This conference, convened by the Humanitarian Action Initiative (HAI), an academic and research hub housed in the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs will engage in a critical interrogation of the localization agenda; evaluate the ongoing efforts to implement localization policy; analyze the underlying power relations and dynamics in humanitarian and development assistance; discuss points of contestation and resistance; and consider localization’s broader impacts.
The conference is organized along the following themes:
- Top-down approaches to localization: Evaluating institutional reforms
- Political economy of localization
- Knowledge production, professionalization, standards, and expertise
- Bottom-up approaches to localization
- Social inclusion/exclusion and localization
- Localization in restrictive, authoritarian, or conflict settings
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Call for Papers
Due by Friday, October 18, 2023 Calls to “reimagine aid,” “shift the power,” and “decolonize aid” express frustration with systems of humanitarian and development assistance that are dominated by actors from the Global North and lack participation from local...
What is Localization?
Localization is a policy commitment and reform process with the goal of shifting power and resources to local and national actors and supporting and strengthening the existing leadership, capacity, and expertise of local and national first responders. The World Humanitarian Summit and Grand Bargain (2016) reignited commitment to making humanitarian action as “local as possible, as international as necessary.” Our inaugural research project focuses on localization.