To emphasize the importance of localization of humanitarian and development work in Jordan and effective partnership between civil society and international institutions in strengthening it, especially in times of peace and crises, conflicts, and unrest in the region, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and the Jordan National NGO Forum (JONAF) honored the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) – Jordan with the Al Nahda Award for the localization of humanitarian action for the year 2024.

The award was presented during a ceremony on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, on Human Rights Day, titled "Bridges of Light: Prioritizing Local Actors in War and Peace. " It was received by the Spanish Ambassador to Jordan, Miguel de Lucas González, who emphasized that activating the localization of humanitarian work in Jordan requires genuine collaboration and engagement with local civil society. He expressed his appreciation and pride in receiving the award, highlighting the depth of the partnership between Spain and Jordan.

Ambassador González pointed out that the AEICD - Jordan has for many years supported the independence of decision-making of local actors, showing understanding of the local context in all areas of work, in addition to its continuous support for building the capacity of local organizations and giving them priority in all its decisions.

In line with this year's theme, the award seeks to recognize leaders who have supported their local partners during times of turbulence and uncertainty at the regional level. These leaders have strived to maintain the independence of their partners, respected their sense of justice, amplified their voices, brought attention to their issues, and adapted their programs to align with the local context.

Dr. Sawsan Al-Majali, a member of the JONAF Steering Committee, said: "This year, we come together amid enormous regional and global challenges. The dire situation in Palestine and our region, with its devastating impact on civilians and humanitarian workers, underscores the importance of the localization of humanitarian action as the cornerstone of building resilience and promoting justice and sustainable development."  She also pointed out that AEICD – Jordan was selected by the JONAF Steering Committee from a pool of 11 nominations, with 3 candidates making the final shortlist.

On behalf of Jordanian organizations, the Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Forum for Women, Dr. Ruba Matarneh, saw that supporting the prioritization of local actors consolidates the paths of resilience and development, and contributes to raising and amplifying the voices of women, youth, and marginalized communities, giving them the ability to actively contribute to social cohesion and local leadership commending AEICD- Jordan in this regard.

For his part, UN Women Jordan country representative, Nicholas Burniat, expressed his pride in Jordan's great progress in the field of localization of humanitarian work, stressing the need to find proper ways to activate partnerships between all local actors to achieve a comprehensive renaissance and better responses to the needs of communities targeted by humanitarian and development agenda services.

The Executive Director of ARDD, Samar Muhareb, emphasized that the Award´s fourth the importance of activating the localization of Human Rights and ensuring the localization of this agenda, particularly in communities that need them most, indicating that the localization of humanitarian work is not about slogans and speeches, but rather a basic requirement for humanitarian and development work and the development of societies.

The Al Nahda Localization Award was launched by ARDD and JONAF in 2021 to recognize and appreciate individuals and organizations that champion localization and play a critical role in advancing and strengthening local civil society organizations at both local and international levels.

As part of the Ceremony, Petr Kostohryz Special Advisor / Partnership Manager at The European Regional Development and Protection Program (RDPP), was also honored with a certificate of appreciation in recognition of his efforts over the years to support the local agenda of humanitarian action.