ALNAP 140d ago

In an international humanitarian system shaped by shrinking budgets, rising needs, and stalled reforms, connecting with mutual aid efforts - locally rooted ways in which communities already support one another in times of crisis—has emerged as a source of hope. As interest grows, a key question emerges: what happens when the international humanitarian system seeks to support these efforts? This event for the launch of a new evidence synthesis organised by ALNAP explore this question. Drawing on over 200 internal documents from 25 countries, the paper examines what is known — and not yet known — about connecting international funding and actors with mutual aid initiatives. The findings highlight areas of real promise, while also surfacing significant tensions, risks, and unanswered questions. As momentum builds around international efforts to connect with and support mutual aid, there is a clear need for a more deliberate, evidence-informed conversation. We discuss: - Reprioritisation: Can mutual aid help deliver assistance that is more efficient, relevant, and locally grounded in an era of constrained funding? - Resetting the system: Could supporting mutual aid catalyse deeper shifts in power, incentives, and decision-making? - Risks of scale: How can flexible, demand-led support grow without undermining what makes it effective Speakers in conversation: - Fanta Toure | CEO, Resilio Fund - Federico Motka | Head of Emergencies and Humanitarian, Vitol Foundation - Gloria Donate | Head of Humanitarian Aid, Irene M. Staehelin (IMS) Foundation - Rurik Marsden | Deputy Director Humanitarian Policy and Partnerships, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) - Sema Genel Karaosmanoğlu | Executive Director, Hayata Destek Derneği/Support to Life - Tarini Ross | Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) Contributors: - Endalkachew Yaregal | Country Director, Citizens to Citizens Development organisation - Maria Elena Serato | Team member; Coordinator, Resilio Fund - Nancy Maali | Project Coordinator & PVCA Trainer, YMCA Jerusalem - Rafiqul Islam | Lawyer and sclr Coordinator, Anchalik Gram Unnayan Parishad (AGUP) The event is facilitated by Alejandro Posada, Research Fellow, ALNAP Introductory Remarks by Juliet Parker, Director, ALNAP. Timestamps: 00:55 Introductory remarks 02:18 Presentation of the paper 22:38 Discussion on a statement 1 34:41 Discussion on a statement 2 46:48 Discussion on a statement 3 56:56 Q&A This paper is a central output of phase 1 of a two-year research initiative led by ALNAP and Local to Global Protection (L2GP), focused on understanding and strengthening the evidence around supporting mutual aid in crisis-affected contexts. 📄 Read the full paper: [https://alnap.org/help-library/resources/supporting-mutual-aid-what-the-evidence-tells-us-pdf/] 📧 Join Our Newsletter: [https://alnap.us16.list-manage.com/su...] to stay informed about future events and updates ALNAP https://alnap.org #SCLR #mutual_aid