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By Mary Mwendwa
Nairobi– Adeso, in partnership with Oxfam America and Oxfam International, has launched a global listening and advocacy tour to bring the voices of people in the Global South into debates on the future of international aid.
The Global South Overseas Development Aid Listening and Advocacy Tour comes at a time of upheaval in the international aid system. It seeks to answer a question the organizers say has long been ignored: what would development cooperation look like if it were shaped by the leadership and lived experiences of the people it is meant to serve?
At the center of the initiative is Adeso Kuja, a digital platform that connects local organizations, civil society groups and funders across the Global South. The platform aims to shift power and resources to grassroots organizations and to make more visible those working closest to the communities most in need of development support.
The organizers say the tour addresses a critical gap: the systematic exclusion of local actors from global policy discussions. It will engage civil society groups, community leaders, public service users, local governments, academics and development practitioners, with the goal of building a more legitimate, equitable and locally informed vision for the future of aid.
“For too long, decisions about international aid have been made in rooms far removed from the communities they affect,” said Degan Ali, Executive Director of Adeso. “This project is about shifting that power.”
Ms Ali said the partnership combines the strengths of both organizations. “By combining Oxfam’s advocacy and donor-market influence with Adeso’s deep Global South networks and digital infrastructure, we are ensuring that the people closest to the challenges are the ones driving structural solutions to poverty and inequality,” she said. “The fundamental changes we seek in the aid system can only happen if we center the people with the greatest needs.”
Online and in-person consultations
The project will use a mix of digital and face-to-face engagement. The Kuja platform will host online discussion forums and wider digital consultations, with priority given to people working directly on the frontlines of community development.
Organizers will also hold in-person consultations, workshops and interviews in four countries: Nigeria, Guatemala, Somalia and Bangladesh. The fieldwork will be paired with country-level policy analyses and literature reviews.
“Through an approach that combines action research and advocacy, we will conduct targeted in-person consultations, workshops and interviews,” Ms Ali said. “This will help us properly document the impact of aid and the reforms needed to better meet the needs of people in the Global South, ensuring they can live in dignity and not depend on aid forever.”
