The locally led approach is about development efforts being led, controlled and shaped by the people closest to the challenges that need to be solved. Local civil society organizations, local communities and other actors in the Global South are not just implementation partners, but the primary driving forces behind change.
At Yellow World in Zimbabwe, priorities are set by the organisation itself in close collaboration with the youth groups they bring together in the city of Bulawayo. Mentor Dlamini, Director of Yellow World, explains:
- In Yellow World, we have found a good balance between facilitating and setting up activities, but at the same time also being constantly responsive to what makes sense for the young people who are involved. We are part of an ecosystem of young people who get many good ideas, and we help ensure that those ideas can be realized and translated into change here in Bulawayo.
Louisa Mwatse, a musician and programme officer in the youth network Yellow World in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, shares:
- Many young people in Zimbabwe live in desperation and with great mental stress. Suicide rates have been rising sharply in recent years. The difficult emotions can be released through creative expression, and the shared experiences that art and culture can create for young people help create hope, unity, and a strengthened youth. We have actually managed to work hand-in-hand with councilors of the community of Pumula to ensure that activities held in the community have the power to not only touch the lives of young people, but also raises awareness on the need for spaces which allow young people to freely express themselves. The hope is to create an empowered and creative society with a healthy mental state of mind.
It is central to a locally led development approach to invite target groups to participate much more in developing solutions and have control over resources than many development actors have been used to. This creates stronger and more sustainable development processes.
-For us in Yellow World, we have established a small pool in our program where we can support young people's ideas to work for green and social areas, sports activities, exhibitions or concerts. It creates energy, courage and unity, leadership, so that everyday life becomes a little easier.
When power is placed with the actors who know the context best, the solutions become more relevant and long-term. Another key part of a locally led development approach is therefore local decision-making power. Organizations and local communities in the Global South must have real power over how development funds are used, so that they can prioritize solutions that create lasting change. At the same time, civil society is strengthened when organizations not only deliver activities, but also build their capacity to organize, influence policy and hold power holders accountable.
Why is locally led development so important?
Most actors in civil society–based development have long sought to establish equal partnerships. This can be challenging when one party provides the funding. In some cases, this has meant that decisions were made far from the communities and people engaged in the work. Locally led development places local ownership at the centre. When local actors can develop the solutions, they are better adapted to the social, cultural, and political context.
Civil society and communities are strengthened because organisations and citizens gain control over their own development and can work strategically and long-term. The starting point is local strategies and priorities, and the Danish partner’s role is defined jointly so that partners make the best possible use of their skills and create synergy in the implementation of activities.
- We think we have gained a much higher degree of flexibility and more community engagement as activities are now based on needs vs time .through the program agreement that we operate by with some other Zimbabwean youth organizations and the Danish organisation Dreamtown with CISU funding. As opposed to the previous “project-based” funding. This allows us to be much more relevant in relation to the ecosystem we are a part of, Dlamini concludes.
What is CISU doing to promote locally led development?
- CISU has a commitment to promoting locally led development in partnerships between Danish organizations and their partners in the Global South and in the way we administer development funds, Rune explains.
CISU works to ensure that more funds go to local actors, that they are given real decision-making competence and the necessary leeway to define priorities themselves, develop solutions and drive change on their own terms. Local organizations should have control over both strategy and resources so that they can work long-term, build capacity and strengthen their own role in civil society.
CISU, as an association, participates in a number of international networks working to promote locally led development, including the Reimagining INGOs (RINGO) initiative, the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), CIVICUS, and the Locally Led Adaptation Community of Practice.
- Locally led development is not just an ideal, but a necessity if we want sustainable and equitable development. CISU will continue to work to strengthen local actors and ensure that development cooperation is driven by those who know the challenges best – and have the strongest solutions, Rune concludes.
Find inspiration on how to build Locally led partnerships in CISUs tools