Faith in localisation? The experiences of local faith actors engaging with the international humanitarian system in South Sudan

Abstract

Localisation, as it aims to shift power in the humanitarian system, will involve the increased inclusion of local faith actors, those national and local faith-affiliated groups and organisations that are often first, and last, responders in crises and have been responding in humanitarian contexts for many years, but often in parallel to humanitarian coordination mechanisms. In primary research in South Sudan with local faith actors and international humanitarian actors, this article aims to examine the inroads and barriers to local faith actor involvement in the humanitarian system and the realisation of localisation with local actors such as these. The research is based on an ethnographic study in which researchers were imbedded in a humanitarian project that aimed to help bridge divides between local faith actors and the international humanitarian system. The findings are based on one-on-one and group interviews with 89 participants from a range of international and local, and faith and secular, organisations. Findings indicate that local faith actors are active in responding to crises and want to be linked to the humanitarian system, but they feel distanced from it and pigeonholed as local faith actors. Formalisation through the appropriate registration systems and then training and networking with the humanitarian system helped them build legitimacy and feel confident to participate in humanitarian coordination. International humanitarian actors can help bridge barriers by understanding and connecting with the local faith actors and challenging their own assumptions about who local faith actors are.

‘All in good faith?’ An ethno-historical analysis of local faith actors’ involvement in the delivery of mental health interventions in northern Uganda

“…Despite roots in a long history of Christian missionary efforts, and despite fundamental links to altruism and compassion, the humanitarian system is generally understood in secular terms (Barnett, 2011;Ferris, 2011). Over the past decade, however, the role of faith in humanitarian work has become the object of renewed interest, in what Wilkinson et al (2022) call a 'turn to religion' among international aid actors. Scholars have argued for the recognition of religion and spirituality as central to the lives of crisis-affected groups (Ager & Ager, 2011;Wurtz & Wilkinson, 2020).…”

“…On the other hand, humanitarian policy and discourse has increasingly advocated for a move towards the localisation of the operational delivery of assistance. By virtue of the legitimacy which they often retain among their communities, local faith actors (LFAs) have become particularly significant in mediating the distribution of humanitarian assistance (Thomson, 2014; Wilkinson et al, 2022). At a time at which MHPSS interventions are burgeoning thanks to the influence of the field of global mental health, humanitarians have begun to involve LFAs in the provision of MHPSS.…”

Humanitarian response by grassroots associations during a military conflict

“…However, the capacity of local actors is often poorly understood and underestimated by international organizations (Matopoulos et al , 2014; Sheppard et al , 2013; Tanner and Moro, 2016). Locally led response in the humanitarian system, or “localization,” has emerged as a practical response and an academic field (Elkahlout and Elgibali, 2020; Pincock et al , 2021; Wilkinson et al , 2022). However, evaluations of the challenges and capabilities of localization have been driven primarily by communities of practice rather than empirically grounded, theoretically informed research (Elkahlout and Elgibali, 2020).…”

Responsiveness to Religious Inequalities in Contexts of Displacement: Evidence from Providers of Humanitarian Assistance to Shi'a Hazara Refugees from Afghanistan in Pakistan

“…This includes the disconnect between international, secular actors on the one hand and local, faith-based actors on the other (Wilkinson et al 2022). Closer coordination of international, national and local as well as secular and faith-based approaches, bringing together the knowledge and skills of various actors, could help ensure that religious inequalities are considered in all types of humanitarian settings.…”

“…are often amongst the key responders to refugee crises, hosting and assisting newly incoming refugees (Fiddian-Qasmiyeh 2018, 2020; Fiddian-Qasmiyeh and Pacitto 2019; Lauterbach 2021).In large parts of the world, local actors are faith actors, who are motivated by their faith and/or frame their humanitarian work in religious terms(Wurtz and Wilkinson 2020;Lauterbach 2021), even if they would not refer to themselves as 'faith actors'. Local actors often feel alienated and excluded by the international humanitarian system, due to conflicting priorities and approaches(El Nakib and Ager 2015;Wilkinson et al 2022). International faith actors, and particularly faith-based NGOs, have often been referred to as possible intermediaries between local faith actors and communities on the one hand and international and national secular actors on the other(Kraft and Smith 2018).…”