The Pledge for Change is an initiative that aims to rethink the role of international NGOs in the humanitarian aid system and commit signatories to concrete steps that will promote localization.
The Pledge for Change 2030 document has three chapters: equal partnership, authentic storytelling, and promoting further change. The participants pledged to achieve the indicators by 2030, hence the document's name. The document currently has thirteen signatories.
The signing of the pledges has led to the creation of an ecosystem that monitors their implementation, measures progress, and proposes new approaches to implementation. It includes the Accountability and Learning Mechanism, which provides for independent localization assessment and collection of case studies from participants and their local partners, as well as four working groups. The working groups are designed to unite local organizations and enable them to become consultants in the localization process.
More information is available at https://pledgeforchange2030.org.
Why is it important to have this document in Ukrainian?
Firstly, the signatory organizations include those working in Ukraine, such as CARE International, Christian Aid, Mercy Corps, and Save the Children. This document can serve as an additional resource for advocating the interests of Ukrainian organizations to these INGOs.
Second, having a Ukrainian translation means being represented in the international dialogue. Localization movements started in Latin America, so now international organizations consider their experience as leading in this area. Ukraine is considered part of Europe, i.e., part of the 'colonial world.' We must reiterate that we also have the right to be part of the dialogue and suffer from a superior approach to aid from donors.
Philanthropists and the Pledge for Change team
Our organization learned part of the Pledge for Change team while creating an open letter. It used their experience as an example of how to make a document that would drive localization processes.
A year later, we met with Kate Moger, Executive Director of Pledge for Change, and offered to translate the document so Ukrainian organizations could use it as an advocacy tool. We are grateful that she supported this idea.
The document will be helpful for you if you work with the international organizations that signed the letter and want to make your partnerships more equal and open.
We encourage you to read the document here: