The MENA region boasts a dynamic, varied, and resilient civil society in the face of stringent constraints and suppression of activists. Our program diligently monitors the landscape of civic engagement in the Arab world, generating empirical data to inform discussions, drive advocacy initiatives, and foster coalition-building. The primary objective is to safeguard and expand civic participation.
Simultaneously, we are committed to amplifying local and national actors' influence, leadership, and financial support through the application of localization principles. This initiative is integral to a broader campaign aimed at dismantling colonial narratives and modes of dominance within the realms of aid, development, and peacebuilding. By challenging preconceptions and dispelling stereotypes about the MENA region, we empower local actors with increased voice, agency, and visibility.
The centrality of localization lies in its pivotal role in balancing the power dynamics of underlying inequalities (larger INGOs and their smaller national and local counterparts) that hinder the effectiveness and efficacy of humanitarian and development work at the local level. Working with and strengthening the capacity of national and local organizations is fundamental. Rethinking the mode of operation, of working in parallel to or in isolation of local actors and adopting a true partnership modality, can only elevate the effectiveness of humanitarian aid work and reinforce the underlying Grand Bargain localization principles. Civil society organizations at the national and community levels are the principal actors in the local humanitarian responses and are considered more effective and legitimate due to their proximity, and cultural and linguistic understanding as trusted partners to the community. As such, localization can only truly happen when national actors are included in both the research and analysis phases of tackling some of the most pressing challenges our world faces today.
The Al-Nahda Localization Award was launched in 2021, by ARDD, JONAF’s coordinator, along with the JONAF steering committee as a means of recognition and appreciation of the significant efforts of stand-out individuals and/or organizations who champion and advocate for localization, and of their role in advancing and strengthening local civil society organizations and actors, at both local and international levels.
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