CONFERENCE AGENDA – PDF Download

Thursday, February 22, 2024

11:30-noon	Participants arrive, register, pick up badges
Noon-1:00pm	Welcome, Maryam Deloffre (GWU) Opening remarks, Jennifer Joel (Hewlett Foundation) Lunch and networking (presenters only)
1:00-2:30	Top-down approaches to localization: Evaluating institutional reforms
	Maryam Z. Deloffre (George Washington University), The Power and Politics of Localization Rana B. Khoury (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Going Local without Localization: Power and Humanitarian Response in Syria’s War (co-authored with Emily K.M. Scott) Haley Swedlund (Radboud University), Localization through coordination? Implementing the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (co-authored with Marie-Eve Desrosiers) Discussant: Deborah Avant, University of Denver
2:30-2:45	COFFEE BREAK
2:45-4:15	Political economy of localization
	Oheneba Boateng (Clark University), Ghana Beyond Aid: The Promises and Pitfalls of Localization Jennifer Brinkerhoff (George Washington University), Toward a Framework for Understanding Localization in its Institutional Context: A Systems Perspective for Incorporating Local Values Amit Khardori (USAID and George Washington University) and Sam Jack, “Localization” Foreign and Domestic: Addressing Donor Government Incentives to Work with Recipient Country Implementers Devin Finn (Lehigh University), A Transformational Approach to Localization: Business and Human Rights and Mining in Peru (co-authored with Deborah Avant, University of Denver and Tricia Olsen, University of Minnesota) Discussant: Derick Brinkerhoff, George Washington University
4:15-4:30	COFFEE BREAK
4:30-6:00pm	Knowledge production, professionalization, standards, and expertise
	Lilian Sibanda (University of Massachusetts, Boston), Rural Poverty, Inequality, and Opportunity in rural Zimbabwe: An Analysis of the Role of International Organizations in Alleviating Rural Poverty through Localization   Jihan Kaisi (URDA Lebanon), Localizing efforts to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian aid: Experience and reflections from a women-led national organization in Lebanon (co-authored with Fatima Mahmoud (URDA), and Hope Harriet, Jessie Weber, Alina Potts (George Washington University)   Daniel Shepard (Indiana-University Bloomington), Jihae Cha, InJung Cho, Doo Rhee Lee (all George Washington University), 50 years of knowledge production on refugee education: Balancing assets and challenges. Discussant: Junru Bian, University of Ottawa
6:00-6:30	BREAK
6:30-8:30pm	Keynote Policy Roundtable   Moderator Alyssa Ayres, Dean Elliott School of International Affairs Panelists Loyce Pace, Assistant Secretary of Global Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services Richard Santos, President and CEO, Church World Service A. Rani Parker, CEO, Business-Community Synergies, LLC Jeremy Konyndyk, President, Refugees International   Keynote Dinner (by invitation only)

Friday, February 23, 2024

8:30-10:00	Bottom-up approaches to Localization
	Catherine E. Herrold (Syracuse University), Voluntary Grassroots Organizations in Palestine: Revitalizing Local Civil Society? Kristina Roepstorff (Peace Research Institute Oslo – PRIO), Global South to the Rescue? Southern Humanitarian Actors and the Localization Agenda Meghan Sullivan (United States Institute of Peace), Power and Partnerships in the Aid Chain along the Thai-Southeast Myanmar Border: Promoting Local Leadership through Partnership-based Humanitarian Action Allison N. Grossman (Tulane University), Tell me what you want: Government officials’ preferences for humanitarian and development aid in Niger Discussant: Alicia Cooperman, George Washington University
10:00-10:15	COFFEE BREAK
10:15-11:45	Social inclusion/exclusion and Localization
	Pamina Firchow (Brandeis University),The Politics of Measurement in the Age of Localization: Comparing Expert-driven versus Community-driven Metrics of Reconciliation   Dipendra KC (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University), Aid targeting at the sub-national level in Nepal: Local NGOs and their impact   Lucia M. Rafanelli (George Washington University), Stateless People’s Resistance as Localization   Merve Erdilmen (McGill University), Understanding Barriers to Localization through Everyday Exclusionary Practices   Discussant: Khaldoun AbouAssi, American University
11:45-12:30	LUNCH
12:30-2:00	Localization in restrictive, authoritarian or conflict settings
	Mark Sidel (University of Wisconsin-Madison), The Dilemmas of Localization in the Authoritarian Context Isabel Davis (Sciences Po-Paris), Syrian White Helmets: Manufacturing PPE in a Conflict Zone (co-authored with Carolina Canepari, Kristyn Lee and Dario Toman) Mya Myint Zu Kyaw and Tom Traill (Community Partners International), Reaching failing point for multilateral institutions – Myanmar as a case study of the need to shift to local governance for humanitarian assistance Discussant: Charles Cadwell, Urban Institute
2:00-3:00	Reflections, closing remarks, and ways forward – Michael Barnett (George Washington University)