Paper details

Paper authors	Mohammad Sajid Raihan
In panel on	Money Talks. Exploring Funding Solutions for Localized Humanitarian Response
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Start Fund Bangladesh is a civil society managed pooled-funding mechanism of the Start Network that supports local agencies, best placed to deliver needs-based, timely and effective response to low-radar humanitarian crises. This is a pilot initiative to set up a national version of the Fund, working together with in-country members, to operationalise an innovative financing model that promotes stronger national capacities, and collective leadership in humanitarian action. The Fund envisions localisation from beyond a funding lens i.e. “at least 25% …”, and tries capturing the barriers and opportunities from other localisation lenses like partnership, capacity, participation revolution and coordination mechanisms. We facilitate ongoing, action-research oriented, learning process among member agencies to inform collective conscientisation and consensus in strategic and operational matters on the Fund governance. In addition, provide directions of solutions to address those challenges. Localisation is a “transformative” agenda. We believe that a top-down reformation of the aid financing architecture may result into temporary satisfaction but its sustainability lies onto the political will, commitment and readiness of the local organisations vis-à-vis national civil society. Money (definitely) talks, but whether we understand ‘what it is talking about’ depends on our positions and preparations in a given context.

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