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.
Power at our fingertips: feminists in Asia stake their claim to digital space
Whether reshaping gender narratives via TikTok, or highlighting sustainable farming via Facebook, women in Asia are mobilising on digital platforms like never before, says Myrah Butt in the latest blog in our International Women’s Day series.
Is the IMF listening enough? It’s time to make real engagement part of its mandate
Nabil Abdo and Nadia Daar introduce a new Oxfam report, which sets out how the IMF needs to do much more to deliver meaningful engagement with civil society
How can we prevent future hunger in Somalia? Start by empowering Somalis themselves
The news that over eight million Somalis are set to be in hunger crisis next year must trigger massive prevention efforts, alongside the emergency response, says Abdiaziz Adani of Oxfam in Somalia. And central to effective prevention is unlocking the huge potential of local organisations to build famine resilience.
The high price of lowballing local organisations
There’s a glaring missing piece in the funding of humanitarian organisations like ours, says Hero Anwar: the overheads and indirect costs essential to our survival
Locked out. What do local leaders say about reforming the humanitarian system?
Amy Croome reports back on a very different kind of discussion on shifting power and resources – one led by local activists and organisations
This is our story of natural disaster – and, for once, it’s told entirely by us
None of the roles in a powerful recent film about South Pacific islanders reacting to a cyclone is played by a professional actor, says Oxfam’s Ernest Ta’asi. Instead, the actors and script writers all came from the island community – in what may be a game-changer for NGO storytelling
Women, Voice and Power: Making a Development Case for Transformative Feminist Leadership
Long before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a terrifying reality worldwide, Southern feminist activists have organized together to provide both immediate local services and long-term support to those affected by poverty, violence and oppression. They have effectively organised environmental, anti-racist, labour, peace and political movements across communities to promote and protect women’s rights and social justice. Here is MADRE, for …