Switzerland
- Samar Muharab, Executive Director, Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) – Jordan
- Roland Thomann, Director Swiss Solidarity – Switzerland
- Christina Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, Start Network – United Kingdom
- Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Executive Director, North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) – India
