Written for the UK Collaborative on Development Research and ahead of Global Goals week, we explain how collaboration is vital to make the humanitarian sector more strategic.
Alisha Salsabila Indrawan
Disasters are not “natural” events but the result of structural inequalities—yet humanitarian practice still relies on labels like “vulnerable groups” that can obscure these root causes. This blog argues that the term “vulnerable” functions as colonial debris, reinforcing deficit narratives about people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ communities while overlooking the systems that produce risk. Drawing on evidence from Indonesia and Indigenous knowledge from Bugis and Javanese societies, it shows that inclusion is not a new or Western concept, but a historically grounded reality. The piece calls for a shift in disaster governance—from categorising people as passive recipients to recognising them as agents with knowledge and authority—through decolonising language, valuing local knowledge, and enabling genuine participation in decision-making.
Mihir Bhatt, Guest Blog, Eilidh Kennedy, Practitioner
One month after the Future of Aid 2040 report launch in New Delhi, hosted by IARAN, START Network, CHL, and the Humanitarian Hub, discussions continue across Berlin and Bogotá. The report envisions a reimagined aid system by 2040 centered on inclusivity, local leadership, and collective action. Key voices—including Sneha Mishra, Anuj Tiwari, Rajesh Kapoor, Vasundhara Pandey, and Manu Gupta—called for equitable resource distribution, decentralized decision-making, and stronger community ownership. AIDMI emphasized integrating local knowledge and the evolving role of AI to enhance future aid delivery and resilience.
Puji Pujiono, Practitioner
“The baby is in our hands — and I am terrified.
The fight to gain power was one challenge. The responsibility that follows is far greater. Leadership has shifted to local CSOs, but no resources came with it. No plan for capacity strengthening. No donor message saying, ‘This is the system you must support.’ If we create babies malnourished from the start, we risk watching them die before they grow — and the true victims will be the communities we serve.”
— Puji Pujiono, Senior Adviser, Pujiono Centre
Puji Pujiono, Practitioner
Amid systemic disruption and the unraveling of traditional aid paradigms, a transformative form of leadership is emerging from the Global South. Rooted in Indigenous knowledge, communal values, and contextual intelligence, this leadership model challenges entrenched power asymmetries and redefines humanitarian effectiveness. It does not seek to replicate Northern models, but instead cultivates authentic, regionally grounded responses shaped by collective wisdom and mutual accountability. This new leadership embraces complexity, fosters North-South symbiosis, and prepares for an increasingly multipolar humanitarian landscape. In doing so, it offers not only adaptation—but the foundation for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for humanitarian action.
Mariano Hernández, Guest Blog
OpenStreetMap emerges as a crucial tool in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where traditional aid efforts overlook peripheral communities and critical infrastructure remains unmapped. Hernández highlights how this participatory mapping platform can help bridge visibility gaps, allowing local actors to contribute vital geographic data. The article envisions four possible futures shaped by the intensity of conflict and access to open mapping tools: (1) High conflict with minimal access leads to continued invisibility of rural communities; (2) Low conflict with limited access risks long-term neglect of peripheral areas; (3) High conflict with ample access could enhance response coordination despite violence; and (4) Low conflict with broad mapping use enables inclusive recovery.
