New case study: Shifting the Power – Localisation in Action
Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK), a community-led development organisation combating poverty in Bangladesh, has recently joined CHS Alliance. In the last years Shifting the Power, a project implemented by Start Network, has been aiming to shift the balance of power towards locally led humanitarian response. Within this framework, Christian Aid has supported GUK to apply the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and join CHS Alliance.
Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK), a community-led development organisation combating poverty in Bangladesh, has recently joined CHS Alliance. This is largely due to the hard work of Nahed Chowdhury, widely known as ‘Lucky Apa’ in the humanitarian sector in Bangladesh, in partnership with Christian Aid. In the last years, within the framework of Shifting the Power, a project aiming to strengthen national humanitarian and development agencies, Christian Aid has supported Lucky and her NGO to apply the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and join CHS Alliance.
The Shifting the Power project aims to strike a more acceptable balance between international and local responses to disasters; shifting this balance of power towards locally led humanitarian response. The Shifting the Power Project will strengthen national capacity for decision-making and leadership, helping national organisations to achieve better representation, voice and recognition. At the same time it will influence international organisations to support and promote the work of local and national organisations. The project is being delivered by a consortium led by ActionAid and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), and including Christian Aid, Tearfund, Oxfam and Concern.