A shift towards local, grassroots organisations
Large international aid agencies have not made the difference in developing countries their imposing size and budgets once seemed to promise. Instead, local communities have begun to turn to indigenous forms of support and small-scale, grassroots NGOs to provide the amenities and services they require.
But it’s not just a matter of results. The means are important, too. The use of local assets means the development of local agency, self-confidence and capability, while the Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF) and other allies provide a means of linking, reinforcing and publicising the activities of funders supporting this activity under the #ShiftThePower banner.
Now is your chance to hear from the panel, and ask your questions to them:
- Rasha Sansur – GFCF, Palestine
- Irũngũ Houghton – Amnesty International Kenya
- Ese Emerhi – GFCF, Nigeria
- Graciela Hopstein – The Philanthropy Network for Social Justice, Brazil
Join the discussion as our panellists answer the following questions:
- How much have these groups achieved and how much has the #ShiftThePower movement contributed to that achievement?
- To what extent has the concept been proved?
- What are the implications for bigger funders and what are the implications for the public authorities in places where local development has taken hold?
- What will it take to really shift power over their destinies to the communities concerned?