Everyone is talking about decolonizing these days and we have been wrestling with this topic too. While we don’t have a definite answer, we are sharing our working notes in…...
Mobilising knowledge with care and intent
As the world faces increasingly frequent and interconnected deadly crisis, the urgency to identify effective responses has never been felt more acutely. Locally driven responses to the recent Covid-19 crisis…...
It’s time for an honest dialogue about ‘shifting the power’
If we are not careful, many of our efforts to “shift power” in international philanthropy will not actually shift anything. Over the past several years, philanthropy for international aid and…...
Local aid groups are paving the way for progress on their terms. Internationals need to follow their lead
Remaking humanitarian action is not about big gestures or grand commitments, but deliberate and practical steps. Local aid groups continue to show that localisation is not an agenda or a…...
A Reflection on the Importance of Unrestricted Funding
The devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and northern Syria on Feb. 6, 2023 was met with an overwhelming response from donors and well-wishers around the world. Local organizations – always…...
Canada shows it’s possible: Systematically providing overhead costs to partners
Having sufficient funds to cover staff resources and administrative costs in an organisation is key for the sustainability of any organisation, be it international or local. While donors recognise they…...
Case Study: Ford + Twaweza
Case study of how the Ford Foundation has sought to make its funding practices more equitable....
REIMAGINING THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT
This site is an evolving space to share reflections and provocations on the future of development. I hope it will provide food for thought on the choices we are all…...
A New Evidence Localization Initiative at USAID
We’ve long been big fans of using evaluations and evidence to inform development policy and programming. CGD recently convened a working group of policymakers and experts from over 20 countries…...
The humanitarian sector is far behind its ‘localization’ aims
While the delineation of humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding does not exist in the everyday lives of people, the international system continues to operate in silos. The status quo separates…...