About the Pledge for Change
The Pledge for Change 2030 re-imagines the role of INGOs in the global humanitarian and development aid system.
The Centre for Humanitarian Leadership is proud to be a supporter of the Pledge for Change, a series of three commitments aimed at re-imagining the role of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in the global humanitarian aid and development system. By signing on to the Pledge for Change – as a signatory or supporter – the goal is to shift the power more directly to local organisations in the global south while building a stronger aid ecosystem based on the principles of solidarity, humility, self-determination, and equality.
Please visit the Pledge for Change website for more information and a full list of signatories.
Pledge for Change and CHL
As a supporter of Pledge for Change, CHL participates in regular meetings organised by the Pledge signatory. In October 2024, we hosted the Asia Pacific virtual annual regional gathering of the Pledge for Change.
At the Pledge for Change meeting in Kenya in April, 2024, ALNAP, Adeso and CHL interviewed eight humanitarian leaders and thinkers from international and national humanitarian organisations to get key insights on the challenges around learning, localisation and decolonisation and the future of the sector. View the video series here.
The Pledge for Change is a critical milestone in moving the system forward from its current state of inertia toward more equitable and decolonised ways of working. CHL is incredibly proud to have been a part of Pledge for Change in a supportive and guiding role since its inception. While CHL is not an operational actor, we wholeheartedly endorse the pledge as a lever for systemic change.
– Mary Ana McGlasson, Director CHL
Background
Pledge for Change was spearheaded by Degan Ali, CEO of Adeso, an outspoken critic of traditional humanitarian and development aid, and Mary Ana McGlasson, CHL Director, who supported Adeso in making Pledge for Change a reality. Within a year, several INGO leaders joined the initiative as they wanted to change the current workings of the global aid system.
Adeso has pioneered forward-thinking approaches for decolonising aid delivery for over 29 years and continues to impact the entire humanitarian sector. As a result, Adeso is well known for its leadership in the localisation and power-shifting movements. Degan Ali has been at the forefront of action towards decolonisation and anti-racism in aid.
Localisation does not cut it for us. It’s a term that’s loaded with all the wrong things that we want to dismantle. Our communities and countries don’t need to be localised. We don’t need the global north people to do something to us or for us. We need global north organisations to recognise their purposeful neocolonial role in perpetuating an aid system that is all about continuing the power dynamics that continue to keep us in poverty and in a position of need.
– Degan Ali at the 2021 Humanitarian Leadership Conference
