The term ‘localization’ emerged from long-standing critiques of international humanitarian systems that began to coalesce into a loosely defined agenda to better include local humanitarian actors in global humanitarian systems. Perhaps unsurprisingly, much of the current discussion on localization comes from people or institutions who are located in countries that hold the most power in the international humanitarian system, is written in English, and is housed on platforms associated with UN agencies, NGOs, and universities in the global North. Further, it seems ironic that the topic of localization, which focuses on local leadership, capacity, and power, has often excluded local humanitarian actors.
We, at CDA, are also part of this large, Western-driven aid paradigm. We are firmly situated in these power structures as a US-based NGO whose staff are mostly white and American. However, we have long recognized our role and the imbalances in the global conversations about international aid and have found that one of the best ways to start bridging them is through the audacious act of listening.
We sought to more meaningfully listen by launching the From Where I Stand virtual learning forum, which is a space to gather, listen, and learn. Our hope was to learn from those working in their own countries and those supporting them, as they share their experiences working in the ever-evolving aid sector. Over the last eight months, the platform hosted 25 articles from people across 17 countries, the vast majority of whom work in local NGOs in the Global South, while others were practitioners from the Global North working on localization.
Now, eight months later, we are examining what we heard and what insights have been shared. It is clear that these conversations add up to an important piece of the localization discussion. They offer a window into the perspectives and experiences of those who the localization discussion is supposed to be about: people working in their own contexts. This blog examines the range of critical topics explored by the series authors in their own words.
This blog is part of CDA’s From Where I Stand series, designed to listen to people most affected by aid as they explore and amplify their leadership experiences, stories, and lessons for the aid sector.
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