Shifting Tides: Advancing Locally Led Development & Humanitarian Action

By Paula Rudnicka, Sr. Manager for Public Affairs

The concepts of localization and locally led development are deeply woven into the current discourse about the state and the future of global development. Rooted in social movements that fought to end colonization, the localization agenda gained global traction in 2016 at the World Humanitarian Summit. Its two outcome documents – the Agenda for Humanity and the Great Bargain – called for investing in local capacities and channeling 25% of humanitarian funding to local and national actors. These commitments were based on the premise that local actors are “in the ideal position to provide humanitarian assistance,” but need sustained resources and support to “develop their capacity to prevent, respond and recover from crises.”

In theory, the localization principles have been embraced by major humanitarian and development actors, but many questions remain about their practical application. In reality, our sector is far from reaching the 25% target. After all, localization requires a radical mind shift since our sector has been led by the Global North for many generations. Change and release are never easy, and most international donors and implementers continue to grapple with how to shift the power and resources to local partners while remaining relevant and responsive to the rapidly changing world.

Our commitment to locally led development is decades-old, and it is rooted in our cooperative development history. Localization is also ingrained in our mission, which is to connect local ingenuity and global insights to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. Our philosophy moving forward is to be as local as possible and as international as necessary.

Carrie Hessler-Radelet, President & CEO, Global Communities

Global Communities is making concerted efforts to define and operationalize our localization approach. Our Strategic Vision 2030 affirms our commitment to locally led development and lays the foundation for the future shaped by localization.

We have formed a Localization Working Group, issued an internal position statement and held critical reflection sessions with our global staff and partners. We have embedded the principles of localization into our development and humanitarian programs, and we are a trusted local capacity strengthening partner across the globe. We have also become a member of The Movement for Community-led Development and we have invested in important an research series, “Metrics Matter,” which examines localization progress made by one of our key donors, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

And finally, we have recently joined forces with IntraHealth International, which is renowned for its local capacity-strengthening work in global health.

We still have a lot to learn and do, but we also have a lot to share about our approaches. Stay tuned for more engaging content about Global Communities’ localization journey.