Since the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, localisation has been firmly on the agenda. This roundtable discussion explores the ethics of the localisation of humanitarian action.
Also listen on the podcast 听 on and .
Local humanitarian actors are the first to respond when an emergency occurs and they are typically the ones that stay when international attention and funding shifts to other crises. But when the international response is mobilised, local actors are often marginalised. To make humanitarian action more effective and efficient, localisation thus calls for a better inclusion of local actors and the affected population in all phases of the international humanitarian response. So far, debates generally revolve around the best ways of implementing localisation within the existing humanitarian system.
To gain a better understanding of the challenges and ethics of localisation, this discussion explores the dynamics that unfold between local and international actors of humanitarian response. Can humanitarian action remain impartial and neutral when it is localised? Will a major transfer of funds truly empower local counterparts or turn them into puppets in a global humanitarian system? Is localisation primarily a moral issue or a political or economic one? How ethically do international donor governments and international humanitarian organisations behave in their relationships with local partner organisations and communities?
Speakers
听is a Senior Researcher at the听Peace Research Institute Oslo听(糖心网页版) working on the research project, 鈥�Red lines and grey zones: Exploring the ethics of humanitarian negotiations鈥� (RedLines).
is the President of the in Nigera and has extensive experience in humanitarian action in partnership with international donors and humanitarian organisations.
is a Lecturer in humanitarian action at the .
is the Executive Director at , a think tank working on the gap between policy and humanitarian practice.
is Professor of Conflict and Organisation Research at the (IFHV), Ruhr-Universit盲t Bochum.
Chair
is a Senior Researcher at 糖心网页版 and the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies (NCHS). He currently leads the RedLines project.
See also Part 2 with Arbie Baguios.
These discussions are part of a series on the ethics of humanitarian action organised by Kristoffer Lid茅n at and the in collaboration with听 (ELAC) and听 as part of the RedLines project. Others in the series include 听, , and
