Decolonisation of the International Aid (International Non-Government Organisation) Sector
What are INGOs really doing to understand the histories of discrimination and violence in the communities and countries they work in, and the impact of colonialism and imperialism where relevant. How are they reflecting on how this plays out in power, privilege and vulnerabilities at an individual and organisational level.
When writing project proposals, providing funding, developing/designing interventions do they actively work in partnership with local and community-based organisations and/or with impacted populations (children, young people, families) on issues that matter to them and can delivered in a manner, way and characteristics proposed by them?
Do they work with those they serve to construct their own stories, narratives, media and communications? In addition, do they engage local staff and/or local agencies to do so or is it staff sitting in Global North based offices that primarily do this?
Do they work with and center the approach, interventions, design, solutions around those they serve and in the communities they work in?
How do they depict those they serve in media and communications and how do they engage in relationships with them? Are they objectified, homogenized, do they promote a ‘white saviorism’ approach, is it a top down relationship or are they working on building equitable relationships?
Do they work with impacted populations to define the priorities, impact, fairness and success of the interventions?
How inclusive are our programmes? Are we duplicating colonialists mindsets and ways of being? Can we retrieve long lost ways of being that were more inclusive? (for example prior to European colonisation, throughout the African continent there were far different, more relaxed attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender identity, did not see gender as binary nor correlate anatomy to gender identity in the way their European colonisers did. Homophobia was a western import).
Are they developing a culture of feedback with those they serve and work with, where genuine honest feedback can be given without fear?
What exit strategies are in place? They should be working with those they serve and engage in the process (such as partners) to improve the lives and to find sustainable solutions issues and with an exit strategy in place that minimizes risk of dependency.
Do they educate our donors/funders/sponsors on why decolonisation is important for long term sustainable solutions and for us?
Partnerships: Partnership relationships are often rooted in models which uphold colonialist power structures. Usually, information given to local based partners is limited and accountability is one way i.e from local based partners to the Global North based organisations. Furthermore, the global north-based NGO / donors /offices usually has the budgetary power and holds the last say in many if not all areas – so can they truly say they are working in partnership?
Donors often trust organisations based in the Global North/White Majority Affluent countries more than local based organisations even where local experience and expertise is far greater.
Are they recognizing the expertise and capacity of local based partners and encouraging an honest two-way learning, accountability, transparency, dialogue and feedback without consequences? What are they doing to learn how are partners feel about their relationship with us, the power and privilege that plays out etc. (point a under part 1 also applies here)
Elevating local and BIPOC expertise: Usually expertise, leadership, direction and engagement which is valued and held as credible is usually that which comes from Global North/White Majority Affluent countries, are white and/or from the European/white diaspora. Those who are not from this group e.g. Ingenious, Black, People of Colour, local to the countries they programme in are often not held as credible or seen as ‘less than’. Questions INGOs could ask themselves:
Do our leaders (including board members) , staff, interns, and volunteers working in our offices and in the communities reflect the communities that they serve?
Are they diverse in looking at and honoring leaders that inspire us, approaches they use and ways of being?
Are they investing in career development of local and diverse staff (intersectionality) and ensuring each staff has a talent management plan with concrete steps that they commit to upholding?
Are they listening to, valuing and honoring the wisdom, expertise, experience and approaches held in the countries they operate in and by the populations they work with?
Do they use local agencies to do the work – research, storytelling, media,