Like many organisations, the #ShiftThePower movement has led Bond to reflect on what decolonisation and locally led development mean for our work, particularly when we are a UK-based membership body for UK INGOs.
Do we have a helpful role to play on this agenda, or should we step aside? Is our role evolving in this space and what could that look like? In contributing to this agenda, how can we hold ourselves to account to ensure we do not step into spaces where we have no legitimacy or locus and avoid perpetuating old power dynamics?
We have established an advisory group made up of seven outstanding people representing feminist and youth movements, climate change and the diaspora community and are actively involved in networks on shifting power, decolonisation, and community-led development. In the first of two blogs, we asked group members, Moses Isooba, Executive Director at Uganda National NGO Forum and Chilande Kuloba-Warria, Founder and Managing Director at the Warande Advisory Centre what their hopes and aspirations are for both Bond and this new advisory group.
What are you hoping the advisory group will be able to change for Bond?
Moses: Northern organisations understand that they need to do development differently and address the structural issues that exist. Bond has been at the forefront of this with the Future Dialogues, Power in Development Conference, and has now taken the bold step of setting up this group. I hope this group will bring conceptual depth and that Bond will listen to the expertise and experience of people from the majority world.
Chilande: Bond is on the right track, and I hope the advisory group can accelerate you in the right direction by including often overlooked and unsung viewpoints, insights and perspectives on this ever-dynamic topic. With the beauty and complexities in terms of diversity of this group, we can enrich Bond’s thoughts about progressive and timely issues of concern. I hope that our contributions are captured comprehensively, especially in the language and tone you use, so that you increasingly project and “feel” like the diverse community you’re trying to influence.
What values and approaches for shifting power are you hoping to instil in Bond?
Moses: Bond needs to be vulnerable, take bold steps and have a willingness to change the way it works, its policies, culture and skillsets. Bond is a northern organisation trying to influence development in the South. The advisory group needs to bring this into Bond. The UK is sending money to the South and we have the power to influence how that is being spent. We can’t talk about locally led development and keep Southern actors out.
Chilande: Mutual respect! If all feel respected, we will continue to dignify and maintain the strength of the folks that we’re talking about and want to influence. I hope we truly embrace consensus building and ensure everyone is with us every step of the journey. I want to challenge Bond to practice what you are preaching. Keep on the path, avoiding distraction and also pause periodically to reflect, listen, question and embrace feedback. I encourage Bond to retain a healthy appetite of curiosity to ensure they remain relevant in these discussions.
We notice this is called an “advisory group”, what do you think is the difference between being advisory and holding Bond to account? How would you try and bridge the gap between both?
Moses: Every organisation has its structures and we do not want to repress the existing accountability structures – but we do want Bond to extract as many lessons and experiences as possible. We want to share our experience of being part of the Shift the Power movement and what it means to be on the receiving end of development. Bond needs to be in listening mode. As the old dictum goes, there is a need to use the ears and mouth in the God-given ratio of 2:1 which essentially means doing more listening than talking.
Chilande: To see change, you must keep repeating your message. Providing advice is exactly that. I hope we can provide insights and advice based on our real lived experiences and in this way, we can provide you with evidence that should make it difficult for you to ignore. I love the diversity of the team because we bring examples and evidence from different spaces, and we will have conversations that transcend geographical boundaries and cultures. While we may not have the “explicit” power to hold you to account, we do so by being valued peers who will repeat our message and engage in healthy dialogue that prompts the change we need to see in your systems and practices. This is a powerful means of enforcing accountability as peers. As a result, if we are effective in our role as advisors, we will automatically hold you accountable.