21st August 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this HLA webinar in The Shift series on 21 August. Watch the recording and download the slide deck.
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Webinar description
Since the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit and Grand Bargain commitments, localisation has become a mainstream reform issue for the humanitarian sector.
Eight years on, how far have we come in driving localisation agenda to create a more effective and equitable humanitarian system? What is happening on the ground in key areas such as local humanitarian leadership, strengthening capacity of local actors, and building equitable partnerships and accessible coordination mechanisms?
In this webinar, we explore localisation in practice together with our expert panel who hold rich collective experience gained in in a range of national and international organisations/UN agencies.
Panellists
Carlo Gherardi: Regional Director – Central and Eastern Europe Regional Office – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
Carlo Gherardi has been the Regional Director for NRC’s Central and Eastern Europe (CEERO) operations since June 2022, responsible for overseeing NRC Country Offices in Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland. The CEERO operations for NRC are unique globally for driving the organisation’s local actor agenda. The response is designed to work together with local actors across the region, including local NGOs, academic institutions, the private sector and Government stakeholders.
Carlo joined NRC in 2012 as part of the Syria response, initially in Iraq (2012-13), and then in Jordan (2013-19) where he eventually became the Country Director and then in Lebanon (2020-2022), also as Country Director. Carlo has been working as a humanitarian for more than 15 years and prior to joining NRC worked with IOM (2010-12) in Pakistan and in Ethiopia. Before working with IOM Carlo spent 3 years in Geneva (2006-9) as a policy advisor with Shelter Centre, working on policy guidance for humanitarian shelter responses to natural disasters.
Wahidun Nabi: Regional Organisational Capacity Development and Partnership Coordinator, Asia Regional Office – Save the Children International
ASM Wahidun Nabi is a passionate development practitioner with over 13 years of expertise in organizational development and partnership management. He currently supports the capacity strengthening and organisational transformation of 38 civil society organizations across 8 countries in Asia under SIDA Civil Society Strengthening Programme. With a background in public policy and project management, Wahidun has led innovative initiatives for NGOs, UNDP, and the Government of Bangladesh in public service innovation and e-participation.
Wahidun actively supports SC Country Offices in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in their localization efforts through rigorous assessment processes, ensuring effective and sustainable local engagement. Holding a Master’s in Social Science, he excels in fostering strategic partnerships and facilitating organisational capacity assessment. His work focuses on enhancing the resilience and effectiveness of grassroots organisations, driving meaningful change across the region.
Gita Modgil: Senior Humanitarian Aid Director – Independent [Facilitator]
With almost two decades of experience in global humanitarian efforts, Gita Modgil has led emergency responses worldwide, from the tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia to the Beirut Blast in Lebanon. Her dedication to empowering communities in crisis remains steadfast. Gita has held senior leadership roles at organisations like Norwegian Refugee Council, Global Communities, and Canadian Red Cross, shaping the landscape of humanitarian aid.
Currently, she is embarking on a new venture by developing a thought-provoking podcast series challenging the existing aid paradigm and exploring ways to enhance humanitarian efforts. While managing her impactful career, Gita also embraces the role of a parent to two loving children, inspiring change from her current base in Jordan.
Hosted by Ka Man Parkinson, Communications and Marketing Advisor, HLA.
Further reading
Carlo Gherardi has compiled links to the articles containing the data sources referenced in his presentation:
Refugees International
New Study Shows Local Organizations in Ukraine Significantly More Cost-Efficient than International Organizations
National Workshop on Localizing Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine
Forced Migration Review
Breaking the cycle: localising humanitarian aid in Ukraine
ReliefWeb
A Humanitarian Localization Baseline for Ukraine
fhi360
Ukraine one year on: NGOs call for the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, localization and durable solutions
GroupeURD
Study on Localization in Poland
During his presentation, Wahidun Nabi highlighted models that he has used in his work:
Save the Children’s Core Support Model
INTRAC‘s To Be, To Do and To Relate organisational model
About the HLA Webinar Series
The HLA Webinar Series is an online initiative designed to connect, inform and inspire humanitarians from around the world. We promote information sharing and knowledge exchange on topical issues facing the sector.
Through these regular free online sessions, we strive to bring you fresh and engaging insights from a diverse range of speakers ranging from seasoned leaders to more recent entrants to the sector.
HLA webinars are the ideal complement to humanitarian learning and training offered through our digital learning platform Kaya as well as in-person training initiatives.
We invite you to join us – attendees of the live sessions are able to claim an HPass digital badge in recognition of learning in this forum.