I’m honoured to let you all know that this recently published book, White Saviorism in International Development, includes a chapter co-authored by my colleague Shama Dossa and myself. The chapter agues that the principles and practices of evaluation are tools for the White gaze, and perpetuate neo-colonial and racist aspects of global development. Here is … Continue reading
Slow train coming: Taking time for community-driven systems change (Guest post at the Johnson Center)
“A new generation of funders is radically challenging how the sector defines and achieves its goals — arguing that shifting power to communities is both more ethical and effective for long-term impact.” I am pleased to share this piece I wrote for the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy describing how Firelight came to develop … Continue reading
How do CBO leaders in eastern and southern Africa define social change, effectiveness, and success – and how can funders better support them?
I am proud to share this peer-reviewed article I co-authored alongside Susan Wilkinson-Maposa, and my colleagues who are CBO leaders: Mary Kabati, Prosper Ndaiga, Saeed Wame and Moses Zulu. In this piece, we discussed the community-based organisation (CBO) leader and practitioner perspective on social change and partnering. Through surveys, interviews, and convenings involving CBOs from … Continue reading
Solidarity over charity: Prioritising long-term shifts over band-aid responses (article in Alliance)
“Modern charity has largely failed to produce real, lasting change.” In Alliance Magazine, I explored how the framework of charity has failed to achieve lasting, systemic change or a shift towards equality despite the good intentions of funders and the billions of dollars that have been spent. I explore how solidarity offers a different framework, … Continue reading
Rethinking impact, change, professionalism, and organizational effectiveness (panel at New Frontiers conference)
I was so pleased to join the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in July to speak at their conference on the New Frontiers in Funding, Philanthropy and Investment. In this panel, and indeed throughout the conference, we discussed the ways in which traditional philanthropy has perpetuated White supremacy, neocolonialism, Global North imperialism, racism, and inequitable systems that … Continue reading
Challenges of fundraising for community-driven action (Participatory Grantmaking Community discussion)
I was thrilled to join the Participatory Grantmaking Community for a conversation about the tensions of fundraising for participatory grantmaking (PGM) along with Paul-Gilbert Colletaz from the Red Umbrella Fund and Yodit Tesfamariam from Camden Giving. We started the conversation with some guiding tensions about whether it matters where the money for participatory grantmaking comes … Continue reading
Philanthropisms: Shifting Power & Supporting Communities
I had the opportunity to join Rhodri Davies for his podcast Philanthropisms to funding systems change, supporting grassroots communities and shifting power dynamics within philanthropy. We covered questions including the distinction between charity and justice, the impact of the “funder ego” or a “saviour mindset” on philanthropy, and how to design impact measures that are … Continue reading
Community-driven system change, a catalyst for sustainable development – a conversation with Philanthropy Circuit
I recently joined Philanthropy Circuit and Mr. Jones Mwalwanda, Executive Director of Foundation for Community, Livelihood and Development (FOCOLD), to discuss key insights highlighted in the Firelight Foundation Report – Community-Driven System Change. Continue reading
Community-driven systems change: A practical way to shift power in global development and philanthropy
“Traditional global development practices aren’t working. Despite substantial investments in development efforts over many years, many large projects initiated by traditional, top-down Global North philanthropic funders, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and others have not resulted in meaningful and lasting change in communities. In some cases, there has even been unintentional harm done because of the disruption of … Continue reading
Translating knowledge to action in ECD – but whose knowledge and whose actions?
I was pleased to join the Early Childhood Development Action Networks’ webinar discussing how we can translate knowledge into policies and actions to benefit children’s early development, particularly at the more local level. “When we talk about translating knowledge into practice, the question for me is which knowledge and whose knowledge. We often distinguish between … Continue reading
Sadaf Shallwani 