​ If not now, when?

An open letter to international donors and NGOs who want to genuinely help Ukraine

We are Ukrainian CSOs and allies who are actively working to ensure that local civil societies have the ongoing resources and power they need to respond to short-term and long-term needs in our communities.

Many of us have already been taking a leading role in the humanitarian response, both in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. From the outset of the Russian military attack, we have been at the forefront of the response to ensure people are safe and looked after in this conflict, and that systems are in place to rebuild our communities when, hopefully, the conflict subsides. In Ukraine, almost all humanitarian aid has been provided by 150 local NGOs, church associations and 1,700 newly created volunteer-based CSOs. Many of these informal volunteer groups are now permanent active organisations operating in the region.

In spite of the fact that the international humanitarian sector has raised many millions of dollars, we have failed to see resources coming our way. In May, the UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS) showed that UN agencies received about two-thirds of humanitarian aid funding to Ukraine. International NGOs received 6% of the funding, while national Ukrainian NGOs received a scant 0.003% of the total amount. This doesn’t factor in the many millions that INGOs have been securing through direct appeals to the public. Yet we are the ones with access, local knowledge, connections, language and – most important of all – the personal commitment to saving lives and delivering help no matter what.

During the past four months of full-scale war, our members and colleagues have faced considerable challenges in order to gain access to the system of international funding that, even in the midst of a crisis and with local human resources and know-how at the ready, prioritises international organisations over local ones.

We call on donors and INGOs to rapidly consider a different approach in this war – one that builds on successes elsewhere, but that can also be used to model the behaviour we know will nurture stronger civil societies everywhere. Many of our allies in the #ShiftThePower movement hashave already pioneered the knowledge on how to do this in other contexts.

We don’t have to wait until the war ends — here is a simple list of the immediate things we think you can do to shift the power to local organisations, where it is most needed:

1.Cut the bureaucracy.

Despite official statements of international organisations that they seek to support local public initiatives in Ukraine, the reality is that in order to receive these funds, tens, or hundreds, or even thousands of procedures are required. We don’t have the human resources to do this, nor do we think this is a priority. Trust and accountability are basic principles for cooperation. Ukrainian NGOs cannot afford to fill out grant applications in volume, nor multiple, repetitive, lengthy due diligence procedures, by some designated International deadline. We are working in the conditions of hostilities. Small organisations need unrestricted flexible funding, provided rapidly: we can demonstrate our legitimacy in other ways, through our actions on the ground and the validation of our peers, the networks that we belong to and the communities we serve.

2.Let local civil society actors decide our priorities and how we wish to act in solidarity in this conflict.

In the midst of the war, we cannot ignore the needs of combatants. We know that aid is rarely ‘neutral’. Yet we are being prevented from receiving much-needed resources because of a bias towards this assumption about ‘neutrality.’ The aid sector has documented multiple ways in which even so-called ‘neutral’ aid has unintended consequences, and can make inter-group divisions worse and reduce self-reliance and harm local markets.

We do not want to remain “neutral”. The value of human life must come first, and supporting the needs of those on the front line can significantly reduce the amount of civilian aid needed and the number of casualties. Whilst we recognise that International organisations may want to be perceived as such, it should be up to local civil society in these circumstances to determine our own approaches and priorities.

Our approach and demand for solidarity-based funding is supported by the academic Hugo Slim, who has written that solidarity and not neutrality, should dictate the actions of the International humanitarian community working with and in Ukraine. According to Slim, this approach would be following the long-held tradition of ‘resistance humanitarianism’ that was part of the resistance to Nazi-occupied Europe; and more recently seen in places like Myanmar and Syria.

Needs are changing rapidly and are different in different parts of the country and for different populations. We are far better at identifying what divides and connects people because of our historical and cultural knowledge and our more nuanced understanding of local alliances and support networks. Funding should remain flexible for us to deliver based on the priority needs local communities are asking for. Mis-guided assumptions about neutrality shouldn’t be a barrier to funding. Wouldn’t you want the same if you were also in a danger crisis?

3.Invest in ways to help local people tell our own stories and to help us explain what we are doing to help. This supports deeper understanding and helps us to secure access to resources directly.

INGOs and international agencies have been appropriating our knowledge and telling the listening and giving public what they think we need. To INGOs we say, “Stop trying to speak on our behalf and stop controlling narratives in ways that advance your own institutional interests!”

The technology and methodologies exist that can enable local people to share our experiences and needs. Listening to local people will help you to understand the horrors of the war crisis and the varied and changing needs. This results in greater solidarity and accountability and can influence where and how individual donors or institutional donors and the wider public choose to support us. That’s true accountability, where local people profile our own experiences and have the power to speak openly and report safely.

We therefore ask the international community to invest in strengthening these collective common systems so that we can easily and efficiently tell our own stories and communicate in our own language with a sympathetic public. We also ask you to listen to and amplify our voices and our experiences and our activities, in our name. This will actively build solidarity and understanding of the role of local actors in relief, recovery and rehabilitation work. This will also support us to secure more direct and sustainable resources.

4. Start to learn from us

We understand that a significant amount of funding provided by numerous international organizations is used for “capacity building”. But why is our potential the only problem? Do you know enough about how to work with the localization of international resources?

As noted earlier, we are rooted in our communities and have the historical, cultural, linguistic and contextual knowledge and understanding of local realities sufficient to respond effectively. Many of us organized and led public activities and community development long before the war. We believe that it is international organizations that often need to develop their own organizational capacity and knowledge of our context, our networks and what local civil society looks like in the long term. Perhaps, you can translate some of our resources into English to better understand our knowledge and existing approaches.

We want to promote bilateral interaction, instead of copying outdated bureaucratic schemes. Every day we take notes about our achievements and mistakes so that we know what we still have to learn.

When the hostilities die down, international resources will be very useful in streamlining our experience. We are ready to teach how to react and learn how to communicate. Today we can provide many practical solutions for improving the system of efficient use of resources.

Enough talking, it’s time to act! If not now, then when?

There have been many commitments and conferences about ‘the participation revolution’, decolonisation, accountability to local people, #ShiftThePower, localisation, the Grand Bargain and equitable partnerships among others. There has been enough talk! The gap between narrative and action is wide. Now we need to see action.

Now is not the time to excuse inaction by blaming “the aid architecture”, “the system”, “managers,” or “donors.” Each person working in INGOs or donor organisations, can contribute towards this change, whether it involves relaxing some of the rigid systems, sharing risks more equitably, advocating for alternative kinds of accountability metrics, or experimenting with new approaches and new (local) partners. And yes, this means challenging your own power and exercising humility.

We have an opportunity here to leave what’s old and doesn’t work behind in ways that can improve our situation in Ukraine immediately and can have lasting impacts around the world too.

The immediate response and the long-term post-conflict response will require a strong, well-resourced and resilient local civil society. We need to be supported to be civic actors in our own right, not simply projectised mimics of INGOs or “service providers’’. We are grateful to the international community that has shown solidarity and supports Ukraine by supporting this diverse, locally rooted, active and committed network of actors in Ukraine and neighbouring countries and we encourage the rest to come on board too.

By taking some of these immediate steps, your support will go a lot further to helping people affected by the war in Ukraine and many of us working on social justice throughout the world.

Sign the letter here: https://forms.gle/QHupsNPeFWxbb8sr7

If you have questions or you want to become an active participant of the initiative, contact our coordinator:

Karolina Soliar k.soliar@philanthropy.com.ua

Telegram – @caroline_solyar

List of public organizations who signed:

1. Благодійна організація “Фонд громади міста Херсон “Захист”
2. “ДОПОМОГА ЮНОСТІ: УКРАЇНА”
3. “Органічна Україна.Північ”
4. Багодійна організація “Благодійний фонд”Штаю допомоги Житомир “
5. Біженець
6. Благодійна організація ,,Міжнародний благодійний фонд ,,ВІРА З УКРАЇНИ,,
7. Благодійний Фонд “Рух країни 3000”
8. БО “БФ “Для моєї України”
9. БО “Фонд громади “Барі”
10. БО “Фонд громади Березані”
11. БО БФ “Мрію Жити”
12. БО БФ “Мрію Жити”
13. БО БФ “Рух країни 3000”
14. БО БФ Переяслав
15. БФ “ЄЛЕОН”
16. БФ “ФОРМАТ20” ГО ВО
17. БФ “ЦВД Артема Марченко”
18. ГО “Дивна Україна”
19. ГО “Енектус БСПУ”
20. ГО “Єдність чеснот”
21. ГО “Молодіжне об’єднання Одеси”
22. ГО “Молодіжний Патруль”
23. ГО “Об’єднання Толока”
24. ГО “Реабілітаційний альянс”
25. ГО “Чорноморська Січ”
26. ГО “Об’єднання добрих справ”
27. ГО «Український жіночий батальйон»
28. ГО ГОСТИНЕЦЬ
29. ГО Країна вільної громади
30. ГО МНК
31. ГО Покровська правозахисна організація “Щит”
32. Громадська організація “БЛАГОКРАЙ”
33. Громадська організація “Немирівська спілка творчих ініціатив”
34. Громадська організація “Рука милосердя”
35. Громадська організація «Центр розвитку Імстичова»
36. ГРОМАДСЬКА ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ ОБ’ЄДНАНІ СИЛИ АВТОВОЛОНТЕРІВ
37. Громадська організація Своя Хата
38. МБФ “ВІЛЬНА УКРАЇНА”
39. МБФ” Оновлена Україна”
40. Міжнародний благодійний фонд «Вектор надії» (International Charity foundation “Vector of hope”)
41. Організація “Дипломати”
42. Радіо Треба / Radio Treba
43. Фонд громад “Рідня”
44. Фундація імені князів-благодійників Острозьких
45. ACAPS
46. Alt-Energy / Аль-Енерго
47. Asociatia Femeilor Profesioniste
48. Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
49. BARKA Foundation (Fundacja Pomocy Wzajemnej Barka)
50. Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation
51. Blessed Echoes Children Alliance
52. Boyarka Community Foundation
53. Bucharest Community Foundation
54. Bureau d’Appui aux Programmes d’Education et de développement (BAPED)
55. CENTRO PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LA AGRICULTURA SOSTENIBLE “KANTZAM”
56. Charity Fund We UKrainians
57. Christians United for Pastoralists (CUP)
58. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
59. CO “Community Foundation “Bari”
60. Community Foundation “Ridnya”
61. Cumbria Community Foundation
62. Dalit Community Foundation (DCF)
63. Elite Crew
64. Făgăraș Country Community Foundation
65. Federacja Funduszy Lokalnych w Polsce
66. Federation of Community Foundations in Poland
67. Feminist Workshop
68. fitt
69. forumZFD
70. Foundation “Community Donation Fund Sliven”
71. Foundation “Moloda Gromada”/Young Community
72. Foundation for Community Development
73. Foundation Scotland
74. Fundacja “Fundusz Lokalny Ziemi Płockiej – Młodzi Razem”
75. Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę/Empowering Children Foundation
76. FUNDATIA COMUNITARA MURES
77. Fundatia Comunitara Timisoara
78. Galati Community Foundation
79. Galvanizing Africa Consult Ltd
80. Global Fund for Children
81. Global Fund for Community Foundations
82. Global Fund for Community Foundations
83. Global Mentoring Initiative
84. GlobalGiving
85. Grassroots Development Initiatives Foundation-Kenya
86. Gujarat Devi Pujak Seva Mandal.
87. Healthy City Community Foundation
88. Heidehof Stiftung GmbH
89. Het Actiefonds
90. Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN)
91. Ikhala Trust
92. Indonesian Society for Disaster Management
93. Infinite Hope For Vulnerable Africa
94. Information Charitable foundation “Friends’ Hands”
95. Information Society Development Foundation
96. Initiative Pananetugri pour le Bien-être de la Femme (IPBF)
97. Initiative Pananetugri pour le Bien-être de la Femme (IPBF)
98. Insight public organization
99. Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF)
100. Lincolnshire community foundation
101. Lincolnshire community foundation
102. Lokalna Fundacja Filantropijna Projekt
103. London Community Foundation
104. Loop
105. MitOst e.V.
106. New Paradigm Ventures
107. NGO “AIESEC in Ukraine” | ВМГО “АЙСЕК в Україні”
108. NGO “Institute of Socio-Economic Regional Studies”
109. NGO “Information and Training Center of Public Initiatives”/ ГО “Інформаційно-тренінговий центр громадських ініціатив”
110. NGO Pokrovsk League of Business and Professional Women
111. NGO PROSTIR
112. Nguzo Africa Community Foundation
113. Nonviolent Peaceforce
114. Nonviolent Peaceforce – Ukraine
115. Northamptonshire Community Foundation
116. Ourloop
117. Outer Voices
118. Pachhat Varg Vikas Mandal.
119. Pachhat Varg Vikas Mandal.
120. Podkarpackie Stowarzyszenie dla Aktywnych Rodzin
121. PREDIKT
122. PREDIKT Indonesia
123. PUBLIC ORGANIZATION «CENTER FOR REFORM, DEMOCRACY AND RIGHT»
124. Romanian Federation for Community Foundations
125. Roots and Wings Foundation
126. RSM Consultores
127. RSM Consultores, SA de CV
128. Solidarity Foundation
129. South Sinai Foundation
130. South Yorkshire Community Foundation
131. Southern African Community Minerals Association
132. Specialized school No. 124
133. STAR Ghana Foundation
134. Stara Zagora Community Foundation
135. Start Network
136. TalkToLoop.org
137. Tara Fagarasului Community Foundation
138. Techfugees
139. Tewa
140. The Kharkiv Charitable Community Foundation «TOLOKA»
141. The RINGO Project
142. The Roll a Hippo Foundation
143. The Snow Mountain Community Fund
144. Timisoara Community Foundation
145. Toloka NGO
146. TrustRoots Network
147. Twerwaneho Listeners Club
148. Two Ridings Community Foundation
149. U-saved UA
150. UK Community Foundations
151. UkraineNow.ch
152. Ukrainian Media League / Українська Медіа Ліга
153. UkrKidsHub
154. Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
155. Voznesrnsk community foundation
156. West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)
157. Women’s March
158. www.hunhelp.com
159. Young Feminist Europe
160. Youth Council of Sukhopolovyanska village council Pryluky district Chernihiv region
161. Zaklada Zamah
162. Zywiec Development Foundation

List of persons who signed:

1. Алена Данилова, Ukraine
2. Аліна, Ukraine
3. Анацька Анастасія, Ukraine
4. Анна Потриваєва, Ukraine
5. Вадим Вареник, Ukraine
6. Вікторія, Ukraine
7. Ворчак Богдана, Ukraine
8. Голоборода Олена, Ukraine
9. Дмитро Федорчак, Ukraine
10. Елена Олейник, Ukraine
11. Євгеній Миколаєнко, Ukraine
12. Євгенія Бондарь, Ukraine
13. Заряна Пека, Ukraine
14. Інна, Ukraine
15. Ковальова Ганна, Ukraine
16. Ковальова Наталія, Ukraine
17. Колесниченко Ольга, Ukraine
18. Корина, Ukraine
19. Кудактина Ирина, Ukraine
20. Куницька Тетяна, Ukraine
21. Максим, Ukraine
22. Маляр Тетяна, Ukraine
23. Марина Бондарева, Ukraine
24. Микола Дмітрієв, Ukraine
25. Михаил Василькив, Ukraine
26. Наталія, Ukraine
27. Наталія Бойко, Ukraine
28. Наталья, Ukraine
29. Олена, Ukraine
30. Олена Дорошенко, Ukraine
31. Ольга, Ukraine
32. ОlesiaUkraine
33. Поліна Погановська, Ukraine
34. Татьяна, Ukraine
35. Тетяна, Ukraine
36. Тетяна Пасічниr, Ukraine
37. Тamara Malkova, Ukraine
38. Юлия Сычева, Ukraine
39. Юлія, Ukraine
40. Яна, Ukraine
41. Aizat Shakieva, Kyrgyzstan
42. Alex Fisher, United Kingdom
43. Alex Martins, United Kingdom
44. Alex Ross, New Zealand
45. Alexandra Humphreys, Portugal
46. Alexandru Dan Neagu, Romania
47. Anastasiia, Ukraine
48. André Clarke, United Kingdom
49. Anna, Ukraine
50. Anna Litvinenko, Ukraine
51. Ansis Bērziņš, Latvia
52. Antonina, Ukraine
53. Anya Ievtushenko, Netherlands
54. Axel Halling, Germany
55. Barbara Nöst, Zambia
56. Bayu Tri Hanggoro, Indonesia
57. Béatrice Mauconduit, Denmark
58. Beznosiuk Anastasiia, Ukraine
59. Bobe Monica, Romania
60. Bugayenko Svitlana, Ukraine
61. Carmen Tse, Canada
62. Charles Howerton, United States
63. Christine Persaud, Canada
64. Clara Vaz, Canada
65. Colleen du ToitSouth Africa
66. Cristiana Metea, Romania
67. Dana RH Doan, USA / Việt Nam
68. Diana Uwinema, Rwanda
69. DMYTRO Sushchevski, Israel
70. Eka Datuashvili, Georgia
71. Ekaterina Posunkina, Ukraine
72. EPHRAIM TEMBO, Zambia
73. Ese Emerhi, Nigeria
74. Eshban Kwesiga, Uganda
75. Fran Girling, UK
76. Galina Maksimović, Serbia
77. Gareth Mace, UK
78. Hanna, Україна
79. Hanna Shepeleva, Ukraine
80. Heidi Oyugi, Kenya
81. Hugo Slim, UK
82. hvale vale,
83. Ievgen, Vovk
84. Illya Tsapuk, Ukraine
85. Irina, Ukraine
86. Iryna, România
87. Isabella Jean, United States
88. Iwona Olkowicz, Poland
89. Jannelle Wilkins, Costa Rica
90. Jenne de Beer, Netherlands
91. Jenny Hodgson, South Africa
92. Joanna Hill, United Kingdom
93. Jon Edwards, United Kingdom
94. Jonathan Glennie, UK
95. Juliette Nathalie BAKYONO, Burkina Faso
96. Justyna, Poland
97. Kate Kifa, Ukraine
98. Kate Lapham, United States
99. Kateryna, Ukraine
100. Kateryna Pylypak, Україна
101. Kelly Shawn Joseph, United States
102. Kristin Kim Bart, United States
103. Ksenia Buglewicz, Poland
104. Lesia, Україна
105. Lesya Savytska, Poland
106. Lian Yi Yong, Australia
107. Liliia Gal, Ukraine
108. Maeva Bonjour, Netherlands
109. Małgorzata Makowska, Poland
110. Mandela Nelson, South Sudan
111. Maria J Pinzon, Colombia
112. Mariana Sandoval, Mexico
113. Marie Courraud, France
114. Mariia Lagun, Ukraine
115. Marina, Ukraine
116. Martijn Blom, The Netherlands
117. Maryna, Ukraine
118. Maryna Yusyn/Марина Юсин, Ukraine/Украъна
119. Mitchell Bayer-Goldman, England
120. mnelson@oxfam.org.uk, South Sudan,
121. Morhun Vladyslava,
122. Moureen Jonyo, Kenya
123. Ms S A Wright, United Kingdom
124. Muhammad Zubair Naeem, Pakistan
125. Mykola Bahinskyi, United States
126. Natalia Kotyla, Poland
127. Nataliia, Украина
128. Neil Dillon, United Kingdom
129. Nick Deychakiwsky, USA
130. Nicola Braggins, France
131. Nikolaus Hutter, Austria
132. Nina, Ukraine
133. Nino Ugrekhelidze, Georgia
134. Nora Lester Murad, USA
135. Oana Petrescu, Romania
136. Oana Poiana, Romania
137. Oksana, Ukraine
138. Oleg Yarovy, Ukraine
139. Oleksandr Ternovyi, Germany
140. Oleksandra Klochko/Олександра Клочко, Ukraine/Україна
141. Olha, Ukraine
142. Olha Bahnat, Ukraine
143. Ozge Olcay,
144. Pastor Chisenga Kunda, Zambia
145. Pauline Boyer, France
146. Petro Lymar, Ukraine
147. Pryhornieva Mariia, Ukraine
148. Qurban Ali, Pakistan
149. Rafał Serafin, Polska
150. Renata Hlushchenko, Ukraine
151. Renji George Joseph, India
152. Ron Sangal, United Kingdom
153. Sam Sherman,
154. Saskia Hostetler Lippy MD, USA
155. Sevdalina Rukanova, Netherlands
156. Simon Middleton, United Kingdom
157. Simona srebrov, Romania
158. Simone Esterlita Moodley, South Africa
159. Stanisław Knaflewski, Poland
160. Subilo Malema, Zambia
161. Svitlana, Ukraine
162. Svitlana Prishchenko, Ukraine
163. Tanja Abubakar-Funkenberg, Germany
164. Tarisai, Zimbabwe
165. Tetiana Demchuk, Ukraine
166. Tetyana, Ukraine
167. Tricia Sibbons, UK
168. Tsaairoh, Indonesia
169. Uliana Morokhovska, Ukraine/Romania
170. Ulyana Navdzha, Ukraine
171. Vasyl, Ukraine
172. Victoriia, Ukraine
173. Viktória Horváth, Hungary
174. Viktoriia NABOKOVA, Украина
175. Vitaliia, Ukraine
176. Vitaliy Vysochin, Ukraine
177. Vlada Kravtsova, United Kingdom
178. Vova, Ukraine
179. Wanjiru Kanyiha, Kenya
180. Wendy Richardson, Belgium
181. YELIZAVETA, Ukraina
182. Yelizaveta Yanovich, USA
183. Yelyzaveta Vovchenko, France
184. Yuliia, Ukraine
185. Yuliia Berliner, Україна
186. Yuliia Yefanova, Украина
187. Zhuk Oksana, Romania
188. Zinchenko Tetiana, Ukraine