Grand Bargain

International Humanitarian Aid and the Localization Debate

February 16, 2018 by abhishek Leave a Comment

The Research and Information System for Developing Countries(RIS) has published #HAI CEO Sudhansh S. Singh’s paper, entitled International Humanitarian Aid and the ‘Localization’ Debate:
Why is it important to have “Local Funds” for “Local Organization”? The paper analyses the current global discourse on localisation in the light of #GrandBargain and how it is impacting the aid sector in India.

The paper analyses fundraising practice of western NGOs registered in India, which is further contributing in marginalisation of Indian CSOs. The paper can be accessed here.

No Time to Retreat

December 5, 2017 by abhishek Leave a Comment

The Third Global Humanitarian Policy Forum was held in New York on 3-4 December, 2017. HAI was invited to participated in a panel discussion to speak on Humanitarian Financing. Full report of the event can be read here.

On this occasion, the first report of Agenda for Humanity was also released. HAI CEO Sudhanshu S. Singh was member of the informal committee to review the report. The report, ‘No Time to Retreat’ could be accessed here.

A Discussion Night in the Hague

October 25, 2017 by abhishek Leave a Comment

In the month of October 2017, HAI had participated in a panel discussion in The Hague, organised by Oxfam Novib and Dutch Knowledge Platform. The discussion was focused on the localisation process in the light of Grand Bargain and Charter for Change commitments.

A brief report could be read here:

Western NGO affiliates raise millions of dollars in India, sidelining local NGOs

October 20, 2017 by abhishek Leave a Comment

A Nordic journal Development Today, interviewed HAI CEO Sudhanshu S. Singh on fundraising pattern in India. Singh is quite vocal against the fundraising pattern of western NGOs in the growing economies of global South. This practice not only defeats the localisation process, but also further marginalises local and national actors and their response capacity.

The interviewed can be accessed here.

Local aid groups are key to Disaster Relief. So Why are they overlooked?

September 9, 2017 by abhishek Leave a Comment

Local and national actors are often the first responders to disasters. Yet they come to disadvantageous situation when it comes to accessing funds. They are often used as ‘cheap implementer’ by the international actors, who neither given they due overhead cost, nor due visibility in their media publication. The same was experienced during flood response in South Asia in 2017.

One of the eight points of Charter for Change makes it necessary for the signatories to give due visibility to their partners in media publications. However, that was overlooked. HAI took it up with international media, and thankfully it caught attention of NPR, which not only interviewed HAI but other Southern actors too on recommendations of HAI. The full report, containing the interviews, could be read here.

HAI Participated in ECOSOC HAS

June 21, 2017 by abhishek Leave a Comment

HAI was invited to take part in the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of ECOSOC, held on June 21-23, 2016 in Geneva. HAI CEO participated in a panel discussion entitled, “Localising Humanitarian Assistance- empowering local actors”. He emphasised that capacity of local actors shouldn’t become a pretext to deny funding to local and national actors. Let international actors distinguish between ‘response capacity’ and ‘compliance capacity. The response capacity should be equally emphasised and acknowledged to give thrust on partnership with the local and national actors.