About
We are committed to changing the humanitarian system, pushing for meaningful localisation through supporting locally-led crisis response, documenting and sharing evidence, and putting local-actors at the forefront of crisis response.
We were founded in 2009 with research into community responses to crisis. This research provides the foundation for the supporting community-led crisis response approach, and we now partner with a variety of local, national, and international organisations to implement this approach around the world.
Sclr and community-led initiatives around the world are supported by our evolving network of sclr Hubs. These communities of practice meet regularly to exchange best practice and peer learning between sclr practitioners, and to support NGOs and community organisations through training in sclr and other community-led methods.
Research
We have conducted community-oriented action research in Burma/Myanmar, Kenya the occupied Palestinian territories, the Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan and Zimbabwe, among others. These studies explore the experiences of people faced with threats and challenges to their protection and survival during crises such as armed conflict, protracted socio-political crises and natural disasters
Taking a step back, our research into The Humanitarian Economy investigated how humanitarian funding flows through the system, testing how commitments to localisation are born out in practice. Looking at funding to local and national NGOs as well as representation of local actors in coordination bodies, this project compared the promises of international organisations, governments and donors to their progress against their commitments.
Our research is conducted in close collaboration between international and national researchers, and findings are confirmed in country before publication.
Read a summary of our key findings and recommendations here.
Training
The supporting community-led crisis response (sclr) approach grew out of research and experience with communities in crises, as a means of supporting and growing the natural mutual aid efforts that exist in any such context.
This approach focuses on transferring power and agency from international donors and aid organisations to the individuals, groups and communities affected by crisis. Growing from its initial development in a few contexts, sclr is now successfully implemented in a range of crisis contexts around the world, with support from local, national, and international organisations.
For more about how to implement sclr in your own context please see the Training section.
HPN 84 gives a full overview of ten years experience implementing sclr. Read it here.
Who are we?
Local to Global Protection is an initiative by aid workers and activists with a variety of backgrounds in crisis response. Our core commitment is the meaningful transfer of power and agency to local and national actors in crisis. To achieve this, we work with and try to influence organisations and individuals at all levels of the humanitarian system, as well as learning and policy institutions. L2GP is hosted and supported by DanChurchAid, Act Church of Sweden and Christian Aid but works as an independent and open-source collective. L2GP also receives financial support from Danida
Local and national organisations
Local and national actors have been central both to conducting research and developing the sclr approach. You can find out more about some of the local organisations we work with in the hub and country pages.
International Agencies and think-tanks:
We have also enjoyed close collaboration and support from: Christian Aid, DanChurchAid, Act Church of Sweden, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, the ACT Alliance, PeaceDirect, Saferworld, ReflAction, ODI HPG, ALNAP, NOHA, Group URD, Kings College London and Academy for Humanitarian Action (AHA)
Regional Hub Coordinators
We currently have four active regional hubs in our network with more in development. You can find out more information on the sclr hubs page.
Angela Milena Mesa
Angela co-cordinates the LA CdP and works with Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe in partnership with 8 local NGOs in Venezuela and Colombia. She has 16 years’ experience with victims of conflict, indigenous populations, migrants, and people with disabilities. She is an expert in the design, support and monitoring of humanitarian projects with a focus on protection and education during emergencies.
Maria Elena Barajas
Representante Benposta Llanos
Maria co-cordinates the LA CdP and works with Benposta Llanos, a local organisation working in Colombia since 1982. She has 20 years’ experience in community work, leadership training and youth participation, focused on formulating and implementing social projects for prevention of conflict and protection of children and adolescents affected by armed conflict.
Muhammed Alp
Action For Humanity / Turkey
Muhammed is a Co-Coordinator for the MENA Hub. He is a Youth & Community Development Specialist with 10+ years of experience in humanitarian projects management, economic empowerment, and leadership. He believes in the transformative power of empowering affected communities and youth, fostering their potential to become resilient leaders and driving sustainable change from within.
Nadja Sørelvmo
DCA/NCA Palestine
Nadja is co-coordinator of the regional sclr MENA hub. She believes there’s a need to restructure the sector, and that this work begins with transferring power and resources from large international institutions to local communities directly affected by crisis and conflict.
Sagal Hussein
Sagal is coordinator of the regional sclr East Africa Hub. Sagal is a forward-thinking action-oriented learning and development leader who prioritizes resource management, design thinking, and data analysis to champion risk-taking and meaningful impact.
Samy Usaci
Santé et Developpement
Samy has been working in the DRC for 10 years in the humanitarian field for Sante et Developpment (SAD), by bringing smiles to people in crisis situations. Coordinator and initiator of CoP RDC, Samy is one of the pioneers of the sclr approach in South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has been appointed by the DRC’s national NGO platform, CONAFOHD, as an sclr expert.
Other Colleagues
Charlotte Greene
Charlotte believes that local communities should lead and guide the work of international aid actors and sees an urgent need for a true shift in power and perspective within the sector. She supports L2GP’s work by leading co-design workshops and providing coaching and mentoring to the East Africa, DRC, and Haiti CoPs.
Emma Pritchard
Emma works in human rights, communications and research, when she is not supporting L2GP with communications she works to improve the representation of marginalised voices and in peacebuilding and human rights.
Justin Corbett
Justin has over 35 years experience working in aid to support participatory responses to crises. He feels a deep unease with the current disempowering norms of humanitarian and protection programming while being inspired by what local people can achieve when given the support.
Mai Sabi Jarrar
East Jerusalem YMCA
Mai leads the Women’s Development Program at the East Jerusalem YMCA, and teams up with L2GP to promote sclr approaches that put women, men, and youth in the driver’s seat of development.
Mandeep Mudhar
Mandeep supports L2GP with its research and practice around sclr; she also focuses on humanitarian and resilience programming and strategy. Mandeep also works with individuals as a transformation coach.
Matthew Tebbutt
Christian Aid
Matthew supports L2GP with research and other coordination aspects. His background is in locally led cash and markets work as well as having generic humanitarian programme management experience. He is doing a lot of unlearning.
Nils Carstensen
L2Gp & DanChurchAid
Nils has been part of L2GP since it was just an idea evolving out chats in tea shops and cafes. He has a background in humanitarian aid, research, journalism, photography, and filmmaking. His ambition is to shift power, money and decision-making from big institutions and governments to local people and communities.
Regina “Nanette” Salvador-Antequisa
Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits, Inc. (ECOWEB)
Nanette is Executive Director of ECOWEB and Convenor of Community-led Emergency Action Response Network (CLEARNet) promoting sclr in The Philippines. She actively advocates for localisation with A4EP and through Charter for Change and has been in development, peace, humanitarian and resilience work for about 30 years.
Shahnaz Jubran
DCA / NCA Office, Palestine
Shahnaz is the Head of Programmes for the DCA/NCA Palestine office working to defend the rights of Palestinians under international law, ensure access to livihoods and enable communities to withstand and recover from shocks and live dignified lives.
Simone di Vicenz
Simone is passionate about empowering processes that put people at the centre. He leads sclr programmes, learning pieces and co-design workshops. He believes that working collaboratively, putting aside labels and logos, and listening humbly is the only way to support the most marginalised people across the world.
Ylva Blondel
Act Church of Sweden
Ylva believes in the strength of the human spirit and local ingenuity. She has over 20 years experience in aid, incl. 12 with the UN, and is passionate about finding ways to change and leverage international decision-making to empower and include marginalized communities. She is a proud newcomer to L2GP and artist who loves to observe and analyse stuff (PhD)
Get in touch:
For further information on L2GP, supporting community-led crisis response and research into individual and community responses to crisis please get in touch.
Registered office:
C/O DanChurchAid
Meldahlsgade 3
Copenhagen, 1613
Denmark