The future of systems change for large actors such as Oxfam Novib requires us to move away from how things have always been done and towards the uncharted and – hopefully – the exciting.
The practice will be imperfect, and that’s okay. As we continue to shape it with our partners and allies, here are some things to consider.
Power continues to shape who convenes and who decides
Community self-determination lies at the heart of systemic change and, while localization lies at the heart of current thinking, some grassroots leaders feel a disconnect in how knowledge continues to flow. Little has changed about how decisions are made, who makes them, and whose interests these decisions meet. A shift in the flow of knowledge means that communities lead critical insights to provide evidence for rights-based decision- and policymaking.
One speaker at the Building Bridges event noted that, “[…] we still need ‘powerful’ individuals to guide decision-making” – reminding us that there is much to be changed in terms of where power, resources, and decision-making are concentrated amongst development actors.
The responsibility of INGOs then is to resource women-, Indigenous-, migrant-led, and other community organizations and to amplify their calls for action. We must not simply create parallel safe spaces alone but also open the doors of existing institutions and demand that they become more inclusive, and, ultimately, invite institutional powerholders into new, alternative spaces. At its core, this work depends on trust and meaningful participation.
People must feel safe to speak, know they will be heard, and see their contributions translated into action rather than tokenized.
Urgency and long-term goals continue to co-exist
The long-term goal of systemic change requires multigenerational, future thinking in how we approach our actions. However, there remains the duality of the here and now, for example, where we continue to face urgent humanitarian needs. To do so, INGOs must acknowledge the duality between now and the future: this requires a shift in how we operate with trust and how resources are shared with local leadership of communities facing crises.
We must respond to urgent humanitarian needs while also using advocacy to challenge the structures that have created them – rather than only responding to crises, we must interrogate what created the conditions for them in the first place.
Diversity is our greatest strength
The conversations during our explorations of systems change reaffirmed that, to change systems, we need interdisciplinary, cross-geographical coalitions rooted in visions of justice. Through trust-based (and maybe unconventional) relationships, dialogues, and advocacy, we can both amplify diverse voices and interests, and build coalitions that can challenge power asymmetries, shift mindsets, and change policy.
INGOs represent a collection of:
- storytellers
- guides
- weavers
- experimenters
- frontline responders
- visionaries
- builders
- caregivers
- disruptors
- healers
Honoring these roles and connecting how they manifest in local actions to regional and global advocacy are key to creating change in multiple parts of the connected system.
We need less theory, and more relationships and action
Theoretical frameworks can be abstract, and while they are valuable, they miss the mark on how to truly and tangibly transform systems. As INGOs, the relationships we build and, as a result, the actions and changes that follow form the core of social and systemic change. As organizations that play a central role in global development systems, we must keep bridging theory and practice – avoiding the trap of endless abstraction that delays radical experimentation and progress.
