Panel details

Panel organiser(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online
Number of paper presentations	5

Abstract

The “localisation” agenda has left humanitarian stakeholders with an unprecedented challenge: transitioning from a Western-led system to promote and support locally-led responses. Since then, “paradigm shift”, “localisation” and “transition” have become buzzwords in the humanitarian world. Yet this transition agenda caught humanitarian actors uninformed about the current diversity of humanitarianisms. Although national or local humanitarian actors are considered as long established and essential actors, their practices, views and values are hardly grasped by existing research. So far, research focusing on non-Western humanitarian actors has mainly focused on Global South international actors, neglecting local and national patterns of humanitarianism.

The main objective of this panel is to explore the diversity of practices, views and values of local and national aid actors. Participants are especially encouraged to address the following:
Ø specific cases of crisis response programs implemented by national and local aid actors;
Ø values and principles promoted by local and national aid actors in their humanitarian work;
Ø examples of best practices, especially with regards to community engagement, the nexus between humanitarian action and development and link between humanitarianism and social work;
Ø non-Western theoretical frame to analyse the practices of local and national aid actors

We especially welcome contributions from Global South scholars and encourage participants to make their research design explicit in their submission.

Paper presentations