In this deeply insightful article, Dr Farah Mihlar unpicks the concept of localisation by arguing that the power-hierarchy that it seeks to dislocate cannot shift until coloniality, the underlying logic of colonialism, is acknowledged and dealt with. The paper challenges the basis upon which humanitarian knowledge production and ways of being are founded and exposes the dominance of the ‘Global North’ within these systems.
"De-linking, dis-obeying and re-existence or decoloniality is critical for the humanitarian sector before and above localisation."
Using decolonial theory Mihlar disrupts popular notions in the sector and asks humanitarian leaders to confront and interrogate the gatekeeping practices that perpetuate the capacity gaps that prevent more effective localisation.
