PRAXIS Journal: Decolonizing aid–the future of localization?

By Mai Nagabayashi

From the desolating famine crisis in Somalia to the war in Ukraine and, more recently, the devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico, humanitarian disasters are becoming more and more prevalent every year. As crises are ongoing, local first responders, be they neighbors, friends, kin, or local community, are on the ground most quickly, are aware of cultural differences, are more cost-efficient, and are more likely to “stick” around for the long haul than foreign aid workers. If this is the case, why is “localization” at stake, and who are the specific actors involved? And how do we best support “localization” efforts?