“Jeffrey reminded us that localization is more than a development buzzword—it is the practice of shifting leadership, power, and decision-making to local actors. It means ensuring that communities have the resources, autonomy, and capacity to drive their own development journeys. At its heart, localization is about co-creating solutions with communities to tackle their most pressing challenges.
Jeffrey also highlighted the persistent obstacles within the current NGO framework. Local NGOs are often viewed as mere supplements to social services, positioned ambiguously between government and the private sector. While this enables them to engage with diverse stakeholders—from INGOs and governments to CBOs and corporations—it also leaves them vulnerable to structural inequalities.
Too often, partnerships are predatory or extractive. Local identities are devalued when preference is given to organizations that fit global standards. Local expertise is undermined through paternalistic “capacity-building” and imposed technologies. Ironically, INGOs are seen as leaders in local development efforts, while local NGOs are relegated to passive implementers instead of being recognized as equal partners and agents of change.”
Read the full story on Relinked Network.
