NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response)

Time for a Pause and Reflection: As the Year 2024 comes to an end, NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response)’s Secretariat is entering an offline Planning Period from 23 December 2024 until we are back online on 6 January 2025. We want to thank all of NEAR's members, partners, and supporters for all the incredible achievements we've accomplished together in 2024. Our team is looking forward to welcoming in 2025 with some exciting things in the works. We are wishing you a Happy New Year and a joyous and restorative Holiday Season. Until 2025!

(English to follow) 🌍✨ ¡En noviembre, celebramos la tercera Asamblea Regional de la Región de América Latina y el Caribe de la Red NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) en Ciudad de Guatemala! Representantes de organizaciones de Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela y Brasil se reunieron para fortalecer sus lazos y trabajar juntos hacia un mundo donde las comunidades locales tengan los recursos y capacidades para enfrentar sus desafíos. 🌱💪 Durante la asamblea, exploramos temas cruciales como: 📊 Análisis de contexto socioeconómico y político global y regional. 💡 Panel sobre iniciativas de laboratorio en Latinoamérica y el Caribe (Colombia, Guatemala y Venezuela). 🤝 Feria de soluciones, incluyendo el trabajo de influencia para el cumplimiento del Gran Pacto. 📅 Planificación 2025. 🚨 Sistema de Alerta Temprana en Guatemala con ACCSS y la Universidad Galileo. 🗣️ Panel sobre localización con organizaciones invitadas: Oxfam Colombia Trócaire, Star Network, GNDR, Street Child. Con cada paso, reafirmamos nuestro compromiso por una región más fuerte, resiliente y empoderada. 🌎 💛 ¡Sigamos construyendo juntos el cambio! #RedNEAR #AsambleaRegionalLAC #AmericaLatinayCaribe #Localizacion #GranPacto    ----------- 🌍✨ In mid-November, we celebrated the 3rd Regional Assembly of the Latin America and Caribbean Region of NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) in Guatemala City. Representatives from organisations in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil gathered to strengthen their ties and work together for a world where local communities have the resources and capacities to face their challenges. 🌱💪 During the assembly, we explored crucial topics such as: • 📊 Socioeconomic and political context analysis, both global and regional. • 💡 Lab initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean (Colombia, Guatemala and Venezuela). • 🤝 Solutions fair, including advocacy work for the implementation of the Grand Bargain. • 📅 Planning for 2025. • 🚨 Early Warning System in Guatemala with ACCSS and Universidad Galileo. • 🗣️ Localisation panel with guest organisations: Oxfam Colombia Trócaire, Star Network, GNDR, Street Child. With each step, we reaffirm our commitment to a stronger, more resilient, and empowered region. 🌎💛 Let’s keep building change together! #RedNEAR #RegionalAssemblyLAC #LatinAmericaandCaribbean #Localisation #GrandBargain 

🌍 How Philanthropy Can Lead the Way to Locally Led Development: A Global South Roadmap 🌍 At UNGA 2024, Adeso and our wonderful partners convened a dynamic group of leaders from the Global South, philanthropic organizations, and international development experts. 💙 Thank you Degan Ali Salih Booker Anita Kattakuzhy Tariq Cheema Maria Amalia Souza Benjamin Bellegy Toyin Saraki Fanta K. Toure ✨ Want to dive deeper into actionable strategies to dismantle barriers to locally led development? Check out the insightful dialogues with our partners from the UNGA 2024: https://lnkd.in/ewwVRurD Now let's explore how some of our partner organizations are forging the path for systemic change in locally-led development: 🗣️ Empowering Local Voices for Real Change Systems change is about shifting the power ♻️ : elevating local civil society organisations (CSO) and placing them at the heart 💙 of decision-making. CSO's are uniquely positioned to understand the challenges their communities face — and they hold the keys to effective solutions. ➡️ The approach of Adeso and our partner organizations focuses on building capacities from the ground up in combination with innovative high-level advocacy, fostering empowered partnerships rather than imposing top-down directives. 💡 NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) NEAR is a movement of local and national CSO's from the Global South rooted in local communities who share a common goal of promoting fair, equitable, and dignified partnerships in the aid system. NEAR focuses on genuine local participation at all levels of development and disaster management, to ensure effective aid is delivered to people in need. ▶️ Read the Strategic Plan 2024-2026: https://lnkd.in/enpX44zh ▶️ Become a member: https://lnkd.in/e8beHsbg 💡 African Philanthropy Forum African Philanthropy Forum is a strong and vibrant community of partners which, through their strategic giving, investments and influence, foster shared prosperity on the African continent. ▶️ Read the Blog Post 'Stewarding Wealth': https://lnkd.in/eKB8JenC ▶️ Read the Report 'Disparities in Funding for African NGO’s': https://lnkd.in/eah9tvM4 💡 Casa Socio-Environmental Fund The Casa Socio-Environmental Fund is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote environmental conservation and sustainability, democracy, and social justice. They have developed a powerful network of support for civil society initiatives that mobilizes resources, provides support and strengthens their capacities, ensuring increasingly greater autonomy for these groups. ▶️ Read the Study 'Supporting Solutions from Traditions': https://lnkd.in/evmNuCcY ▶️ Read the Article 'The sheer size of inequality and how philanthropy can do more': https://lnkd.in/d-Xy_UHu #DecolonisingAid #DecolonizingAid #ShiftThePower

💡 Insightful Devex article, “19 local organizations to watch” highlighting 2 of NEAR members (HANDS Foundation and مؤسسة تمدين شباب Tamdeen Youth Foundation) along with 17 other local organisations doing amazing work. “This list is by no means exhaustive. Too many organizations to count embody the ideals and everyday hard work of localization. But we hope the organizations we’ve curated offer a broader understanding of how locally led organizations are altering the landscape of global development — today and tomorrow." Read about all 19 organisations here: https://lnkd.in/duCAJUQd

Thank you for your insights from the Regional Humanitarian Partnerships Week Akmal Ali. "What struck me most was the collective will to move beyond rhetoric into tangible action. During the opening panel on “Localisation and Adaptation by Communities,” I had the chance to set the tone with a simple but challenging question: Are we, as humanitarians, part of the reason why localisation isn’t happening as we envision it? It wasn’t an easy question to ask—let alone answer—but I believe asking it is the first step to making fundamental, lasting shifts in how we operate." #RHPW2024

We are happy to announce that Hibak Kalfan, NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response)’s Executive Director, is on the Advisory Board of CHH-Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict, and Forced Displacement. Launched earlier this year, this commission aims to reimagine and reshape the humanitarian system. An integral part of this is amplifying local voices and representation of locally-led civil society in this space.   Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/ebfUzBkp

This week at the Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week – Asia Pacific 2024 (#RHPW2024) in Bangkok, NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) partner, National Alliance of Humanitarian Actors – Bangladesh (NAHAB) shared their initiative on Accounting Local Contributions. Community contributions can vary and are extremely valuable yet often overlooked in the humanitarian sector. This initiative is 1 of the solutions of Asia-Pacific Local Leaders Road Map 2025!

📖 Report Release💡 “Guidance note for donors: Promoting inclusive and locally-led action through humanitarian pooled funds” A multi-donor initiative, led by three bilateral donor governments: UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Government of Denmark.    In the report you'll find a case study from NEAR - Network for Empowered Aid Response: “As a locally-led fund, NEAR's Change Fund has promoted and inspired peer-to-peer learning across the NEAR network. For example, in Nepal, a member of the Change Fund Oversight Body has joined together with a diverse group of Nepalese civil society (NEAR and non-NEAR members) to create the Community Resilience Fund (CORE), a national and locally-led pooled fund focusing on disaster mitigation and preparedness as well as humanitarian response.”   Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/efBg8FiZ

At the @RHPW2024 regional partnership week 2024 in Bangkok, demonstrating what the duck “Localisation” is, with NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) , ICVA Network , United Nations OCHA Also keeping the conversation alive in roundtables with the @pledgeforchange and @thegrandbargain regional level structures discussions

Thanks to Peter Laugharn and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for helping lead the way, exceeding the target of 25% and unlocking more resources for locally-led organisations.