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Self Report 2018

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 4A
    Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Commits, where relevant, to the 17 joint Diaspora commitments, which include providing a voice and delivering actions towards resolving root causes of conflict and current conflict situations, aligning humanitarian response work and activities with humanitarian principles; ensuring social inclusion in all efforts, and working holistically and meaningfully with all humanitarian response stakeholders towards efficient, inclusive and people-centered humanitarian action to support vulnerable people and communities.


    • Policy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Partners: Doz e. V., Hope for Ebola Orphans Foundation - Sierra Leone, From Street to School, Somali Rehabilitation and Development Association (SORADA), Verband Deutsch-Syrischer Hilfsvereine e.V., The Association of Sierra Leone Healthcare Professionals Abroad (TOSHPA), Organization for Rehabilitation of Somalia (OFROSOM), Afghansk Kulturforening, African Community Association of Bolton, AYAD, Barada Syrienhilfe, CEO Associates, Danish Human Appeal, DAN-TA QOYS-KA (The Family), Diaspora African Women's Network, Deutsch Syrisches forum e.V., Engayde, Federation of Ghanaian diaspora in Europe, Gender Education & Enterprise Development for Africa (GEEDA), Girl Child Network Sierra Leone, Hand in Hand for Syria, Heads Up (Africa), Heaven Homes and Children's Centres, HIRDA DK, HIRDA UK, Homes League Abroad, IDAY-UK, Katib Cultural Association, Kindeslaecheln, LGBT Christians in Exiles, Lepont UK, LunchBoxGift, Movimento degli Africani, Nakuru Environmental and Cultural Trust, Sawa foundation UK, SHF -Syrian Humanity Forum e.V., Shabaka Social Enterprise, SLUKDERT, South People's Projects-Soppro, SSPDO, Youth With A Global Vision

    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Other-4A

    Volunteering is a key way that we have seen diaspora assist and felt more could be done in this space in terms of humanitarian response. AFFORD is now working with DRC on an EU Aid Volunteers project that will enable us to develop our knowledge and skills in this area to be able to impart knowledge to our partners in Europe and in Africa about effective volunteering. We see this as an important way of reinforcing national and local systems as these systems have shown that they do not fully recognise the important resource the diaspora provides.

    AFFORD have been working with the initiative DEMAC (www.demac.org) on the development of an eLearning platform focused on diaspora humanitarians and their local partners to easily access humanitarian training relevant to their situation and experience. This learning platform will also provide the opportunity for interested parties to gain insight into some of the considerations needed when working with diaspora and local partners.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The projects we are working on with partners help us monitor the outcomes and outputs based on our commitments. Outside of these projects we informally note how many organisations and individuals we introduce to formal humanitarian organizations, opportunities to present their experience at different events and build relationships.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    • Funding amounts
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    These challenges mean that work we want to do takes longer than hoped as the limitations mentioned above introduce layers of work or necessary innovation that slows the pace of implementing plans or limits the scope of work the desired activities would like to have achieved.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    AFFORD plans to apply to be a certified sending organization for the EU  Aid Volunteers project. Our work on the eLearning platform will end in 2018 and we will work on highlighting the platform and sharing its existence with our partners for greater buy in and usage.

    AFFORD will also be working with different initiatives such as Migrants in Countries in Crisis Initiative (MICIC) to help increase the inclusion of diaspora humanitarians within the sector, in their countries of residence and home countries.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    AFFORD as a partner on DEMAC was able to attend a WHS initiatives meeting in Geneva and this was very helpful in meeting like minded projects and finding avenues to work together. Further support in connecting initiatives would be welcome. Support in encouraging potential partners on humanitarian space and governments on the importance of working with 'new actors' or at least actively learning about them would be very helpful in accomplishing collective progress.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    AFFORD ensuring that varied and appropriate diaspora voices are heard in important decision-making spaces is a point of good practice. It is too easy for organisations and institutions to speak for or on behalf of affected people. Impact has often been seen when supported communities are given the tools to speak for themselves.

    Keywords

    Local action