DEMAC led a panel at the HNPW in April 2023, focusing on diaspora and local actor partnerships and collaboration as a good practice for enhanced localization in humanitarian responses.

Diaspora and local actors - the way forward in humanitarian response?

Nearly seven years after the launch of the Grand Bargain, the international humanitarian community is still striving to achieve the localization agenda.

While institutional actors still grapple with challenges such as how to allocate funding to or coordinate with local actors, diaspora actors work closely with local actors to respond quickly to crises and can serve as an example for how international and transnational actors can support local leadership in humanitarian responses.

Despite this, diaspora organizations are transnational in their nature and cannot usually be considered as local actors, which can also pose challenges for localization.

Meet the panelists

• Dina Volynets, Liaison Officer in Ukraine for DEMAC
• Safia Khalid, Director of Women's Programs at Aseel
• Fadi Al-Dairi, Regional Director, Hand in Hand for Aid & Development (HIHFAD)
• Kseniia Bukshyna, Founder and lead in TAK Stab

Key Take-aways

1. Coordination: Coordination between all types of actors including local, diaspora, INGO, UN etc. should be prioritized and improved, including through fora such as HNPW.
2. Capacity Development: International actors should prioritize capacity development in all areas for local actors and not exclude them from responses because of gaps or perceived gaps in areas such as reporting and compliance.
3. Funding: Mechanisms need to be established for international actors and INGOs to directly provide funding to local organizations, such as diaspora organizations due.

Read the detailed outline of recommendations and key take-aways in our HNPW Panel Report below or watch the recording.