CDA Collaborative Learning Projects

"As a sector, we are much better at talking about people in poverty, than with them." In this new article, Patrick Watt, CEO of Christian Aid, reflects on his organisation's efforts towards localisation. He explores how Christian Aid have striven to create more headspace within the organisation to think about how to co-create with partners, become more responsive to affected communities, and therefore have greater impact. Read on 👉 https://lnkd.in/eSNcA-R4 #ChristianAid #Localisation #HumanitarianResponse #INGO

FWIS Friday: Gabriel Mukoloka discusses his experience with implementing an adaptive management approach to programming in the DRC, and how this approach leads to greater locally led development and community ownership. -- CDA's From Where I Stand blog platform is a virtual learning forum highlighting the stories and experiences of people most affected by aid. Take a look back at some of our very first posts, and get in touch if you're interested in contributing!

It's World Cities Day 🏙️ As the global population becomes increasingly urban, cities around the world are facing a host of new challenges, including migration, climate change, and land and food insecurity. Explore our visual story to understand how communities in informal settlements in Suva, Fiji are adapting to multiple challenges and fostering social cohesion by leaning into their traditional knowledge. Ruth Rhoads Allen Diana Campos Siad Darwish, PhD Conciliation Resources Pacific Centre for Peacebuilding

We all discuss the importance of equitable research partnerships, but what if this widespread agreement hinders progress? In my response to Enrique Mendizabal, I unpack the hidden challenges of focusing superficially on equity within specific projects or initiatives. We need more than agreement on the idea of equity—we need a new narrative, one that challenges the systems sustaining these inequities and may even spark disagreement! Actual progress requires collective action driven by Global South institutions, shaping the research landscape on their terms rather than conforming to established norms. Links in comments

Great work from CDA Senior Associate Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Ph.D.!

Bond, Peace Direct, and The Advocacy Team have created a new set of resources and findings focused on advancing anti-racist and decolonial approaches in international policy and advocacy. Bond’s Lena B. and Katherine Strasser-Williams and Peace Direct’s Kit Dorey introduces us: https://bit.ly/3C7Q2IC

Dear LinkedIn Family, I am beyond excited to share my new initiative with you! 🌟 Creative Writing for Social Change is a fusion of Virtual Exchange and creative writing workshops. 🌟 Each two-hour session will be a blend of intercultural dialogue activities and creative writing skills including; Finding Your Literary Voice, How to Write Good Dialogue, Character Development, Plot and Storytelling Techniques and Using Descriptive Language and Imagery. 🌟 Each cohort of between 8-12 participants will join one weekly session for four weeks. 🌟 This is for adults of all ages, young and old, of any background to dialogue and write creatively about the social issues that are most important to you, whether that is Islamophobia or Antisemitism, Patriarchy or Neurodiversity, Nationalism or Climate Change, Sexuality or Democracy. 🌟 Sessions will be charged at an hourly rate equivalent to the national minimum wage in your country of residence. There are also a limited number of scholarship places available. I would love you to come and be part of the story! https://lnkd.in/dGxfCemX I would be hugely grateful if you could please share this with anyone who you think would be interested! Thank you!

Calling all CSO leaders! Humentum just launched the CSO ERA (Equity, Resilience, and Accountability) Index Survey to elevate the voices of CSOs and make the journey to locally led development more collaborative and equitable. By taking this 20-minute survey, you will you be able to map your CSO against others in a one-of-a-kind benchmark, and get immediate value for your organization through resources including: 🔶 Code of Conduct/Ethics Policy template 🔶 Finance Manual template 🔶 Budgeting Tips guide 🔶 Proposal Writing tips 🔶 Strategic Plan framework 🔶 And more These resources — created by Humentum subject matter experts who have years of practical, hands-on experience — were designed to help CSOs like you on the journey to operational excellence and financial sustainability. Humentum is giving them away for free as a thank you to those CSOs supporting the survey. After filling out the survey, you will receive an automatic email with the free resources, your ERA score summary, and benchmarking against other respondents. P.S. You will also receive the full Index report with anonymized results from all respondents early 2025. Stay tuned!

Over the past year, we've heard from our global community on what CDA means to you, how we've impacted your own work, and where you see us going next. Take a look back at our #30for30 campaign celebrating CDA's 30th anniversary, and let us know which quote resonates with you the most!

ICYMI: New blog from CDA's Hasangani (Hasi) Edema-Reynolds! Why aren't we doing what we know? Despite possessing an abundance of tools, resources, knowledge, and well-intentioned recommendations, large aid organizations often fail to implement what they know works best. Hasi explores why this cycle continues, as well as unconventional approaches to finally break it.