In preparation for our mission to participate in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in late September, Shabaka landed in Washington on 10 September 2024 for bilateral stakeholder meetings, attendance at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference, and most importantly to meet our stateside diaspora partners.
Our research has shown us how interconnected the work of diaspora truly is and so it was very useful to meet partners and attend events to inform our knowledge of the policy and civil society environment in the US. The activities and events around UNGA also provided valuable learning for us on the current state of the humanitarian landscape and the expansion of humanitarian actors working hard to make a difference in challenging circumstances.
Some findings and take aways that stood out include:
Diversification of voices is key
Inclusivity is a central concern in these high level international convenings to ensure insights and experiences are not missed. This is admirable but not always achieved as meaningfully as we would hope. There was a good diversity of voices in the side events that covered everything from youth, women, LGBTQ+, climate change and many other important challenges of our time. However, the question remains of how much of the information shared and the impactful speakers in attendance get to be seen and heard by the decision- makers in a way that can make a difference? On this point, the practical challenges of attendance for overseas participants must not be ignored. A term floating around the activities was ‘visa repression’. Once the expensive ticket has been bought and exorbitant accommodation has been acquired it is a lottery as to whether your visa application will be successful. Even an invitation from government entities or the participant being part of a national delegation does not ensure visa success. This process is at once demoralising and deeply frustrating for those whose presence and contributions are essential. As a participant said at an event at the Ford Foundation
“Getting a visa for local actors to come to meetings in countries like America is frustrating and leaves actors out of the conversation”.
For civil society actors these spaces are invaluable as it does provide the opportunity for us to learn from each other, connect and support one another.
Shabaka is part of a multistakeholder coalition putting forward a Commitment To Action (CTA) to mobilise and garner support for Mutual Aid Groups in Sudan who are truly on the frontlines and need our support and resources. It was so impactful to have Amel Gorani (Urgent Action Fund – Africa) and Haitham Elnour (Emergency Response Rooms) take the stage to highlight the severe humanitarian need in Sudan from those at the frontline and appeal to the audience to support in enabling the continuation of their important work. CGI provides a platform for society changing actors to appeal to those with funds and the desire to support change. These potential funders come from varied spaces be it private sector, philanthropic, donor agencies and more. This space created two days of opportunity for match making, new partnerships and introductions that can make a difference in the work we are doing. The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) event was attended by over 1,000 delegates.
CGI brings together world leaders, policy makers, businesses, civil society, and philanthropists to match resources with those doing good work on the ground. CGI asks everyone who attends the annual meeting to make a Commitment to Action – new, measurable, and tangible — to solve a specific global challenge.
It is easy to fall into set ways of working, responding, and planning how to take your work forward. Stepping out of a known environment into spaces where the ways of functioning, interacting and working are different from our norm is helpful for shaking up our ‘business-as -usual’ mentality. Sustainability is key for how our organisations to stay functional and active. Yet, with available funding decreasing or being redirected, this has an impact on how civil society actors can effectively operate. This strain is compounded by time consuming and resource heavy requests for insights and assistance from donors, which are often not remunerated but necessary to enable civil society to maintain engagement and connection with the broader sector.
Our time in Washington and New York showed us the different and innovative ways civil society actors are adjusting how they work and who they work with, including private sector, philanthropists, and foundations. As the humanitarian sector continues to adjust and funds become harder to access, it is imperative that civil society expands upon the way we work, who we work with, and what kind of work we do. It was suggested that AI could provide assistance in this regard. As much as we have heard and often hear the dangers of AI, we were interested to learn how AI can be a useful aid to our work. The key learning is the importance of fully understanding what AI technology is, how it works and how civil society can use AI tools to support its work. This was shared at a session at the CBCF and again at a Meta event in NY. Meta have created a platform, Llama, and are actively creating training and tools to assist in understanding and using AI for good.
Attending spaces like these is important, if for no other reason than that they create opportunities for actors to come together and connect in person. The costsare prohibitive for many, ‘visa repression’ is restrictive, and it can be hard to justify the use of human resources. Despite this, it is important that we are present, we are vocal, and we do participate as much as possible to ensure a broad spectrum of voices are heard, and the faces of those most affected are seen and humanised.
Finally, a call to action which was proposed by UNSG’s young leader for the SDGs Mayada Adil (LaLoupe Creative) really struck a chord.
In whatever way you can, no matter how big or small, extend assistance to a new migrant be they asylum seeker, refugee or new to your community. It is a hard, lonely and often scary circumstance – kindness in whatever form, is always valued.
If you would like to support Shabaka’s work and support with mutual aid groups in Sudan please donate here.
Thank you!
