Decolonisation of humanitarian aid: Groupe URD (re)launches the debate

In 2019, the multiplication of climate crises; in 2022, new ways of looking at the quality of aid; last year, the end of political innocence (…): for over fifteen years, Groupe URD has set powerful themes on the table at its Autumn Schools. 2024 was no different: this year’s Autumn School provided a space for exchange and collaborative reflection on a sensitive topic: ‘what paths towards decolonised aid?’. It was a bold but necessary choice – essential, in fact – to stir up something of a hornets’ nest within the francophone humanitarian aid community. It belongs squarely in the current context of profound transformation of the international balance of power, against the background of the diminishing influence of the West. In the field, the basics of aid are increasingly questioned, or indeed rejected, by local actors who point the finger at hidden interests or continuing relationships of domination. Among the most recent examples of such tension is the way Sahelian countries no longer hesitate to break off their cooperation with aid actors and their partners. Bernard Taithe, professor at Manchester University (UK), where he co-founded the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, began by recalling the colonial legacy of the countries described as the global North: ‘There’s something here that we just can’t deny, affecting not only power relationships or relationships around knowledge production, but also identity, our personal stories, and our societies in general. … It’s expressed in practice by things that are left unsaid, by the unequal exercise of power, and – it must be said – by certain types of violence. All these things must be acknowledged, before we can deal with the ensuing challenges.’ This launched the first Round Table into very lively discussions on the reasons for talking about the decolonisation of aid. It also established a basis for later exchanges, which developed the issue of the need for a wake-up call – institutional and individual – on the imperative of change, and then on ways to achieve it. Eleanor Davey, an independent external consultant, studied power relationships and inequalities within Médecins Sans Frontières, and one of her key observations was about the influence of an emergency culture, often prevalent in the [humanitarian] sector: ‘it tends to conjure up a vivid short-term picture derived from the need to deal with an immediate challenge which may not always reflect reality in the field. At MSF UK, this way of looking at things results in an operational model which requires decisions to be taken fast. This translates into a situation where local communities aren’t consulted often enough, and teams despatched in-country are automatically thought of as experts and authorities. But if you see yourself as a saviour, you tend to neglect the independent judgement and the “savoir-faire” of those who are directly affected.’

Is the outlook hopeful?

Following on from Round Tables that Groupe URD devised to fully set out the issue of the decolonisation of aid, the Autumn School continued via forums where participants decided for themselves on discussion themes. Among numerous questions raised were the following: how can attitudes be changed at the level of the individual, but also at the institutional and political levels? How best should an unsettled geopolitical context be taken into account? What role do questions of coloniality play in current reflections on environmental footprints or adaptation to climate change? How far should NGOs take a stand – or indeed campaign − on the question of coloniality? Discussions were lively and intense, aiming to come up with boundaries, solutions and additional perspectives which might, tomorrow, open the door to humanitarian action that is better aware of the reflexes needing to be jettisoned. In reporting on the forums, one participant called first for ‘the courage to question ourselves, for example when we still demonstrate at times a sort of white supremacy (of course), but also to warn, or to raise the alarm, when we observe postures of dominance being established’. One working group considered the crucial question of access to funding by the humanitarian aid sector, and by a system which has numerous limitations, in matters of funding as well as in other areas. Other issues: international NGOs’ and donors’ fear of allowing local partners to take the initiative; risks linked to the modalities of taking responsibility for action; the need to demonstrate more innovation and flexibility; sharing responsibility: ‘The donors must change their way of seeing things’, suggested a participant who works in West Africa. The participant next to him wholeheartedly agreed and recalled the example of green funds for the ecological transition which appear to be practically inaccessible to some organisations. In an even more radical tone – the word ‘necessity’ was heard several times from members of the group – some speakers argued in favour of introducing within French NGOs quotas for staff from the global South and/or below a given age, to create a more inclusive and representative governance dynamic. Points were also made about setting up alliances of actors to develop collective positions at international level, and about clarifying the principle of political neutrality. One working group spokesperson added on the latter point: ‘The deliberate not taking of positions on certain issues at the present time is incomprehensible, particularly to the younger generation. Here too, taking risks is indispensable, no doubt of it.’ Persistent colonial models? Latent hypocrisy? Power relationships which in the end do not change and create tensions even among humanitarians themselves. What if the sector in its entirety were forced to redefine its own political project as well as its intervention models? The message emerging from the 2024 Autumn School is that more is needed than simple deconstruction to change boundaries; we need a formal injunction to develop further. ‘From aid to aiding one another’ as one participant summed it up. The Autumn School reminded us that humanitarians and development actors are, more than ever before, at a crossroads.

Groupe URD, with Damien Guillou

/// WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS SAID

‘The semantics must be reviewed.

’One of the violences done by colonisation is to take away the identity of the other, subjugating him or making what you want of him. The aid system has inherited, among other things, a specific semantics. Calling other people ‘targets’ is doing them violence. I’m thinking too of the systematic way people describe themselves as ‘experts’, but who is really the expert in a situation? The person who’s living that situation, or us, with our academic knowledge? ‘Exploratory mission’, ‘field’, ‘benefits’, ‘needs’, etc.: we need to begin by reviewing our semantics.
Martine Gwana Passa, support officer in Gret’s scientific department.

‘A sector driven into a corner.’

In some parts of the world we’re coming across the phenomenon of saying ‘no’ to the status quo, and so the [humanitarian] sector is driven into a corner by partner states, civil society, youth, and has to question itself anew, and put new frameworks in place. Being here, together, looking at this crisis, is a powerful sign.
Alexandra Vasseur, independent consultant on the management of transitions for inclusive sustainable development.

‘A subject that requires nuanced analysis.’

I’m always a little frightened by the dogma and dominant thinking about the decolonisation of aid, which is tricky and, in my view, requires nuanced analysis. Let’s be clear: there are states/countries without the freedom of association that would allow us to work with local NGOs. We need to be aware of this, because it’s another subject we must work on.’
Carine Magen-Fabregat, specialist in qualitative methods and community approaches in the department for skills and advocacy, Action Contre la Faim.

‘Ideas germinating.’

Why am I here at the Autumn School? To learn from the ideas germinating here and share them with different branches of Médecins du Monde. The decolonisation of aid is still an extremely complex subject, which goes to the very heart of our personal and collective histories. It’s a long process, which I want to go on disseminating in my organisation, as part of the implementation of our strategic plan.
Christophe Vavasseur, specialist in strategic development, Médecins du Monde.

‘Review the position of international NGOs.’

The way the international solidarity system works, even today, gives the impression that local NGOs or other local organisations can’t manage funds, write reports, have proper governance arrangements, etc. This isn’t the case. While we wait for these assumptions to be overridden, international NGOs continue to garner most of the available funding and to do the thinking for the [affected] communities, only setting up partnerships at a later stage. A relationship of trust between donors and local actors has yet to be created. For their part, the NGOs need to review their position, and – for example – recognise that theirs is an intermediary role, since often there are teams or groups in-country with proven specialist knowledge and competencies, well able to take charge.’
Hamet Diallo, Project leader for integrated water resource management, Gret.

‘Take inspiration from the Autumn School for my own work.’

I’ve met here at the Autumn School people with whom I intend to stay in touch. In addition, I’m taking away with me a better understanding of decolonisation, and of its potential importance within systems and structures as well as at the personal level. I plan to do more to take the subject into account in my own work from now on.
Felicity Fallon, Head of Learning and Events, Sphere Standards.