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The Rhetoric and Reality of Localisation: Refugee-Led Organisations in Humanitarian Governance

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  • Kate Pincock
  • Alexander Betts
  • Evan Easton-Calabria

Abstract

When refugees flee war and persecution, protection and assistance are usually provided by United Nations organisations and their NGO implementing partners. In parallel is a largely neglected story: refugees themselves frequently mobilise to provide protection and assistance to other refugees. At a global level, there has been a shift in international policy rhetoric towards ‘localisation’ and inclusion of refugees, which potentially provides an opportunity to engage with refugee-led community organisations (RLOs). However, RLOs rarely receive access to international recognition or funding despite often being regarded by refugees as an important source of assistance.In this paper we draw upon ethnographic research on the interactions between international institutions and RLOs in Kampala, Uganda, to explore how ‘localisation’ unfolds in practice within humanitarian governance. In the absence of a clear policy framework for localisation at the global level, national level representatives have considerable discretion in whether and how they partner with RLOs, leading largely to their exclusion – and the development of alternative support strategies by RLOs. We suggest that an effective localisation agenda will require much more attention to the role of power and interests at the local level if RLOs are to be engaged as meaningful actors in humanitarian assistance.

Suggested Citation

  • Kate Pincock & Alexander Betts & Evan Easton-Calabria, 2021. "The Rhetoric and Reality of Localisation: Refugee-Led Organisations in Humanitarian Governance," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(5), pages 719-734, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:57:y:2021:i:5:p:719-734
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2020.1802010
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    Cited by:

    1. Flora Cohen, 2023. "Cultural idioms of distress among displaced populations: A scoping review," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(1), pages 5-13, February.
    2. Hakimu Sseviiri & Amanda Alencar & Yeeko Kisira, 2022. "Urban Refugees’ Digital Experiences and Social Connections During Covid-19 Response in Kampala, Uganda," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 10(2), pages 276-286.
    3. Samuel J. Spiegel & Johanne Mhlanga, 2022. "Refugee Policy Amidst Global Shocks: Encampment, Resettlement Barriers and the Search for ‘Durable Solutions’," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(4), pages 427-441, September.
    4. Zsuzsanna Arendas & Agnieszka Trąbka & Vera Messing & Marta Jadviga Pietrusińska & Dominika Winogrodzka, 2023. "Agency of Migrant Youth in Hostile Sociopolitical Environments: Case Studies from Central Eastern Europe," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Amanda Klassen, 2022. "From Vulnerability to Empowerment: Critical Reflections on Canada’s Engagement with Refugee Policy," Laws, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, March.

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