How to finance real water justice around the globe? Jo Trevor on four insights from a thought-provoking workshop at the recent Marmalade Festival in Oxford.
As global humanitarian funding is slashed, here are six ways to back local leadership
Where can and should governments fill the gap? How can we improve peer support? How can we scale up good practice? Amy Croome on key takeaways from a gathering last month in Nairobi of civil society leaders and Oxfam staff.
‘We speak the language of refugees: people trust us’
Twelve years after he fled conflict in South Sudan, John Jal Dak is winning international recognition for the work of the refugee-led organisation he founded in Uganda – including being named one of the Obama Foundation’s Leaders in Africa.
No English? No French? No job: why NGOs need to rethink their insistence on colonial languages
You could speak three languages and still not count as ‘bilingual’ to many development sector recruiters – and that needs to change, says Oxfam in Africa’s Abbas Kigozi.
The strength of unity: protests in Kenya
In this blog, Simon Maina shares his first experience in a protest and how young people in Kenya propelled their shared anger and hopes in demanding for change.
When will the ‘grand bargain’ deliver a better deal for women’s organisations in Pakistan?
How can local Women’s Rights Organisations benefit from the global pledge to channel 25% of global humanitarian funding to groups like theirs when they haven’t even heard of it? Sarah Zafar and Shahnawaz Ali on insights from conversations with Pakistani WROs into what they need to flourish.
What do refugees from across Africa want to tell the global forum?
Abbas Kigozi, Robert Hakiza and JeanPaul Kasika on priorities of refugees in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Malawi that need to be heard at this week’s gathering in Geneva – including access to basic services, secure legal status and protection against forced returns.
Six things INGOs must do to fund local partners fairly
Why are local organisations still missing out on funds for overheads that don’t just keep the lights on but are vital to their survival? Dominic Vickers reports back on a webinar that brought SIDA, UNHCR, Oxfam and Development Initiatives together to tackle the thorny problem of ICR, or Indirect Cost Recovery.
Be humble – and don’t compete: how INGOs can choose solidarity with local organisations
When a well-known INGO establishes a national office it needs to be careful not to poach opportunities and funding from existing local organisations. Carlos Mejía reflects on what he has learned about being a good ally as the first leader of one of Oxfam’s newest affiliates, Oxfam Colombia.
There’s magic in letting people tell their own stories
International media and aid agencies have too often taken people’s voices and used them to promote their own agendas. This has to change, writes Misozi Tembo.